Quality time will soon be in the palm of your hand

KidsWantU is an app that empowers families with instant fun times together, away from the screen. It is customised with activity and game ideas for each family across interests, ages, place and time available, without having to buy anything.

If you have 2 to 10 year-old-kids in your life, then KidsWantU is an ideal fit to create some fun memories with them. Here's a 30-second overview of how KidsWantU works:

I need your help to get KidsWantU out into the world.

For as little as $15 you can support our efforts to make this happen.

Pledging $25 or more will get you access to the app for one year (Choose KidsWantU for One Year / $25 or more)

Pledging $750 or more will provide KidsWantU for a classroom of your choice (Choose Giver VIP / $750 or more)

There are other reward tiers and other inclusions so please take a look through. If you're on mobile, look at the rewards tab. If you're on desktop all the rewards on the right hand side of this screen.

By the way, the money doesn't come out when you pledge - it will come out when the campaign ends on 10 October but only if we reach our minimum target.

Families are important, kids are our future & time is hard to find!

My name is Anne-Marie Walton, my mission is to help parents and carers get more quality time together with kids doing activities that are fun for everyone. My mission is KidsWantU.

In my life, the thing I’m most proud of is being a Mum! I know that I did a great job and have a wonderful relationship with our sons. Yet, I still remember those early moments when I was tired, brain-dead and guilty that it felt easier to be at work than trying to think of fun new stuff to do with our boys.

Just like cooking the same things for dinner, ideas for different things to do with kids are hard, so you fall into the “okay we can watch Frozen again”, grab the UNO or “yes, but we’re only going to play eye-spy 3 times” - as you roll your eyes. 

Then there are the super busy times where one-on-one time gets left for bedtime stories. It’s so easy for personal interactions to merge into a multi-tasked lifestyle like supervising homework while cooking and taking phone calls whilst driving kids to places.

During the beta release of our first version, we surveyed parenting influencer mums and asked them 

“What is your biggest frustration/guilt with being a busy mum?”

Overwhelming the answers were recurring words; "juggling and not enough time."

When our sons were young, I used any occasion as a fun educational opportunity. It was important to me as a parent that our boys became well-rounded humans, so I introduced them to as many different experiences as possible.

That meant copping some flak when I bought them a doll’s house or taught them (and me) to sew but coming from a sporting background it also exposed me to areas I wasn’t so familiar with like creative arts and science. That turned out to be so important, as our lads have become accomplished musicians and those talents definitely did not come from me or my husband.

Our home was a regular gathering place for neighbourhood kids, and when their parents and teachers asked for the activities we did - I knew I had something to share.

So, the idea was born:

Where we started

Our youngest had just finished high school and I saw an ad in our local newspaper for a pitch competition. It was a lightbulb moment – that original idea from a decade earlier came back to me, today’s technology meant I could now share easier family fun across the world!

I dug out my old notes and asked Google what a pitch was. I did some fast learning via Shark Tank episodes, some free online courses and learned about app development. I taught myself to build a prototype, sent it to everyone I knew on Facebook, got feedback, and made improvements.

I pitched. I was terrified, but I won!  I love that I’m now creating a wonderful product in KidsWantU to help other families use technology in a unique way for face-to-face fun and to develop social skills in our busy world.

What we've achieved

Here are just some of the highlights from the last three+ years:

•   built and tested another two prototypes
•   graduated from a Social Impact Business Accelerator program
•   Queensland Community Choice Winner in AustPost national pitching competition
•   presented in Austin, Texas about global trends in Digital Kid’s Media
•   tripled our team
•   extensive product testing through focus groups
•   contracted to trial KidsWantU with hundreds of Veterans families across Qld
•   featured on ABC TV news
•   presented at 2018 Commonwealth Games Business Showcase
•   our first version product in the app stores drew over 4000 downloads

With the feedback and learnings from our original beta product, we now have our full version app in production, ready for a Christmas '19 launch!

Make quality time a breeze

Today most parents & carers ask Google when they want ideas for different things to do with their children.

It’s hard to find an instant fix because the internet provides infinite options and very little curation.

KidsWantU provides a mix of interactive activities that can be done instantly, anywhere, anytime. The app does all the heavy thinking and only offers activity suggestions which are:

• age-appropriate for each of the kids in your life (whether one or many)
• things you will like to do
• match the kids' interests
• fit with how long you have
• and whether you want to be inside or outside

Screen time isn't the only option

Now, technology is an essential, important and positive addition to our lives and future. It is great for; our work, entertainment, education, and virtual communication. But whether for kids and even adults, balance and face-to-face communication, independent creative thinking, and social play are essential for well-being.

So, I created KidsWantU to use tech for instant ideas to do something together as a short alternative to screen-time, but also making sure there were ideas that you, the adult would enjoy.

We have found so many ways to create fun interactions. It doesn't always have to be about making crafty or physical things together, but it is about connecting without a screen from time to time.

That’s what makes KidsWantU so exciting. We use technology to provide customised experiences together – away from technology!

Our team

We have a strong and enthusiastic team with Anne-Marie, two staff members--Hilary and Robyn--along with five great volunteers.

How the funds will be used

We’ve set our budget at the bare minimum we need to ensure the best outcomes.

Production of the KidsWantU app is already well underway and it contains lots of great fun activity ideas.  

Your support will help us:

• add additional features to bring even more personalisation for families
• include more activities, particularly by working with experts on curating experiences from different cultural backgrounds
• reach and impact more kids and families, everywhere
• retain and bolster our key team

The funds raised will be used for:

If the campaign goes well, watch out for our Stretch and Smash Targets. We’ve got some exciting Foundation Supporter bonuses we’d like to provide. Everyone who pledges in the first 2 weeks of the campaign will get full access if our minimum target of $30,000 is achieved.

To take advantage of those, please support us early.

Rewards

All reward categories include first pre-release access to the KidsWantU app in early December '19 before it is launched officially for Christmas-time

• Pick a reward and go to the highlighted box on it's far-right. 
• The cost is at the top of that column and also includes everything else in the highlight boxes on that same row.

Thank you for your support!

Anne-Marie Walton

If video isn't your thing, have a look here to see how KidsWantU works. It starts with the parent or carer answering these 3 simple questions...

1. Who will be playing?

2. How long do you have?

3. Pick inside, outside or either?

...and the app will provide a bunch of curated activities.

The adult picks three activities they'll enjoy.

The kid (or kids) choose a balloon to pop to find their “surprise” activity.

Each gender-neutral activity is presented through beautifully photographed real-life instructions. 

The activities only need objects (and some don't need anything) you would find in the typical family home, backyard or park, no need for expensive new toys that will grow old in a month.

The phone is put aside, for invaluable face-to-face time.

There are so many ways it helps with quality time:

• a family reward system for spending time together
• activity ratings so you can remember who loved which activities

• share the finished outcomes on socials (if that's your style)
• track time spent together