How Oli’s Boxship is Bringing Creative Play to Quarantined Kiddies

What do you think of the phenomenon of kids spending more time with gadgets?

Bem: If you ask any mom, there are pros and cons to it. The problem is, they’d be so alive when we’re playing with them, but the moment you give them a gadget or they have the television turned on, they become entranced. They lose their aliveness and spark and they just stare at the screen. 

I think, as with anything, the best thing is balance and having set rules, regulations, and time limits for their gadgets.

We can’t deny that there’s an advantage to gadgets. There are a lot of educational apps and videos! But I think they should still factor in the old-school kind of playing which we want kids today to also experience— to use their hands to create things, to discover and experiment.

It’s been hard for kids to play outside, how are they celebrating their birthdays in quarantine with Oli’s Boxship?

Bem:  Parents would order the kits and have them delivered to the houses of the guests individually, then they set up a Zoom link and have the party together. They would have food, they would have cake.
I think they're doing their best to still be able to celebrate.

Stef: They get the Boxships and they'll open them together during their online parties. All the materials are inside, it’s all complete, so there’s no lag time from gathering the materials needed. All you have to do is to get straight into play!

They tell us that it’s important to still give them a normal way of celebrating, as much as possible. They don’t want their kids to miss out on big milestones. It’s actually still a lot of fun, though it’s really different. But you can still see the kids; they’re very engaged, they’re very happy, and they’re excited. I think they’re embracing it really well.

Can you tell us the story of Oli?

Stef: Oli is a quintopus, meaning he has only five legs, much like how our hand is designed.

The Boxship is what we call a box spaceship that he built with his five arms. Oli came from Ink Blot Land: it’s a land of black and whites, there’s not much imagination.

And then he makes his Boxship, discovers Earth, then flies to Earth because he sees it’s full of colors and discovery. Each time he’d have discoveries with children, he will bring these back, and he’ll bring color back to Ink Blot land.

What makes each Boxship different? 

Bem: The Big Boxship has complete materials for two to three activities. The activities are do-it-yourself activities, like t-shirt printing or science activities like launching a rocket, or art activities like blow art and other STEAM activities.

We also have the smaller kit, On-The-Go Boxship, which has complete materials for one activity. This one, we can personalize the Boxship sleeves for you, and it makes a perfect party giveaway because the kids can do the activities during the party and take home the finished products as their souvenir.

What inspires the kinds of activities you guys put into the Boxships?

Stef: These are the things we wanted when we were younger. Like for Bem, she would grow grass heads or melt her own candles. We want to introduce these things to kids today.

Bem: These are activities that empower them and build their confidence because it teaches them that they can do and make things by themselves, like making their own squishy toy, candles, soaps, and so much more.

How did you feel when you made your first Boxship sale?

Bem: We first launched at a bazaar. Just as we finished setting up our kiosk, a mom with her kid, Roco, passed by. He was so sweet; he wanted to learn about Oli, so they bought a year's supply of Oli's Boxship!

Aside from being very happy about the sale, we also felt validated that something we poured our heart into is of value to moms and kids. Because honestly, at the time, we had doubts. 

It was a very new concept back in 2016. There weren’t really a lot of activity kits and we were worried that the moms were busy, that kids have their gadgets, and this product demanded intentional time from the parents. But throughout the years, we’re really happy to see how intentional parents are and how the awareness for play-based learning has grown.

Do you have any favorite client experiences you can share with us?

Stef: Whenever kids and parents send us videos or photos of their finished experiment, seeing the spark in their eyes, or whenever you see them getting their own Boxships and saying "Oh, that's Oli! Oli time!"

It’s really heartwarming whenever Oli time is considered family time.

Bem: We really like hearing the stories during the pandemic. At the time, there weren’t a lot of deliveries and there weren’t a lot of options, and the parents really want to have activities that they can do with their kids while in quarantine.

They would send us a picture, tell us the stories, and they would set a time; every 3pm, they would tell their kids it’s Oli time. They buy a dozen products and they would space it out every day for 3pm.

Stef: It’s like a treat for them.

Bem: It’s something for the kids to look forward to. They would be so excited every time; they ask: is it Oli time already? The first thing they say when they wake up is: are we going to do Oli’s Boxship today? Those stories really make us happy.

What has been your favorite part about collaborating with influencers?

Stef: Our favorite part is the relationships that we build with our influencers. 

The influencers we have, they’ve been with us from the very beginning. When Oli started, their kids were still so young. In a way, we can say that they grew up with Oli. That’s our favorite part: to see that Oli has been a part of their childhood. Oli has been an instrument for them to really express and go back to creative play.‍

If you were to compare the current state of Oli's Boxship to your first year, what are some things that stand out to you?

Bem: We’ve listened to feedback and fine-tuned activities, especially those that were too complicated for the kids.

Stef: We made it more accessible for the kids. Through the years, the activities have improved, so now we have a huge collection of different activities compared to when we started.

Any advice you’d give to your younger selves when you started the business?

Bem: We had businesses before this, so we were able to bring everything we’ve learned from there to here.

With this one, it was more than just selling a product. We had a purpose to bring back creative play. We had a mission for this brand. We come from that place every time we develop, market a new Boxship, or when we think of productivity. We didn't focus on the profit. We weren't so much into thinking of how well it would sell, cause we just wanted to bring play back to the kids because it was the kind of childhood we had.

We saw that kids were heading to a different childhood with the technology they have today and we wanted a healthy balance for them. To have the best of both worlds, especially now, where you have technology but also be able to experience the old way of playing that was really just so fun, engaging, and crafty. Plus, it fosters bonding with their family and friends.