Whether it’s tools that make parenting easier or toys to keep little ones entertained, there will always be a market for family- and kid-focused products and services. This market segment can be competitive, but it’s also incredibly creative. To find inspiration for your next business idea, look no further than these innovative businesses that serve parents and children.
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LoCoMoGo
LoCoMoGo sells a toy train that teaches children coding through play. Kids as young as four can build their own tracks by using tape on the floor or drawing tracks on a sheet. The LoCoMotive will follow any track they create, with different cars responding to different colors. The LoCoMoGo App enables children to continuously solve challenges and unlock rewards. It entertains children all the way up to age 12, becoming more complex as they learn. This toy is currently raising funding on Indiegogo.
Cradlewise
Cradlewise produces what it calls a “smart crib.” An all-in-one bassinet, crib, and baby monitor, this handy piece of furniture senses a baby’s sleep patterns. When a little one gets restless, the Cradlewise mimics the motion of a parent rocking or bouncing to lull the baby back to sleep. Plus, it comes with live video and an audio baby monitor to help new parents maximize their (and their child’s) rest.
Little Spoon
Little Spoon is here to make meal time easier, with meal delivery for babies and young children. This meal kit offers healthy, tasty food options for babies and toddlers, including organic, non-GMO baby food and nutritious finger foods. The meal service also offers smoothies and vitamin packs to help make sure growing families get everything they need to take on the day.
Tiny Earth Toys
Tiny Earth Toys offers a more sustainable way to entertain kids. Through this service, families can rent age-based, plastic-free toys and exchange them for new ones as the child ages. Tiny Earth Toys allows parents to exchange part of or an entire toy kit for a new set of toys every two months. The toys are plastic-free, open-ended, and Montessori-inspired — offering educational benefits on top of entertainment.
His powerful technology lets him survey the world, explore it, and make decisions based on his mood.
Go Weekly, on the Cozmo toy
Wonderschool
Wonderschool has been described as “an Airbnb for daycare services.” The company enables experienced educators and childcare providers to run their own in-home daycare businesses for families in their communities. Providers are vetted through the service to meet health and safety standards defined by states. Wonderschool’s mission is to help provide high-quality, affordable child care to every family. They’re backed by investors like Goldman Sachs and Andreessen Horowitz.
Loog Guitars
Loog Guitars designs guitars for kids, making it fun and easy to get involved in music from a young age. Acoustic and electric guitars come with an app, flashcards, and lessons so kids can pick up the instrument easily. Loog guitars have three strings to make learning easier, faster, and less intimidating.
Bedtime Stories
This creative app helps parents tell great bedtime stories. Only, the app doesn’t just give you stories to read — you tell them in your own words. Each bedtime story includes an easy-to-remember summary of key points in the story, with an interactive “Storybuilder” tool that helps you create a narrative arc. Connect different stories in the app to create your own, with ethics and life lessons behind each storyline.
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Cozmo
Cozmo looks like something out of The Jetsons. This cute little robot is designed to inspire play and help kids learn about robotics. “His powerful technology lets him survey the world, explore it, and make decisions based on his mood,” wrote one reviewer. The accompanying app has games that kids can play with Cozmo to solve problems and riddles and explore the world. The latest version of Cozmo even comes equipped with advanced facial recognition software that allows him to recognize faces and learn people's names.
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