What made you set up your business?
As an educator and a mother of three, I wanted toys my kids could grow with. There’s a five- and seven-year gap between my youngest and the eldest two, so I wanted heirloom toys they could all play with and that could be passed down. Looking with an educational eye, I wanted toys that would encourage their imagination, but were also value for money. There wasn’t a lot to choose from in Abu Dhabi. In particular, I struggled to find ‘wholesome’ dolls for my daughter – they were all geared around clothing, makeup and physical beauty – while for my boys, I found the toy stores were pegging them into electronic games and I wasn’t seeing any new stuff.
The things I did find were way over-priced, so I used to buy everything from speciality stores in the UK and the US. About two summers ago, I was standing in one store, list in hand, trying to work out how many birthday parties the three of them would be invited to and how I was going to pack all these toys into my luggage, when I thought: What am I doing? Why not start a business bringing in quality toys that meet safety standards and that entertain and educate? My philosophy is that education is a journey of learning through play. That’s how journeytoys.ae started.
What sort of toys do you import and how do you choose them?
This is a long topic – I feel very passionate about the toy subject. I have several sources that I draw upon when making these decisions.: I have a masters degree in education and curriculum design – using this and my years of teaching experience, I look at each toy for its learning value. Will it create opened-ended imaginative play? Will it grow with the child? Will the toy bring out strengths or preferences in a child? Will it challenge a child? Is it developmentally appropriate? What is the purchase value to the parent? What is the environmental footprint of this toy? The list goes on and on! Ultimately, I ask myself: Is this toy fun?
Do you use your kids as guinea pigs?
Absolutely! Kids are my testers. They rate toys too. That is the best part of this job. It is so powerful to take a sample I think might be of interest to a child and see them have fun with it while knowing their brain development or social skills are benefiting too. When it’s a dud, I am thankful because my ‘tester’ saved me money that can be used towards something else.
What have been your kids’ favourites?
Blocks! I have a huge section of blocks and constructive toys built up over the years. They started off looking at them and exploring the textures, then as they got older they began to build more and more complex structures. Arts and crafts have been very popular too, for one of my sons in particular. Board games are also a big hit, while my daughter is very girlie. I tried to raise my kids gender neutral, but I soon realised that it’s in their DNA and beyond our control. I gave my son a doll to play with but he just threw it across the room!
What’s next for your store?
A goal I have for my business is to open a bricks and mortar store. I sell toys and learning materials into schools and consult on using manipulative or other learning materials to enhance learning experiences. I hope to make enough money from school sales towards opening a store. I run a tight business, in that all the money I make goes back into the business. For now, I draw no salary and my expenses are kept to a minimum. My cash box is a shoe box!
Visit www.journeytoys.ae or call Alicia on 050 622 6105
