Sparking curious young minds

With Nintendo DS and instant messaging gobbling up children’s time and attention, low-tech alternatives are on many parents’ wish lists. The Little Experience began when its British founder, Tai Broadhurst, wanted to keep her two sons occupied after her twin daughters were born. In her own words, Tai wanted toys and activities “that demanded unconditional concentration and participation.” Her answer was to assemble activity kits for creative projects. Whether it’s building a bird house or knitting a monkey doll, each project is meant to be fun, to stimulate curious young minds and give children a sense of pride in having created something, and the pleasure of sharing a new experience with their parents. A few years on, The Little Experience’s toys and activity kits are stocked by stores across the U.K. No wonder: the products are made with care and thoughtful attention to detail. Kits are packaged in attractive boxes or unbleached cotton bags, they’re helpfully categorized to match children’s developmental stages, and each comes with a well-designed instruction booklet. There’s a growing demand for traditional toys, and entrepreneurs outside the U.K. wanting to get into the business of good old-fashioned fun could do worse than contact The Little Experience and work out a distribution deal, or start something similar from scratch! Now where’s that activity kit for a new business…