Happy memories: Exploring the joys of toys

Horsie Kimmel organises a play date at T2F

KARACHI: Toddlers examine wooden blocks closely and take them in their mouths to taste the mysterious objects in their hands. On the same site, three and four year olds dragged a light brown wooden toy trolley laden with brightly coloured wheels.

Babies on their fours, little kids and happy parents came to The Second Floor (T2F) on Sunday evening for a play date with Horsie Kimmel.

Some children were riding a rocking horse while others were pulling a toy lorry from the string. Reminiscing the café's slain founder, Sabeen Mahmud, T2F director Marvi Mazhar remarked how when she (Sabeen) was alive they would keep experimenting by hosting a variety of events.

"We attract all kinds of age groups from young to adults, but this age group is something we have not been able to [attract]," she said, adding that after Sabeen this is the first time that a startup for young kids and toddlers is being hosted by T2F.

Horsie Kimmel is the brainchild of a married couple, who have designed wooden toys for children between ages two to six.

"These toys are handmade, ecofriendly, nontoxic and extremely safe to play with in comparison to widely available plastic ones," explained Bilal Kapadia, who together with his wife, Samia, came up with the concept.

Kapadia claims these toys are an attempt to instill the significance of toys among children exposed to electronics and gadgets nowadays.

The name Horsie and Kimell was coined by their two-year-old daughter. "We used to often take her to the beach and she called a horse 'horsie' and a camel a 'kimell.' Yes, it is a very personal thing," added Kapadia.

Nancy Pignataro, an Australian who lives in Islamabad, had come with her sixteen-month old-son. "Toys like these, you don't find these anywhere in Pakistan," she said, holding a triangle block in her hands.

"I learnt about it on Facebook and came with my two kids. It's a very different activity for kids," said Maliha, another parent at the event.

The toys will now be regularly up for sale at T2F.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd,  2016.