Business Fortune
Since his early years, Leonid Shafir, the creator of Play-A-Maze, has had a strong passion for toys, especially puzzle mazes. Thus at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada, he continued to investigate developments in play-based learning and early childhood development. He discovered that using the toys to learn through play was a terrific idea during his time at the varsity. His desire to understand as much as he could about mazes was fueled by this surprise.
Of course, Mr. Shafir's decision to further his studies on toys and eventually launch a business was influenced by a number of other circumstances. The lack of toys related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and kids' infatuation with technology were among the things that drove him to seek a solution to end the things that were thought to be harming both children's and adults' psychological health.
Mr. Shafir was recently contacted by The Business Fortune to share his thoughts on how he founded Play-A-Maze and his future goals. Play-A-Maze is a toy manufacturer that specializes in creating cutting-edge puzzle toys for kids of all ages. Its headquarters are in Canada's province of Quebec. Mr. Shafir went on to say, "My greatest achievement is developing a comprehensive vision of what constitutes a great toy that educates and entertains children," in describing his business. As a leader, I take pride in the fact that my team members and business associates look up to and trust me since I was able to inspire them with my enthusiasm and vision.
In response to a question concerning the significance of STEM toys and their effect on kids, Mr. Shafir stated that creative product design requires more than just the sciences. He also underlined that Play-A-Maze's ability to develop and innovate is based on expertise in a variety of fields, including psychology, the arts, and many other disciplines that go beyond the STEM agenda. Innovation arises at the junction of many disciplines.
Mr. Shafir clarified, saying, "In my experience, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) produces the best results in innovation and creativity instead of STEM." Because Play-A-Maze designs maze toys using knowledge of early childhood development, play psychology, and mechanical engineering, STEAM disciplines are essential to the creation of our inventive puzzle mazes. By providing a distinctive and reasonably priced opportunity to learn the fundamentals of mechanical engineering through enjoyable gameplay that encourages an intuitive understanding of physical and mechanical concepts, this multidisciplinary approach to toy design allows us to take simple puzzle mazes to a sophisticated new level.
Furthermore, many parents told Mr. Shafir that their children's constant attachment to technology is increasing the risk of social isolation at the expense of entertainment. These parents, criticizing the culture of smartphones, acknowledged that their kids' stress and anxiety levels are rising.
When he started investigating the trend of youngsters spending too much time on screens, Mr. Shafir had spoken with a lot of parents.
"I devoted a great deal of thought to the idea of using play to unite people in order to promote relaxation, socialization, and momentary enjoyment."
Put simply, Play-A-Maze makes unique toys that allow kids to have fun, parents to spend quality time with their families, and teachers to impart fundamental scientific ideas. Mr. Shafir said, "We want our company's name to become synonymous with cutting-edge mechanical and electronic STEAM products."
Group of Specialists: Promoting the Welfare of Children
A Play-A-Maze team consists of individuals who share a common interest in learning and toys. They created a cutting-edge technique that allows them to include gearsets and other mechanical components into puzzle mazes, promoting STEM education. This is among the elements that contributed to the company's founding.
The group is currently working on creating a technology that will bring together classic puzzles and mobile games to give kids of all ages an enjoyable learning environment. Crucially, they are developing two new product lines that will hit the market in 2023–2024 in addition to introducing the first puzzle maze toy line ever in 2022 with Gear8TM.
Tim Kimber, Marie-Ange Janvier, and Antonia Llull are among the experts on the Play-A-Maze team.
With a focus on pediatrics, Antonia Llull has been a licensed occupational therapist for more than 21 years. Throughout her professional life, she has established and oversaw a private school for adolescents with special needs in Orlando, Florida, as well as a multidisciplinary pediatric rehab center.
With a Ph.D. in engineering, Marie-Ange Janvier is a Canadian STEM activist who is passionate about introducing kids to science and technology. She got involved in a number of community and academic-based programs aimed at increasing immigrant and impoverished people's scientific literacy.
Tim Kimber was the creator and former CEO of PlaSmart, a Canadian toy company that successfully introduced the market to puzzle maze Perplexus.
Expanding Footprint
Over the next three years, Play-A-Maze intends to introduce two new product lines, penetrate the US and EU markets, and form alliances with new retail partners, play centers, after-school programs, STEM groups, and retailers who supply the highest caliber educational and developmental toys.
Please feel free to contact Mr. Shafir at lshafir@plmaze.com for more information about the current and prospective goods.
Leonid Shafir | Founder
Play-A-Maze's founder is Leonid Shafir. He investigated developments in play-based learning and early childhood development while a student at Wilfred Laurier University. He studied play's function in human culture and development as a graduate student.
In addition, Mr. Shafir studied early education trends while employed by the Canadian government. Additionally, he contributed to the creation of the first Early Learning and Child Care Framework in the country. Mr. Shafir is in a unique position to develop and design toys that stimulate the mind, present challenges to the player, and help kids of all ages develop important abilities because of his understanding of how kids learn and play.
It goes without saying that he is interested in STEM and puzzle toys as a way to encourage kids to learn via play.
