The Doll Kind's Huggable Toys Inspire Kids to Give Back
Victoria Cook Farmer — April 4, 2016 — Life-Stages
References: kickstarter & thedollkind
The Doll Kind (TDK) was founded by two moms on a mission to empower and inspire a generation of children to create a kinder world. The duo creates huggable dolls with heart tokens, designed to be shared with a random act of kindness. For every doll sold, another is donated to a less fortunate child.
The company was created through an unlikely series of events. Co-founder Victoria Farmer snapped a quick photograph of her daughter, Anistyn. The two-year-old had found herself in a bit of a predicament involving a five-gallon bucket of white paint and five minutes alone. Farmer posted the photo to social media and the next day it had gone viral. The image sparked much debate and criticism. While up one night nursing her newborn, Farmer happened upon a particularly judgmental and cruel string of comments that caught her by surprise. She stopped reading and gazed down at her baby, wondering what he would be like when he grew up. In that moment something struck her, something she always knew to be true, but was of particular importance in that very moment: people aren’t born mean.
With that fact in mind and a determination to create a better world for her two children, Farmer was moved to create a company, one that not only inspired children to maintain their innate sense of kindness, but enable them to share that kindness with others. She spoke with her friend and fellow mom Jackie Konczol and less than a month later they founded The Doll Kind. Both moms recognized that in every child’s hands lies the potential to do good and change the world, and that children’s toys can have a profound effect.
“It is our hope that we can make the role of being parents a little easier by bringing greater value to playtime,” explains co-founder Jackie Konczol. “That’s why we founded TDK, to harness the power of toys for a good cause.” In this effort, The Doll Kind has created dolls that come with matching heart tokens that say “share the love." By sharing these hearts with others, children will experience the joy that comes from being kind and giving, and will then be inspired to be kind and give in other ways.
The company was created through an unlikely series of events. Co-founder Victoria Farmer snapped a quick photograph of her daughter, Anistyn. The two-year-old had found herself in a bit of a predicament involving a five-gallon bucket of white paint and five minutes alone. Farmer posted the photo to social media and the next day it had gone viral. The image sparked much debate and criticism. While up one night nursing her newborn, Farmer happened upon a particularly judgmental and cruel string of comments that caught her by surprise. She stopped reading and gazed down at her baby, wondering what he would be like when he grew up. In that moment something struck her, something she always knew to be true, but was of particular importance in that very moment: people aren’t born mean.
With that fact in mind and a determination to create a better world for her two children, Farmer was moved to create a company, one that not only inspired children to maintain their innate sense of kindness, but enable them to share that kindness with others. She spoke with her friend and fellow mom Jackie Konczol and less than a month later they founded The Doll Kind. Both moms recognized that in every child’s hands lies the potential to do good and change the world, and that children’s toys can have a profound effect.
“It is our hope that we can make the role of being parents a little easier by bringing greater value to playtime,” explains co-founder Jackie Konczol. “That’s why we founded TDK, to harness the power of toys for a good cause.” In this effort, The Doll Kind has created dolls that come with matching heart tokens that say “share the love." By sharing these hearts with others, children will experience the joy that comes from being kind and giving, and will then be inspired to be kind and give in other ways.
Trend Themes
1. Empathy-focused Play - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing toys and games that promote empathy and kindness, encouraging children to be compassionate and supportive.
2. Socially Conscious Toys - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating toys that have a positive impact on society, such as through charitable donations or promoting social causes.
3. Interactive Giving Experiences - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Designing interactive play experiences that engage children in acts of kindness and giving, fostering a sense of social responsibility.
Industry Implications
1. Toy Manufacturing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporating a social impact element in toy production, such as donating a toy for every item sold.
2. Education and Child Development - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introducing empathy-focused toys and games in educational settings to teach children about kindness and empathy.
3. Nonprofit and Philanthropy - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Partnering with toy companies to create collaborative initiatives that promote social giving and encourage children to participate.
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