New Zealand kids’ toy company, Seedling, has worked some magic to create a new range of DIY activity kits in collaboration with Disney.
The Design your own Disney kits let children bring their favourite Disney adventures to life, from classics like a DIY mermaid tail inspired by Ariel in The Little Mermaid or a Jungle Book mask, to newer favourites like Pete’s Dragon.
Like all Seeling products, the kits are designed to help children be creative. “We design nourishing play experiences that value process and encourage experimentation, decision-making and social interaction,” says Sarah Moore, Seedling NZ Australasian business manager.
Seedling was launched in 2007 by Phoebe Hayman and has been available in the Australian market since 2010. Two years ago the brand opened a North American office, which facilitated the Disney collaboration.
“Our CEO met and discussed ideas with Disney and in August/September 2016 the first products became available from the Seedling Disney Range,” explains Moore.
However, the items didn’t hit the southern hemisphere until they unexpectedly debuted at Life Instyle Sydney this February.
“It was very much a surprise for everyone. We weren’t 100 per cent sure the licence had been extended for Australasia until a few days before the show so we decided to surprise everyone on the first day.”
With Seedling’s focus on creative play, the brand is now turning its attention to crafty products for older children.
“Having them immersed in solitary tech-based games makes them quite disconnected, and here at Seedling we are trying to merge that gap and bring creativity and design back into it along with the fun that tech brings,” explains Moore.
This includes the brand’s virtual reality maze game, which lets kids design and create their own physical maze and then use a smartphone virtual reality app to transform it into a spaceship, kingdom or ancient ruin to play in.
By Ruth Cooper
