Kindred Gifts' Blog

Makedo makes a difference!

By Pete Bennett, Chief of Operations

I had a really happy childhood. I was - and obviously still am - the youngest in my family of four siblings.

I loved to play cricket in the front yard after school (after playing it at recess and lunchtime too) and was always pretty sporty. My favourite t-shirt at the time had "Inside this shirt is a future champion Australian cricketer" emblazoned across the front of it. Cute right? I didn't like rainy days or when there wasn't someone else around to play with. I got bored really easily because there was this reliance on others to keep me occupied, busy and out of trouble. 

I guess because I played a lot of sport I had a lot of structured play time. I also had free play time but not nearly as much. As far as I can remember, I only exercised the creative aspect of my personality through making up stories in creative writing and not much else.

Guess what? I'm now 35 and things haven't really changed that much. I'm still sporty and I'm still not very good at occupying my own time. I still get bored when I'm by myself and look for other people to distract me.

I'm sure part of this is just in my nature but I definitely think my personality was also shaped from how I was nurtured too. Who can really say that I would (or will) never paint beautifully, compose a moving musical piano piece, or create something spectacular that requires a highly developed imaginative right brain? My point is this: I think it's very important to exercise both sides of the brain as I see it as an advantage in life to be nicely balanced rather than to be dominant on one side.

That's why I'm a really big fan of the Makedo range of eco friendly products. Makedo products make fantastic, ethical, gifts for kids as they exercise the creative (right) side of the brain and encourage kids’ imaginations to run wild and create whatever they desire with whatever is lying around the house. As an added bonus, playing with Makedo is a great way too for adults and children to spend quality time together.

For the little dudes of both distinctions that haven't done all that much free, unrestricted, creative thinking so far, the Makedo Find and Make range would be perfect. Starting at just $14.95, you can choose from Robot, Flowers, Playhouse, Dollhouse and Car kits that inspire creativity by encouraging kids to use whatever can be found around the house. The kits also guide them in the right direction with the necessary clips, hinges, tools and accessories to put it all together, along with an inspiration poster, stickers and instruction sheet.   

For the kids who are more comfortable with being creative and using their imagination, Makedo offers two "Free Play" kits, starting from $19.95. One is the Makedo kit for one and the other a kit for three , the former containing enough parts for a child to make one good thing, and the latter enough parts for one child to make 3 different creations or for 3 kids to make one really big masterpiece. With the Free Play kits, the kids will be kept busy for hours and the possibilities of what they can make are endless!

Isn't this a great lesson in life to teach your kids? That you can begin with all this 'useless stuff' around you, start imagining what you want to create, use a few pivotal tools to make it possible and create something out of nothing. I wonder if projects similar to Makedo were the key to success of some notable people that created something out of nothing like Donald Trump, Richard Branson et al? 

The Makedo range of products, being both innovative and eco friendly, obviously ties in very well with what we're about at Kindred Gifts. Makedo operates through a reuseable system, so when the kids get sick of what they have made, they simply take it apart and use the parts supplied to do it all again. Try doing that with a plastic toy car! The products are also packaged in recycled boxes and come from our supplier with basically no packing materials like bubble wrap or packing peanuts. The factory where the range is made is also ICTI certified, which means it has been independently audited to ensure toys are produced in safe and humane environments.

The Makedo range of products offers a great eco friendly alternative to the usual plastic, battery operated gifts for kids. Makedo products are innovative and creative, and help to steer us away from the very wasteful plastic throwaway society that currently exists. We need to actively change this throw-away mentality for our own good, our kids' future and the planet's health, and Makedo is a great way to encourage kids to think about the way they add to the world's consumption.

If you're looking for unique gifts for kids online then you really can't go past Makedo products. They're simply fantastic value for money, starting at just $14.95, and help children learn new skills by promoting creative thinking and imaginative play. Best of all though these green gifts are great fun, for both adults and kids!

Pondering on it, I wonder how I might be now that I'm all grown up, if Makedo was part of my upbringing? Either way I can't wait to have kids of my own so that I can spend some time creating Makedo masterpieces with them!

(Editor's note: If your kids have made some cool creations from Makedo parts then we would LOVE to see them! Simply send us a photo to feedback@kindredgifts.com and we'll upload the pic to the site!)

how to makedo - extended version from MAKEDO on Vimeo.