Manish Kumar
New age learning tools and online penetration have changed the ways we learn about the world, peoples and cultures…
With the surge in penetration and the popularity of the internet it was assumed that the cyber world would pave the way for making the younger generation inclined towards gadgets and indoor games. However, with the emergence of online activity boxes the presumption seems to be in the face of a challenge.
In the last few months, a new trend seems to have capitulated the negative side of the internet. A number of new start ups have now come up with the noble idea of offering kids some creative ways to help them think out of the box.
“I found the concept of online activity boxes very attractive and useful. Children are now tilted towards gadgets and the internet because of the dearth of activities which can strike a chord with kids. Soon after knowing about this tool, I subscribed to one of the online platforms offering such services. They sent me a carton carrying useful instrument that kids can use to learn and exercise their creativity,” says Rekha Tripathy who recently ordered an activity box online for her school going daughter.
Buoyed by the demands from parents, online platforms offering such facilities seem to have gained impetus. According to online platforms offering such tools to kids, Orissa too is catching up with other cities in eagerly batting for these kinds of innovative tools.
Pune-based Rohit Sabnis, a former banker founded Bazinga Box to offer such services earlier this year. Within a span of two months he is now overwhelmed with the response from the parents seeking such activity boxes. Rohit also says that he is also getting a good response from Orissa, particularly from Bhubaneswar.
He told Orissa POST, “The basic idea of the activity box is to offer kids a way to think beyond academics. The concept helps children to learn in a way which is appealing. We dispatch them a box which comprises some creative instrument and some tasks which help them know more about some topic. The most lucrative part is kids enjoy learning through these tools as it involves learning in a way in which they get involved with the topic.”
Many online platforms offer kids tools like crayons, sketches, maps, colourful papers, paint brushes, puzzles, glitters, stick-ons and other instruments to catch the attention of the kids and strike a chord with them. Many online firms every month announce themes on which the activities are involved. Online service providers say a well organised panel is always on their toes to think about the box and education tools.
Deepanshu Arora, who cofounded Wonderbox, said, “We work in a very pre-planned way. We have a dedicated team of experts which comprise people from the field of education, psychology and others on board who discuss among themselves the tasks and challenges we can give to kids in a lucid way.” Most of the online platforms, however, cater to the needs of kids in the age group of four to eight years.
An email response from Flintobox to Orissa POST said, “We see a huge opportunity to become a pioneer in the area of early child development in India. The first six years of one’s life is the most important and impactful stage. However, there are hardly any companies in India designing products for developmental needs. We are trying to bridge the gap.”
