A New Era of Play: Empowering Young Minds Through Play

Who is SKP?

Shop Kids Playsets (SKP) is founded by myself, Amy Lee (left), and Brand Strategist, Marianne Ursal (right). We are the oldest sisters of our families who grew up primarily in the early 2000s together when outdoor and collaborative play were a big part of our childhood. Whether it was riding bikes with our friends, skipping rope, or playing “grounders” at our neighborhood park after school, play shaped our childhood and ultimately carried over into adulthood.
With both of us having siblings that grew up in the 2010s, we witnessed the impact of technology at the forefront of their play experiences. It typically included some type of tablet and less lively or less immersive play experiences. Now that our siblings are in their adolescent years, we recognize that the lack of interactive play had an immeasurable impact on them finding their way into the world again, particularly with their social skills, confidence and creativity. As older sisters, we continuously feel the pressure and responsibility of guiding our siblings through this thing called “life.”

Someday, we hope to have children of our own and with our diverse and ongoing life experiences, we recognize the importance of meaningful childhood play. This, in turn, enables us to become a positive resource in raising the next generation of leaders and building SKP into what we envision it to be.

 

SKP’S Mission

At SKP, our mission is to empower young minds by redefining modern play. We are dedicated to providing families with a thoughtfully curated collection of high-quality and innovative play products that inspire independence, foster meaningful play experiences and spark creativity. We resonate with the idea that children learn best through play. We are committed to providing products that support families with purposeful play that contributes to their child’s development and well-being. 

We aim to gain more knowledge about organizations we can collaborate with to understand how to directly and indirectly support them. We are deeply committed to our own social responsibilities in hopes of giving back to our families and the community at large. We strive to position ourselves to have the ability to gift some of our products to children who are less fortunate, children of incarcerated parents as well as children with a passion for learning. We aim to make such contributions throughout North America by 2026.

 

Our Collaborators

At SKP, we seek to work with brands that share similar values and a passion for making a difference for future generations. In other words, we aim to join hands with suppliers who contribute towards a greater social impact, either through eco-conscious values, give-back programs, or advancing inclusive kids play. Here are a few of our suppliers who stand with us in innovating the kids play space:

• Skywalker Trampolines: Trampolines are uniquely capable of improving the lives of those with autism. Skywalker Trampolines holds giveaways that give individuals with autism the chance to receive a free trampoline, as well as donate annually to local and national charities that help individuals and families with autism.
• Bunny Hopkins: All of Bunny Hopkins’ open-ended play products are natural, meaning they do not have any plastic footprint. Their products are made of fast-growing American trees that grow in the Appalachian Mountains, a renewable resource. Doing right by the environment is embedded in their processes and products.
• Pitch A Fête: Pitch A Fête provides bespoke play experiences that cater to the unique developmental needs of children, focusing on children with various neurological conditions and learning differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, etc. Pitch A Fête is also committed to constructing calming sensory experiences for children with an eco-conscious mindset, using sustainable materials and repurposed packaging. By the end of 2024, PAF’s sensory-friendly play tents will be fully recyclable. 

As we continue to work with more brands like Skywalker Trampolines, Bunny Hopkins, and Pitch A Fête as brand ambassadors, we inch closer to empowering the young minds of today, embracing every child’s unique needs and pushing forward in our commitment to redefining modern play.