The Device I Wish I Would Have Had

Written By: DOINA HARRIS, Chief Product Officer, Simon Data

Children’s enjoyment of music is visible from a very early age. However, they are dependent on the adults around them to “activate” their enjoyment. This activation often comes at the hands of increasing screen time.

For example, from the early age of three, my kids would ask us to play songs to the point I became their personal DJ. Their demands are how iPads initially made their way into their hands which solved one problem but created a new issue of increasing screen time.

Enter Jooki, a device I wish existed when my kids were younger. The concept behind Jooki is simple- give kids the power to play the music they want without needing screens. Their approach flips tech dependency on its head and really focuses on children’s “workflow”. It asks the basic

question, “how can we enable kids to play the music they want without a screen or the ability to read.” The best way to answer this question is by looking at innovation from a kid’s perspective. At this age, children can’t read, but they have started playing with figurines. Jooki takes this familiarity and turns it into a vehicle for music. After parents preset playlists or books onto the figures, kids choose what they want to listen to by selecting an animal and placing it on the speaker. For example, the dolphin will play dancing music, and the shark will play lullabies. As a result, kids as young as 3 can play music without being introduced to screens too early. The design of the product was also made with kids in mind. The large figurines are ideal for little hands- and big drops. It is rugged, has a sturdy handle, and can even deal with splashes. Jooki has all the bells and whistles of any modern tech device- Bluetooth, WiFi, and streaming services. However, this product’s real beauty is enabling children to be independent. It allows them to play the music they want in a low complexity environment.

This high-tech product delivers music to children in a low-tech way. Without code or screens, kids can play music based on things that are already familiar to them. I’m so excited about this product; I plan to purchase it as a birthday present for my nieces and nephew when they turn three!