Under one of the tables at ActiveDabba's office, we noticed a few cartons neatly stacked. We tried to ignore it for a bit, but curiosity got the better of us. So, we went ahead and asked Naveen Krishnamurthy, one of the co-founders of ActiveDabba, what they were for. He quickly replied that those were the boxes their party order 'ActiveDabbas' were to be packed in. Now, we've mentioned the name ActiveDabba thrice already but what exactly is it? ActiveDabba, started in November 2019. is a Coimbatore-based online start-up that sells unique DIY activity kits for kids of different age groups, even as young as two. And anyone who loves either art or aero-modelling (or both!) can have fun with these kits.
The brainchild of Naveen, Vidya Ravichandran, Gokulnath GP and Giriprabhu Seshadri, ActiveDabba is a combined venture of their two sister start-ups WeThe5Pilots (an aero-modelling start-up) and Aydiv Crafts (an art and craft start-up). "Way before we started ActiveDabba, for about two years, we had been conducting separate workshops on art and aero-modelling. But we realised that most people wanted to attend these workshops but could not due to some personal reason or the other. But we didn't want them to miss out on the fun so, we decided to introduce activity kits that anyone interested can utilise," explained Vidya, Founder and Creative Head of Aydiv Crafts.
But art and aero-modelling seem like two very disconnected areas that make for an unusual combination, we couldn't help but wonder. Naveen explained, "We started with aero-modelling workshops initially. Then, my wife (Vidya) came up with the art and craft workshops. We decided to combine both of these and create activity kits. And I think that we can safely say that we are the only company in the world to sell activity kits at a price so low that it is less than a dollar!" Yes, some of their products are available for as low as '50. Talking about their most popular products, Gokulnath, the Head of Research at WeThe5Pilots, named their DIY paper plane kit as one of the bestsellers when it comes to aero-modelling products and the pebble kit, when it comes to the art products. The team has sold over 1,000 kits in just the last three months.
Although art seems like something most people would find relatively easy to do by themselves, aero-modelling does not, right? So, how do they manage to teach a seemingly complicated topic like this through DIY kits? Naveen, a hardcore techie and the Head of Strategy at WeThe5Pilots, took this opportunity to correct us and informed that, contrary to popular belief, it is actually quite simple. He even demonstrated his point with their Balsa Wood Glider Kit - Beginner kit, "This wooden glider consists of four parts. All you need to do is follow the instructions and glue them accordingly. Since it is made of Balsa wood, it is lightweight and is more aerodynamic."
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The kits are categorised according to age groups. "Once we decide on a product, we introduce it in our upcoming workshops and also give it to our friends' kids and our daughter as well. This gives us an idea of how the product will be handled by users. Once we are sure that our users are happy with it, we bring it out in the market as an activity kit," said Vidya about the way each kit is categorised and product tested. They have about thirty kits in total as individual and combo boxes and they are in the process of launching a few more soon. The primary role of these kits is to keep people away from screens and engage them in a fruitful hobby. "Once we give such kits to students, they are readily offered a hobby and this triggers their creativity. Completing our kits helps them gain a feeling of achievement," she stated.
When asked about their future prospects, Naveen shared, "We are about to introduce a satellite DIY kit. This can be assembled by kids and they can launch it by dropping it down from the fourth floor of a building and record the readings of whatever the satellite is designed for. We may also introduce combo kits where multiple activities can be tried using a single kit. We are hoping to sell at least 15k kits in 2020." In the past few months, the team has only faced one difficulty — to make people understand the purpose of the kits. "They expect kits that can be used repeatedly. It can get difficult to make people understand why it is useful," said Gokul while Vidya added, "To solve this issue, we have designed pebble painting kits and these pebbles can be later used to play tic-tac-toe. We will be introducing such products shortly."
Interesting kits for different age groups
1. Toddler Kit
Age: 2 years
Price: INR 399/-
Description: This kit is exclusively designed for active toddlers and has various activities that will keep them occupied for at least 8 hours. It assists in acquiring hand-eye co-ordination and improves their fine motor skills. This kit also improves focus and concentration on trivial details. The kit includes a ready-to-fly plane that can be used as a toy and also kindles their interest in aero-modelling
Includes: Paper Craft Kit, Sponge Art Kit, Pencil Topper Kit, Sequin Card, Ready-to-Fly Glider
2. Air and Craft Combo Kit 2
Age: 5 years
Price: INR 299/-
Description: This kit contains a combination of Arts & Crafts and Aeromodelling activities. It accelerates the creative skill and acts as a stress buster. It also helps to build more positive thoughts and emotions and boosts their confidence because there is no “right answer” in art
Includes: Pebble Painting Kit, Sequin Card Kit, Frame Kit, Coroplast Plane Kit
3. Air and Craft Combo Kit 3
Age: 8 years
Price: INR 399/-
Description: This kit contains a combination of Arts & Crafts and Aeromodelling activities. It encourages their problem-solving skills and abstract symbolic reasoning. This will kindle the design thinking ability of the user
Includes: Pebble Painting Kit, Pebble Photo Holder Kit, Keychain Kit, Magnet Holder Kit, Parachute Kit
If you wish to buy their kits, visit www.activedabba.com
