Educational Toy KUMIITA by ICON Corp. Launching on Kickstarter

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Aug. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ICON Corp. is offering the "Logical think skill up Kit" to expand the fun and education of the KUMIITA educational toy line for a special price through the world's largest crowdfunding site, Kickstarter, before going on sale September 27, 2019.

What is KUMIITA?

KUMIITA is an educational toy that is played by arranging panels with programming commands like a puzzle. Children arrange the panels freely to guide KUMIITA from the start to the goal. KUMIITA reads the command information as it passes over the panels and performs various actions. If the panel layout does not follow programming logic, a programming error will occur. Children improve their problem-solving skills by rearranging the panels and thinking about how to get KUMIITA to continue on. This play style helps develop a child's logical thinking and imagination.

First, an introduction to the KUMIITA Beginner Panel Set that lets children as young as 7 months old experience the fundamentals of programming.

Why Everyone Loves KUMIITA

1. Anyone, anywhere can play.

Panels are designed with colorful pictures and do not use written words so that young children who cannot read yet can play. KUMIITA only requires 4 AAA batteries--no Wi-Fi or connection with a PC or other device. And, KUMIITA is CE marking and ST (Japan Safety Toy) approved, so users can trust KUMIITA is safe and sanitary.

2. KUMIITA adapts the fun and challenge to children's development.

Moving along blinking, making sounds and doing spins, KUMIITA peaks every child's intellectual curiosity, promoting auditory and visual development. As children grow and continue to play with KUMIITA, they begin to understand the meaning behind the programming elements, discover problems by themselves, and learn to think for themselves.

3. Programming concepts you can touch.

KUMIITA and the KUMIITA panels give children hands-on experience of programming concepts and the whole programming process from design to execution and debugging is and puts them into tactile experience. And if a program does not work out, rearrange the panels and try again.

Thinking about mistakes and using their hands to move the panels around to try out new arrangements helps children build problem solving skills. Beginning a pattern of successfully working out problems earns children the joys of thinking and problem solving, and the ability to see things through to the end.

How KUMIITA was Born

The goal for KUMIITA was to create a way for children around the world to know the fun of programming before an unpleasant first experience stumbling on a PC or tablet programming language.

"KUMIITA Logical Thinking Skill-Up Kit" Now on Kickstarter

Recommended for children ages 4 to 12 years old, this KUMIITA set is intended to help children increase their logical reasoning skills. Compared to previous panels, this set introduces more complex programming concepts for children to learn and have fun with.

Playing is easy. Just arrange the panels and guide KUMIITA from the Start Panel to the Goal Panel. The programming concepts though, are the real thing. Sequential processing, loops, conditional branching and IF statements offer a solid understanding of programming basics and construction.

Before the start of public sales on September 27, 2019, ICON Corp. wanted to thank our first supporters with a special discount. The funding total for the Kickstarter project is $14,000, and with the successful funding, backers will be able to receive the special price. (If the target amount is not reached, the campaign will be canceled and pledges will be returned.)

Our first 40 panel Beginner Panel Set for children ages 7 months to 5 years launched on October 22, 2018. Since then, children all over the world have already been playing with KUMIITA every day. ICON Corp. wants children around the world to learning the fun of programing early and make sure fewer children are not put off programming from a straight code learning experience. Please see what KUMIITA has to offer. We look forward to your support!

Special Price Campaign on Kickstarter--the World's No. 1 Crowdfunding Site

Project name: KUMIITA Educational toy - NEW Logical think skill up Kit 
Period: Sunday, August 11, 2019 to Tuesday, September 10, 2019, 6:30PM (JST) 
Target amount: 1,500,000 JPY 

Partial Reward List 
KUMIITA Logical think skill up kit (1 KUMIITA Unit and 40 Panels)
50% off (¥27,000) Sold out!
45% off (¥29,700) Limited quantity (15 remaining out of 25)
40% off (¥32,400) Limited quantity (50 remaining out of 50)

Kickstarter Project URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iconcorp/kumiita-educational-toy-new-logical-think-skill-up-kit?ref=cz4kdo

Previous Crowdfunding Projects

April 2017: Kickstarter - KUMIITA Beginner Panel Set
Funded: $35,029; target: $30,000
URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1599191780/kumiita-educational-programming-toy-for-0-year-old 

July 2017: Makuake - KUMIITA Beginner Panel Set 
Funded: ¥3,681,720; target: ¥500,000
URL: https://www.makuake.com/project/kumiita/ 

[Until 8/31] KUMIITA official SNS present campaign. Launching on KICKSTARTER

Campaign period: August 31, 2019 (Saturday)
Present: Mini Beginner Set for a total of 4 people (Overseas shipping available)

How to apply

1. Follow KUMIITA's official Instagram (@kumiita_toy)
2. Like the campaign announcements post!

Double the chance of winning by comment and tag/mention a friend.

Contact
We will contact Prizewinners via DM.

Click here for details
https://kumiita.com/eng/news/514

Official KUMIITA Sites

Please see our official sites for specifications, products, play guides or customer feedback

Official website: https://kumiita.com 
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kumiita_toy/ 
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kumiitatoy

About ICON

A software company now 22 years in the making, ICON was founded on the ideals of creating value through free expression and well-being through technology. These ideals remain unchanged as we open new paths to the future.

The KUMIITA project was born from our hope for children who will carry our future generations to learn the fun of programming, and the belief that experience at an early age opens doors to the future. KUMIITA grows ever more diverse with learning opportunities as we continue to develop additional expansion panels and a picture book that is currently in production.

Company name:               ICON Corp.
Representative:                 Toshiko Tsuchiya
Office:                               Sanei Bld.3F, 13-19, Daimachi, Kanagawa-ku,
Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, 221-0834, Japan
Founded:                          October 7, 1997
Capital:                             98,150,000 JPY
Business description:       Encryption products
Systems design
Robotics development
URL:                                 http://www.e-icon.co.jp/english/ 

Sales Overview
(as of the end of July, 2019) 
Countries                       22 countries
Units sold (B2C)            ~500 units

Educational institution adoption
Denmark: Nursery school for 2 to 3 year olds
China (Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai): Nursery schools
Australia: Programming education curriculum
USA (New York): Nursery school
Japan: Elementary schools, kindergartens and nursery schools

SOURCE ICON Corp

Related Links

https://kumiita.com