PLOX Travel Boxes: we chat to founder Olivia Callaghan
We caught up with Olivia Callaghan to talk about PLOX and her mission to get kids back-to-basics with her party and travel boxes
We love discovering new products and ways to inspire children to get creative and expand their imaginations so we were excited to hear about the launch of the new PLOX Travel Boxes.
Born from the PLOX workshops (read more below) that combine creativity, education and fun parties for children - these travel boxes mean this philosophy can be taken with you where ever you go.
We spoke to the founder, Olivia Callaghan to find out a little more..
Congratulations on the launch of the PLOX travel boxes. Tell us a little more about the product and how it all began?
Thank you! I’ve always been creative since I was a child and so I became increasingly frustrated to see parents and kids reach for i-Pads as their easiest solution to entertainment while travelling. I wanted kids to know about and enjoy the things I used to as a little girl and still do to this day.
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So I designed the PLOX Travel Play Boxes as something convenient, fun and different. Making and recording holiday memories has always been important to me which was a big drive behind the fill out Holiday Journal. Sometimes kids just need a little prompt or push to get the creative ideas flowing and get them started!
The main Travel Kit includes everything from the fabric backpack with fabric markers so you can colour in and personalise your own bag, together with the Holiday Journal, markers, pencil and pen plus a deck of cards – a family favourite and a great and fun way to practice your maths too! We also have refill packs with just the fabric backpacks and markers or the Holiday Journal for your next trip.
Why did you decide to launch PLOX in the first instance?
I began organising and hosting a summer camp at my parents home when I was 16 for summer pocket money where we have on average of 18 - 25 girls a week.
We do everything from drama, dance, sports, cooking and arts & craft activities each year. It was during my last year at University in Edinburgh in 2015 that I decided that I needed to turn something I loved doing so much into a full time enterprise.
We understand you originally launched with the PLOX workshops. Are they still available and if so where?
They are most definitely still available! It is one half of the business and I still come to people's homes or rented spaces with all the materials necessary to put on a super duper arts & crafts workshop or party. The Travel Boxes are the next evolution to bring a little of the Plox magic into everybody’s homes.
What would you say is your point of difference with PLOX compared to other arts & crafts sets?
Plox Travel and all it's contents were designed by me, so you won't find anything like it anywhere else. The idea is that it's stimulating, engaging and encourages kids to write despite the product not being educational as such. I want to inspire kids to be creative, look around them and realise that screens really aren't the be all and end all. It’s really a fun way of engaging their brains without them realising.
How do you see the business evolving in years to come?
I would eventually love to have my own space where people can book into art & craft classes in the same way grown ups book into gym classes. And to design further play boxes to keep the creativity flowing once kids have left my classes and have headed home or across the globe.