On February 3, 2016 Ollies Blocks launched a Kickstarter campaign to make dreams of traditional play a reality. The startup currently holds about $86,000 in pledges from 510 backers, making them a little more than 10% short of reaching their fundraising goal of $100,000. Ollies Blocks are colorful, wooden interlocking building blocks designed to make playtime more meaningful and engaging for children and adults, alike.
Haran Yaffe, father of one and founder of Ollies Blocks, grew up tinkering with similar toys at his father’s Israeli toy factory in the 1980s. When he got the idea to revive these creations for his daughter, Olivia, and a new generation of children, his father agreed to manufacture them under the condition that Yaffe crowd source the funds.
In February the Toy Industry Association announced its top toy trends of 2016. Among those trends was “Family Matters,” with the following explanation: “Millennial parents have grown nostalgic for their own childhood board games, puzzles and other traditional toys, and want to share in those unplugged experiences with their children… Whether online or offline, these toys help bridge the gap between generations by helping families create lasting memories through play.”
Ollies Blocks vision echoes this sentiment wholeheartedly. If you watch their kickstarter video, it’s clear that these simple building blocks have a unique ability to bond generations just as easily as the blocks fasten to each other.
In the video, an older couple is seen fiddling with the blocks and extolling the relaxing, meditative benefits of playing with Ollies Blocks. Children can also be seen actively engaging with the blocks, turning and twisting pieces to test the limits of the toys’ stability. The blocks, with their simple and classic design, have multiple learning benefits for children—they incorporate colors, numbers, spatial skills, and tactile engagement.
“Nowadays, all I see kids playing with are toys that light up and make sounds, and there’s no actual thinking going on. The idea of building or playing with an object in order to generate creativity is something that even professionals do when trying to think of new ideas, so why aren’t we allowing our young ones to benefit from that too?” asks Yaffe. “My generation was privileged to grow up with toys like this and we’re so excited to bring this back with our launch and pass down something we had yesterday to the children of today.”
Ollies Blocks’ Kickstarter campaign closes in just 8 days! If your interested in helping Ollies Blocks reach its goal to produce these unique building blocks or just want more information, visit their site or kickstarter page.
Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!
