Easter is right around the corner, and we can’t not be excited about our favorite festival! It’s also the time of social distancing. However, we don’t have to forgo festivities – not if we do it right! Given the gloom in the air, it’s all the more important that we celebrate the things that bring us joy – especially if they come in a delightful easter egg.  We spoke to families who are celebrating Easter indoors, and came up with a giant guide. Here’s how you can spread the Easter cheer, without breaking the rules of social distancing! 1. Dress up! You don’t need to spend the day in sweat ..read more

Schools are shut, going out isn’t advisable, and the kids are bored at home. What do you do? We say, read to them (among other things!)  Revisit books you loved as a child, books that other parents have vouched for, and books that your 5-year-old’s 5-year-old friend recommended!   We’ve curated books we absolutely love, and they’re great to get you started. Put on your reading glasses, curl up with your kid, and let their imagination take flight. For ages 4 – 8 Simpler words, lots of pictures, and heartwarming tales. 1. Kitchen disco Who doesn’t love a good party? Turns out, eve ..read more

Tinkering is childhood’s outlet for curiosity. Curiosity fuels imagination, which allows us to think beyond present possibilities. And, that’s a crucial pathway to innovation. Who knows what absurd possibilities of today might become habits of tomorrow? Just like you’re probably reading this on a phone and adding Tacto Electronics to a digital shopping cart, which was impossible in the early 2000s. Stepping out of today’s box begins with the tinkering mindset. So, what does this magical word mean anyway? Tinkering means playing around with objects in an unstructured way to figure out how they ..read more

“Jump over the hole or push the ladder to form a bridge?” My daughter suggested it’s better to push the ladder over. She wanted to code the instructions. I said, “As long as you let me do level 8.” Eventually, we got stuck at level 9. She’s 5, and I’m 35. For both, it was an immersive and fun experience. We ‘coded’ simple steps to help SAM, a cute Smart Automatic Mover, cross obstacles in a treasure hunt. The games were a far cry from the dull screens on which I (and many millennial parents like myself) learned programming. In a world with increasingly complicated STEM toys, some much too obs ..read more

Average screen time among children is as high as 6 hours. That means out of the 18 hours your child is awake, 1/3rd of it is spent in front of a screen. That is a lot of time! Why not make it a little more productive by including some learning on it! We say combine the learning,  playtime, and screen time with Plugo. Want to know something better? It makes up for healthier screen time.  Here are 5 ways how Plugo helps in making screentime more productive:  1. Physical play meets digital games  Plugo combines physical toys with digital gameplay in a unique phygital way.&nbs ..read more

Festivals are a great time to connect your family and loved ones. This brings in long road trips to be with your family, disposable cups, and plates for parties that include everyone.  The environmental impact of this is very high and plastic usage rises at a steep rate. During Easter, you are looking at egg hunts that are completely based on plastic eggs, baskets that are also heavily dependent on non-biodegradable material, and packaging that, if not disposed of properly, could be part of the ever-growing landfills.  Trying to instill a more environmentally friendly Easter in your ..read more

While Generation X developed its dino-fever through Land of the Lost, ’90s kids associate it to Jurassic Park; an obsession with everything dinosaur is just as prevalent today as it was when you were a kid.  That’s why we decided to create Orboot World-of-Dinosaurs for all those kids with the dino-fever! (And wish that we had it in our childhood.) Do we hear a YAY? We have five solid reasons why your kid will absolutely love this globe: 1. The Magical Globe + App Did you notice that the Orboot Dinos globe is very different, beautiful dinosaurs on prehistoric lands!  The mag ..read more

Teaching little ones how to read and spell can be challenging, especially if they’re still being introduced to phonetics and letters. Similar-sounding words, similar-looking letters are often confusing to children. One way to help kids learn better is to incorporate tactile play in their learning and make screen time more productive.  And that’s exactly why we created Plugo Letters – a phygital alphabet kit that teaches letters through stories and games. 1. Tactile play MCU Research shows that sensory play can greatly help with language development, social skills, and overall cognitive gr ..read more

This Easter coinciding with the lockdown is no time to sulk but get the family together and make a day of it.   Aprons up!   You got it right!  Today we’re going to dye our Easter eggs ……with natural colors!  Easter – a festival celebrated worldwide – celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Easter egg is said to personify new life and is therefore considered an essential part of the festival.   Let’s get to work, shall we?   You’ll need,   Hard-cooked or simply, boiled eggs (white or brown. White eggs show vibrant colors)&nb ..read more

Taking a step further towards our mission of helping you – our dear parents – during this lockdown, PlayShifu sought out a few experts’ help, to seamlessly continue your child’s learning. Read on to understand what these home-schoolers had to say: Rebecca, mom of a 7-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl, @thehomeschoolofwonder 1. How much time do you spend with the child, and preparing yourself for the sessions? At this point, I don’t spend a lot of time planning since I have bought curriculums that help me out. As I figure out their needs and learning styles, there might be more plan ..read more