Kibi Toys: Stimulating the Senses
Isaac Saneleuterio and Maya Callejo are two Valencians who probably wouldn’t give their children a Play Station as a present. They are the creators of Kibi Toys, and they make toys to stimulate the senses rather than put to them on hold while the brain focuses on murdering zombies, the walking dead or the inhabitants of neighbouring countries, or just our neighbours.
And although most children look at their parents as if they had just abandoned them in a petrol station in the middle of La Mancha when they get ‘educational toys’, these are really quite nice, thank you very much auntie………
Isaac studied architecture and Maya audiovisual communication, but it was a family matter, two siblings with Down’s Syndrome, that convinced them that toys are them.
Although they are both from Gandia (he studied at Ausias March school and she at Maria Enriquez), there was a fair bit of international travelling to do before they reunited to work together on the project.
Maya spent three years in London, working at Zara and then in a PR company with clients such as Disney, whil Isaac had four months work experience in Germany and also spent some time in Croatia before deciding not to finish his degree, but to work in something he really believed in with passion; Kibi Toys.
The lack of toys on the market that stimulate memory through all the senses, and which also focused on smell and touch led them to experiment in the creation of toys that stimulated the memory in relation to smell, strength, weight and texture, the latter involving distinguishing between textures that are sticky, smooth or rough.
The toys are not only kids’ stuff, they are also suitable for elderly people with problems such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The first seven toys will be on sale from December 2014 and specialized centres will also be able to take advantage of a ‘borrowing’ option, and to ‘feel, remember, learn’ as Kibi Toys slogan points out.
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