Review: Latest Subscription Box PodSquad Promises Bigger Bang For Your Buck

One of the bigger challenges a parent faces is to sustain their child’s interest in the toys that he/she is playing with. As a mother I find the task extremely daunting- as I find my little one running away, easily distracted from what she is doing and constantly looking for new things all the time. When it comes to children it is never about the number of toys but just how interesting the toy really is. And PodSquad promises quality over quantity!

What is PodSquad?

PodSquad is a fun learning-programme-in-a-box for ages 4+ that will be delivered right to your doorstep. The programme has been created by educationists and designers who have been developing children’s content for over a decade and is based around Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence – aimed at identifying and developing innate talents in children, all through play! The box is packed with 4-6 different learning activities for independent play and there is special access to engaging digital content like interactive games, printable worksheets, animated videos and more through the website.

What children really want? 

“The idea of using multiple intelligence came to me when I was playing with my nephew – who has a strong love and affiliation to animals, as do I – and has a gift when dealing with them”- says Abha Mehta- the force behind PodSquad. She has worked for over 8 years as a content developer for publishers such as Scholastic, Disney, Pearson, Cambridge University Press, etc which gives her a unique insight into what children really want!  She believes that children should be able to try their hand at a variety of things that will aid in learning. And we are not talking about the conventional literacy and numeracy skills but nurturing innate talents that make them perceive the world differently.

The story behind PodSquad:

So Mehta started talking to parents about what they thought their children needed and armed with her results she started “TheQidzLab” at Quadrum- their parent company. And there has been no looking back since then. A group of kids were invited to try out the various activities and to give the makers a better understanding of what gen-next actually wants.

What each PodSquad box has: 

Each PodSquad box comes equipped with all the material needed for the activities plus a detailed list of instructions. It also has a cool collectible- called the Pods- fun characters representing the moods and personalities of the children. The material is brightly coloured and will instantly attract young users to the content.

Pricing:

• Individual boxes are Rs 1500 – includes digital content
• 3 month subscription to the programme (Rs 3600 or Rs 1200 per box – which is a 20% discount) – includes digital content
• 6 month subscription to the programme (Rs 6750 or Rs 1125 per box – which is a 25% discount) – includes digital content

What we love:

• The products are curated by experts and tested by kids themselves.
• A host of experts in the panel include people from various streams such as teachers, authors, editors, designers, etc- which explains the detailing that goes into each of the products
• Helps children excel in what is known as “Multiple Intelligence”- 9 levels such as Linguistic, Mathematical, Visual, Kinaesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic and Existential Intelligences.
• Trusted brands like Camlin and Funskool are used for materials in PodSquad.

What we would like to see: 

• Subscription boxes especially those that cater to multiple intelligences have a wide range of activities that requires parents to sit with their child to do them. If there could be boxes that would help children engross themselves, it would benefit parents.
• The pricing is slightly on the higher side when considering tbe subscription boxes already available on the market.
• Further classification based on kids’ age would be welcome. Children easily outgrow games and activities within few months. 

Packages: 

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