POPIN playgrounds

“Free play is an essential part of childhood. All children should be afforded ample, unscheduled, independent non screen time to be creative to reflect and to decompress” (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Numerous studies have shown that the socialization skills of children are developed through shared experiences within active imaginative play. Parents want to provide their children with just such an environment, rich in creativity and play. For this reason, products such as kitchens, playhouses and cars, which simulate the activities of parents' lives, are so popular.

The problem

Modern urban construction tends toward the small and crowded, preventing parents from giving their children full child-size activity experiences; the necessary space is simply not available. Despite the dramatic increase in the number of families living in small urban apartments, no adequate solution has yet been found for storing activity playsets. The existing solutions, such as fabric, cardboard or folding plastic playsets, are structurally weak and do not provide an experience comparable to the outdoor playground. In addition, the assembling and folding of these toys is often complicated and takes too long, causing parents and children to abandon them in the closet.

The solution

POPIN's game playsets were created specifically to give children the playground experience within the home, while providing an optimal solution to the storage problem typical of small urban apartments. All this, with high safety and at an affordable price.

Products

POPIN is entering the market with an initial product line, which includes 4 products:

• POPIN MUSHROOM PLAYHOUSE - A pivotal part of growing up is the development of self-control over kids' actions. By building a house inside the home, the child can create an area for himself where he is in charge. This autonomy enables the child to strengthen his self-worth, in a constructive and fun manner.
• POPIN PLAY KITCHEN- The kitchen demonstrates the primary need in nutrition and caring, allowing kids to role-play their grown-up counterparts. In addition, it allows them to develop their symbolic play skills and creativity, in every situation they can dream of.
• POPIN PIRATE TABLE - POPIN’s pirate ship has two seats, so when the child is ready, he can invite a friend to join the adventure! It’s always important to create a trigger for communication, and sailing together in POPIN ship can be great opportunity for a beautiful connection
• POPIN CAR - POPIN’s car stimulates the child’s sense of exploration and motor skills, supporting all movement- from crawling and climbing to standing, from first steps and beyond

The main advantage of POPIN's products, apart from being enjoyable and providing hours of active play for children, is their ease of use: in just 5 seconds, the product can be folded into a flat package less than 5 cm thick that can be easily stored anywhere in the house.

All POPIN playsets boast the following features:

• Open and fold to a thickness of 5 cm in seconds (without any assembly)
• Durable and rigid – can support more than 50 kg over 1000 hours of play
• Easy to store - can be stored anywhere (behind cabinet or sofa, etc.)
• Easy to carry - can be taken anywhere (grandparents, friends)
• Constructed from eco-friendly aterials - all play playsets are made of recycled cardboard and can be fully recycled.
• Patent Protected (each facility is protected by a separate patent).
• Approved by the Standards Institute of Israel (SII) and the European standard for toy safety: EN 71-73. The products are also in the process of passing the ASTM F963 standard of the American Standards Institute.

The technology / how it works

How can lightweight cardboard structures support high loads and also fold in 5 seconds?

Using reinforced cardboard instead of plastic makes the playsets foldable, easy to store and transportable. The two recognized disadvantages of cardboard products, structural weakness and complicated assembly, are not found in POPIN products thanks to StrongFold™ technology - POPIN's unique design and folding method, which enables high load resistance and yet folds into a thin module:

• Pop-up folding allows the product to easily open and close as a single unit (Collapsible)
• Creates structural strength and rigidity when unfolded.

Design and production method

• In the first planning stage, the playset is constructed from cardboard by simplifying its shape into flat surfaces. The fold lines between the surfaces provide rigid structural geometry, which gives physical strength to the playset.
• In the second planning stage, mathematical tools from the origami world are used to calculate the length and angles required to fold the toy into one flat unit.
• The final production is carried out in standard cardboard plants using machines capable of producing thousands of units per day, from folding the cardboard to full assembly.

Logistic and business advantages

• The shipping and storage advantages of POPIN's folded playsets allow for high margins from selling directly to customers on online platforms. Many times, purchasing a great and fun playset for a child requires going especially to the store. If the customer wants to purchase the playset on an online platform, the shipping costs significantly increase the price.
• Patents – Each of the playsets is protected separately by a registered patent. Sub-structures and geometrical locks are also protected by a patent.
• Automation of the production process will reduce costs and enable the transfer of production to the vicinity of the target markets.