Knowledge
6 Made-in-India Toys That Support Early Childhood Development
PM Modi urges to support Indian Toy Brands, says ‘Let the game begin.’
The recently aired ‘Mann Ki Baat’, PM Narendra Modi’s monthly radio speech to the nation, had him urge and motivate India to support Indian Toy Brands. He said, “Global toy industry is over Rs 7 lakh crore but India’s share is very small. We will have to work to increase it.”
"Our country has so many ideas, so many concepts; our history has been very rich. Can we make games based on that? Let the game begin," the PM added.
The most well-known of the toy brands are not always plausibly the best ones for the children. So, here’s a list of six Indian toy brands that do not yet have a good capture on the international market but are child-oriented in their approach and pay full attention to presenting non-toxic and recyclable toys that children can learn from during their early years of development.
The Story Merchants
They provide a series of products for children aged 6 months to 10 years, created to help with early learning concepts and vocabulary skills through engaging games and visual storytelling.
Ariro
They provide handmade, child-safe Indian artisanal toys that support early childhood brain development. To add to that, these toys are claimed to be 100% organic.
Fairkraft Creations
They are a craft design and marketing company that gets its products made ethically by working directly with artisan communities. The toys are wooden hence recyclable. Here's the best part – to make them, whole trees are not cut down but small specific portions that eventually grow back. The colour and resin used are natural and non-toxic, too.
ALT Retail
They own several brands for toys, children dinnerware, etc. The toys they make are open-ended, handcrafted in India from eco-friendly and child-safe materials, non-toxic and completely safe for the little ones.
Shumee
They create toys for today’s children that are entirely made in India and bring back the joy of free-play. Their toys are specially designed for children keeping a range of things in mind. This includes the developmental needs of a child at a particular age, their skills and capabilities at the time, and even their possible interests.
Skola
The Skola philosophy has derived many of its values from the inspiring work of Dr. Montessori and her approach towards learning for young children, which focuses on using one’s own impulses, emotions, natural curiosity and an innate desire to learn. It treats every child with the utmost respect and as a worthy individual occupied with the task of developing and nurturing himself/herself through self-learning and discovery.
In ‘Mann Ki Baat,' Modi encouraged new entrepreneurs to team up and discover original Indian toys and in the process, get vocal for local. It was interesting to see celebrities like Mira Rajput, a mother of two, rooting for Indian Toy Brands after the broadcasting.
We think it is about time to start bringing the kids closer to the authentic Indian ways during their play-learn time. After all, there is no scarcity of idea, knowledge or creativity in our country!