A team of two sisters Pallavi and Prachi Agarwal are making fun follow the eco route by developing kids’ toys and games under their banner Chalk & Chuckles.
Pallavi Agarwal, an entrepreneur with a background in finance (University of Nottingham), and Prachi Agarwal, a psychologist with training and background in Education (Harvard Graduate School of Education), after seeing their nephews and nieces at play, realised how different the term “play” has become in the past few years.
“When we were kids, play meant simple toys and games, it meant the playground. Traditional games like ‘hopscotch’ and ‘crocodile may I cross the river’ entertained us. But children today have become addicted to electronic games that seldom allow any free expression,” says Prachi. Nostalgia about their own childhood games with their inherent simplicity and tremendous developmental benefits led to the idea of starting an organistaion that would produce developmental games and toys.
But it wasn’t an easy journey. The sisters struggled a lot before they finally started Chalk & Chuckles in 2009. “It wasn’t just a business venture. It was started with a mission to provide kids with playful learning tools, urging parents to question what a child can do with a game,” say the sisters for whom the venture was a roller coaster ride.
“There is not much support from the industry in India. We had to do our own research for eco-friendly material that are either highly priced or not available at all. We struggled to get the quality we wanted for more than two years,” they add.
At a time when toxic, technical products are ruling the market, going with just eco-friendly products was a tough decision. “We are not eco warriors but believe in creating a good environment,” says Pallavi, who admits that many of their games may not catch the attention of children in toy stores and it may be the parents who often pick them up for their developmental value. “Children may get motivated to play with them after they have experienced them once,” she adds.
However, a breakthrough for them came last year when at Toy Biz 2011, one of their games won “the most innovative” toy award. “When we went out in the market, we realised more parents wanted toys that children could play with by themselves.”
Being from two different academic backgrounds also help them do better. Fortunately, both believe in the same philosophy. “However, Prachi isolates herself from numbers and technical considerations,” quips Pallavi. But being a psychologist, Prachi’s inputs help largely in understanding the way children learn.
“My training and work with children provides me with an understanding and broader perspective of how particular toys, or products, can meet desired developmental goals,” says Prachi.