This entrepreneur created a new children’s game in 5 days, in the middle of the Coronavirus!
Isabelle Lopez is the founder of MySmartJourney, a techno startup that develops technological event experiences that can be activated using a smartphone; the spaces then come to life and tell a story. Obviously, as the company is largely rooted in the tourism and events industry, we had to review our activities in the context of this crisis. And that’s how a new children’s game was created in just 5 days: the TiJeu Niaiseux! Here’s the story.
Isabelle had had the idea in mind for some time, but life meant it was always postponed. The “later” came in the form of an unpredictable global health crisis that forced the entire world to take a break. The team had planned for 10 days to create the game, but in the end it had to be done in five. Orders were given to close all non-essential businesses, and the printing works would no longer be available. Everything accelerated, but they succeeded! What enabled them to bring out a children’s game in such a short space of time? They relied on the technology already developed by MySmartJourney and its various partnerships.
Isabelle has two young daughters for whom she had created virtual treasure hunts around the house. When the government order to stay at home came down, the girls brought out these games again. The startup’s founder then realized that she could offer this entertainment to the general public. She got her team together and everyone got to work, all too happy to be able to help families.
What is TiJeu Niaiseux?
The aim of TiJeu Niaiseux is to keep families (children and parents alike) busy, and to help them make the most of this new reality of confinement, thus respecting the rules demanded by our governments and establishing family harmony.
The principle is super-simple: you order a game kit from the website, receive eight characters with different themes, hide them at home and set off on a treasure hunt with the kids. Once you’ve found the characters – there’s a music lover, a sportsman, a scientist, an explorer, etc. – you scan the QR code and the content is displayed. This can be videos, images, animated gifs, etc. The team has managed to gather so much varied content, that the child will see something different every time. The content is half educational and half… silly! The creators don’t just want to educate kids, they want to have fun too! It’s like a life-size treasure hunt. As an added bonus, you never know what you’re going to find. Isabelle Lopez compares it to scrolling through her Facebook newsfeed for adults: you don’t know what you’re going to find, but you know you’re going to be entertained.
Will the game continue to exist when life returns to normal? Yes, absolutely! As new content is added every day, the children’s game has no expiration date. From a business point of view, this extension of MySmartJourney’s technology is in line with the company’s development. It’s a win-win situation!
How can you help?
Get the game, test it and send your feedback to the team. The team wants to know how they can improve it. If you want to take support a step further, you can help the startup distribute the game to more families. Know a great distributor? Contact them!
TiJeu Niaiseux
For children aged 4 to 9
Price: $23
Game limited to 230 units
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