Creative play with our PlayTable & DoodleCloth

My name is Anika and I am a mum of three and the founder of MummyMadeThis. After many years working in the city, I took some time off to be with my small children. But I very quickly realised that I needed a tangible, sustainable and fun solution that would give me some time to re-charge (or work), add value to families just like ours and enable children to have some time for vital creative play.

The PlayTableCloth and Doodlecloth bring simple innovation into the everyday – inspiring creative play to support healthy childhood development and build a better relationship between parents and their children through connection and play.

The samples have been tried and tested, the prototypes have been developed and now it is about taking the next step and placing my first trial bulk order to produce 100 PlayTableCloths and 100 DoodleCloths. This is what I am seeking backing for with the Crowdfunder Project.

A little bit more about the Background of the PlayTableCloth and DoodleCloth

In the early days, the more I talked to other mums and dads, the more I realised that having a quick and easy way to entertain your children (without necessarily always resorting to screens) was something that most parents were struggling with. 

This is when the idea for the PlayTableCloth started to take shape and over lockdown I spent more time figuring out the details of this product. The PlayTableCloth became my way to keep my three young children happy and entertained while I got some work done - something that became especially vital when there was no other way to get childcare during Covid!  It is my way of getting 5 minutes when you really need it - and encourage creative play at the same time, that is so vital for children's development. 

Since then, I have spent the last couple of years building my business around this and similar products (like the DoodleCloth). Working with designers and producers to figure out the best way to make these products a reality.

Development & Design of the products

Along the way, I have worked with fellow Mums and Dads, gathering feedback from them and their children on what they want and need most. 

Our PlayTableCloth design has been tested and developed alongside children to ensure that the colours, features and games resonate with them. Role-playing ‘shopping’ featured high on the list, as did playing with cars and drawing pictures of their own.  The colours are bold, inviting and striking to entice children in to get involved straight away. The doors and windows open and close, allowing for lots of excitement and giggles – especially from younger ones.

At the same time, the PlayTableCloth has been designed to meet the needs of parents. The design is aesthetically pleasing, so that parents can enjoy the PlayTableCloth within their home. It’s practically thought through – so that it is easily washable, and can be assembled and packed away with minimal fuss. A lack of space in the home can also be an issue for many families – especially those with young children – so converting an existing piece of furniture into a PlayHouse is the perfect space saver. And with working from home becoming the new normal, rooms are becoming multifunctional. With the PlayTableCloth parents can look after their children alongside working and managing household chores.

The cottage has a name and a street sign that can be customized, the village notice board can have local ‘news’ or ‘notes’ added to them and the ticket office board is left empty for children to write their own prices and announcements. These can all be washed out again after play (using special washable pens that are widely available). All the doors and windows open and close and are secured with a simple popper.

In addition, there are a variety of board games to encourage parents and children to play together, creating meaningful connection rather than screen time. These include Chess/ Draughts, Backgammon, Ludo, Bingo, Noughts and Crosses and Snakes & Ladders. Finally, the table top also has a table tennis court for older children to get active together, or children and parents to have some fun.

The PlayTableCloth is there to help make parents’ lives easier – not only by giving them a fun and easy way to connect with their children, but also by enticing children to play creatively by themselves at times, giving parents or care-givers much needed five minutes peace to get on with their chores, work, or have a break.

The development of the DoodleCloth started about 18 months after the PlayTableCloth and kept very similar considerations in mind.  It is made from 100% cotton, that is easily washable and comes in one size 140cm x 80cm. It folds up small, so parents can take it with them on holiday, or simply let the children colour to their hearts' content at home. It is also a great way to keep the children entertained when you are out and about and fancy a quiet(er) coffee or pint. 

We’ve found that the DoodleCloth ‘grows’ with the children too – when we see how it is used very differently by each of our 3 children. My 3-year-old is all about using big, bold strokes that cover as much of the DoodleCloth as possible. My 5-year-old takes great pride and care in sticking within the lines and a lot of thought goes into the colour combinations she picks. My 9-year-old is more about ‘free styling’ – so he will either add elements to the existing designs, or use the built-in white spaces to create his own pictures, or play a game of hangman or noughts and crosses with us or his friends.

As such, colouring-in is an activity that develops over time and brings out different aspects, interests and skills as the child becomes older. It inspires creative and imaginative play that is vital for healthy child development. The DoodleCloth helps a child develop these skills. It promotes a child’s ability to sit quietly and get absorbed in the task of simply ‘doodleing’ and colouring in while letting their mind wander.

It also builds hand eye coordination and allows children to use it over and over again with different styles and colours. Every time they colour-in and draw, the picture will vary, as the combination of colours are endless. In addition, our designs are super detailed, so that each time your children colour in they find something else that they hadn't spotted before, meaning that the design can be used over and over again! When the children are finished, wash the colours out and let them start again. Good for the environment and good for a parent's wallet.

What's next?

I am now at the stage where I want to move from made-to-order products, to being able to offer both the PlayTableCloth and DoodleCloth in larger numbers so that they can be featured in select independent Toy stores and online and can be accessed more easily by parents. I have worked with a number of producers in India, China and Thailand to find the best fit in terms of being sustainable and produce high quality products that will stand the test of time - but balancing this out with my desire to be cost efficient as well. 

It is at this stage that a major investment is needed - to not only cover production, but also shipping, customs duties, packaging, storage and fulfilment, as well as advertising and PR costs. This is what this Crowdfunder project is all about: enabling MummyMadeThis to take that next jump to scale, produce in bulk and increase our visibility and reach. 

MummyMadeThis is about inspiring creative play in children in simple, sustainable ways that don’t cost the earth. I want to ignite in parents the beauty of connecting with their children day to day, help them find some peace in their busy day, and support the next generation of little people to thrive and grow into strong, kind, independent young adults. Long term I’d love to see the PlayTableCloth and DoodleCloth in most households - and provide an easy solution to help us all move away from screens as the be-all and end-all to find some time as a parent.