Toys and Games for Kids with Special Needs
Two years back, when we first thought of Snooplay, we thought of creating a platform that caters to children of all ages, and people with varied interests. Which is why from classic toys to innovative games, we wanted Snooplay to be the one-stop shop for all. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was what we wanted. Because even at that time, we were sure of the two things we really wanted Snooplay to stand for – inclusivity and authenticity.
And that’s exactly how we faced our first stumbling block – though now, we look back at it as a surprise nudge in the right direction. Because, our search – online and offline – brought us to the realization that there was a section of society that had unfortunately been looked over. A section that, just like the rest of us, deserved to know the sheer joy of defeating your opponent in Ludo. A section that should know what it’s like when a ‘snake’ bites you at 99 and you lose the game. A section that should experience the camaraderie and competition that a friendly game of UNO can bring. And the section missing out on all this and more is made of children who are differently-abled.
Differently-abled just means people are born with abilities different from a majority of the society – it does not mean that they be excluded from the activities the society at large enjoys. All it takes to ensure that no member of society is left behind, is paying a little attention. So that’s exactly what we did.
We paid attention to what could work for people with special needs. We tried to find schools, NGOs, and stores (online and offline) that cater to their interests. And we hit a roadblock.
Because there are hardly any stores that actually serve the products that people with special needs require. And most schools and NGOs are actually substituting with other products, because originals aren’t available. We also discovered that many parents are unaware of what a child is going through due to lack of proper knowledge. At times, they are even unwilling to admit that their child may need a different kind of guidance.
That’s when we started searching harder, visited different NGOs, met teachers who worked with differently-abled children, and at the core level, understood their requirements. This was followed by a period of hunting for appropriate suppliers from across the globe, understanding their products and making sure our – and consequently our customer’s – needs are met. We also felt that an online platform might make the process of searching for the right product easier for parents.
Finally, after 9 months of searching, struggling, a fair share of frustration, but a lot of hard work, love, and genuine care, we managed to stand true to the two principles we started with – inclusivity and authenticity. Because, no child should be left bereft from the joy of playing.
Which is why we’re excited to announce that we’ll super soon be launching toys, games, and tools for differently-abled children and also introduce products that cater to specific developmental goals for children with special needs. Stay tuned to know more about these categories in detail.
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