The Unexpected Toys That Are Captivating Kids
Piccalio is a new brand that is bringing back old ways of teaching kids how to balance, play, and be creative all at the same time.
As folks are waiting until they are older and in a better place financially to have kids, typical toys have taken a back seat to those that are better for the environment, better for child development, and more aesthetically pleasing. Welcome, Piccalio. Your time has come.
According to Vice, a new company is exciting parents and kids alike. Piccalio is “smart wooden play,” according to its website. What is it though? That answer is simply, “open-ended designs for learning and playing.” And, with one glance it seems everything old is new again. These are the toys and games made popular in the 1970s when plastic wasn’t rampant and we were concentrating on the importance of physicality in games.
Changing with Piccalio
Toys and what they focus on for the child playing with them, have certainly changed over the years. Today’s hot toys are typically more than likely completely made from plastic, are passive, and now with the advent of technology are even online in nature. You don’t even have to get off the couch!
As technology improved over the years, games and toys transitioned from getting kids to move and engage in whole-body play to passive, brand-based, or just pointless. But, Piccalio is looking to change all that. And they are taking a cue from 1970s gym class where balance and sturdiness were en vogue.
As Toy R Us, the beloved toy story that dominated the 1980s and ‘90s shuttered all its stores in March of 2018, folks had no choice but to either go to small boutique stores (IE expensive/overpriced) or buy online. Most people chose online and there was no more “try before you buy” or a place where kids could really get into the toys to experience them. So, the experience end of the scale just seemed to run out. Piccalio is bringing bank experiential play.
From balance beams to curved balance boards and study climbers, Piccalio’s offerings are neutral in color, nontoxic, and planet-friendly. They look good in any home and when their parents make Tik Tok videos, they won’t be distracting. Just kidding on that, but it says something that all of Piccalio’s toys are neutral. Gender-neutral, brand-neutral, and neutral in color. They go with anything and everything.
Does this mean toys are changing again and going back to the basics? Maybe. According to Walmart’s hot list be prepared for bikes, scooters, quads, and Lego playsets. Both of these toys can engage the body and the mind. Seems like we may be headed in a good direction. Hopefully, sports stores can continue to stay in business so toys and games that focus on movement can stick around.
Piccalio will be the Millennial Mom’s favorite brand this season and next. It shows you care about saving the planet and saving fitness. For Millennials, and for the up-and-coming Gen Z, shopping with your values first, is a must. Showing the world what those values are—on social media—is a must, too.
