Pofuff (Puff-fuf) is a recently launched start-up by Melbourne based Filpino couple Seigfred Tristan and Luanne Dequito that invites kids to go back to holding crayons and start expressing their creativity through drawing. The magic happens when Pofuff turns that drawing to a soft, cuddly, and huggable stuffed toy.
When Luanne was asked how they came to this idea, she said, “I was reading our daughter a bedtime story and I had an idea to use a toy similar to the illustrations to give life to the story. Seeing her awe and amazement, I wondered, what if her own drawings are to spring to life and become stuffed toys? And so our little start-up began.” Seigfred also added, “Since she saw her drawing turned to a stuffed toy, she was encouraged to express her creativity more through drawing. She would even choose to hold crayons and paper instead of a tablet or a gaming device.”
They explained that the unseen threat of mismanaged use of electronic devices and gaming consoles among our kids could rob them of creative play which is essential in the development of their problem solving skills. Customising stuffed toys out of kid’s drawings is only the start of their passion of encouraging children’s creativity. “After all, a child’s life is all about imaginative play which is basically creativity,” said Seigfred.
Aside from bringing magic and joy to little ones, Pofuff is also following an altruistic business model that focuses on helping communities in the Philippines. Instead of hiring cheap factory workers, Pofuff toys are handmade by stay-at-home mothers in the Philippines, improving their craft and livelihood.
Compared to mass produced and branded toys, a Pofuff toy is inexpensive for $49 as it is a one-of-a-kind, customised toy of a child’s drawing. For those who want to order, you can send your child’s drawing to info@pofuff.com, like and leave a message in their Facebook page – facebook.com/pofuff or you can go to their website www.pofuff.com and fill up the order form in the “Pricing” page.
