Growing up in the dense concrete jungles of today’s cities, small children have few day-to-day opportunities for connecting with the natural world.
Selina Kong, founder and CEO of The Big Things Ltd, sought to change that after spending time with her daughter Scarlett at playgrounds and parks. In 2019, The Big Things Playground opened as a unique nature-themed indoor playground that introduces children to nature and wildlife through a combination of exploration and physical activity.
“As a mom, I always felt that it would be wonderful if there was a playground centred around nature,” Kong said. “In Hong Kong, it’s difficult for young children to explore wildlife.”
In addition to having nature as its key theme, the equipment for The Big Things playground was also made with sustainability in mind. Sustainable materials were used when building the playground in an effort to be more environmentally friendly. For example, pine wood is used throughout the playground as it is an extremely durable and recyclable material.
“Health and wellness is important to me, therefore, I wanted to promote this to families through The Big Things,” Kong said. “I hope people who visit The Big Things will understand the importance of being healthy and eco-conscious.”
In addition to the playground, Kong recently expanded the space with The Big Things Kitchen, which serves healthy comfort food, combining traditional Asian flavors with a modern culinary twist. The Big Things Kitchen carefully chooses their ingredients, from the oil used for cooking to the sustainably farmed meat. The vegetables used in the dishes on the menu are also grown on their very own rooftop farm.
More than just a traditional playground, Kong wanted The Big Things to encourage child development through exploration and non-traditional ways of learning.
“In Hong Kong, there tends to be a focus on learning through academic studies instead of learning through play,” she said.
As part of its mission to encourage the creative side of learning, The Big Things is opening a MasterChef Academy and plans to organize events in the future such as cooking competitions for all aspiring chefs.
“It is important to expose Hong Kong children to different international learning techniques,” shared Kong.
The Big Things joined HKGCC in 2019 to introduce the brand and concept to a larger audience and explore sustainable business innovations. “I hope it will be an opportunity to connect with people and learn about other businesses and expand my network,” said Kong.
The Big Things is located in The Mills, a retail and arts space in Tseun Wan focusing on innovation and sustainability, which opened in 2018 on the site of a former textile-manufacturing factory..
Company : The Big Things Ltd HKGCC Membership No. : HKB0562 Established : 2019 Website : http://www.thebigthings.com