SMARTIVITY : MAKING ‘ FUTURE MAKERS ’
The Indian toy market ( 2021 ) is estimated at $ 1 billion and is growing at the rate of 10-15 % every year . Educational / STEAM toys account for over 30 % of all toys sold in India . And the category of educational toys itself is evolving every year , going from STEM to STEAM ( A , to include arts / humanities ) to the current STREAM ( R , for robotics ).
Many companies in India have entered into this category of toys today . But Smartivity was a company which pioneered the category of STEAM Educational Toys in India based on this belief . Children have always learned more effectively through play , and this is something educational systems across the world continue to ignore . The next generation is going to be living in an even more technology-fueled and unpredictable world . STEAM Educational Toys serve a critical function by filling this gap between legacy education systems and the needs and expectations of generation next .
Today , India is a rapidly growing market for STEM educational toys . However , it is developed markets like the USA , Japan and Europe where the STEAM educational toys category is growing the fastest . These are also societies that are technologically advanced and realise the critical role played by STEAM subjects in shaping their future . The global Educational Toys market is worth USD 20.2 billion , and growing at almost 10 per cent annually .
Empowering Gen-Next
From sticks-and-stones to clay-figurines to construction blocks to hand-held video-games , toys have been the most critical component of a child ’ s development throughout the history of human society . Every era has produced toys that shape minds , attitudes and identities , and how a child finds their place and role in the society when they become an adult .
For most of human history , though , the pace of technological advancement was slow and predictable . However , in the past few decades , the rate of advancement of technology has grown exponentially . Earlier , the future used to be predictable , and an individual ’ s role in that future could be logically mapped . This is no longer the case .
Page 10 | Kids India E-Magazine - March 2022