Small share of plenty

Suneha explores Mars Maths with her mother

As a child, this writer had strong opinions about hand-me-down books, shirts and toys. One older sibling and two grown-up cousins in a small town had rendered buying playthings pointless in her growing-up years. So, many of her miniatures and board games had a hodgepodge personality. It was unique in its own way. Cut to the present, foggy memories of such hand-me-downs strangely help her hatch a happy place.

The young reviewer reads a pre-loved book

Built on a similar sentiment and the responsibility of re-homing children's articles, The Share Bear is building a sustainable world for tiny tots. Eight-year-old Suneha Guruji seeks her mother's assistance to review the digital platform that allows users to sell and shop pre-loved items. For pre-teens, learning through playful activities demands variety. Suneha was intrigued by a mathematical game titled Mars Maths. The unlikeliness of a mathematics game with a 3D rocket ship zooming in from a planet spurred her curiosity. "The puzzle comes with a multi-face dice. You can roll the dice to be led on to the next level of the game. Since the game can be played with two to three players, I had a fun time with my parents," she says. Ushri Guruji, Suneha's mother, reasons that although she was wary about the condition in which the products would be delivered, she was pleasantly surprised to find them in good shape. "Kids like the touch and feel of new things, and I wanted my daughter to be naturally attracted to both the book and the math game. They were delivered in a good condition. She will continue to cherish Amita Sarin's Akbar and Birbal in the coming years too, as these tales narrate ageless humour," Ushri adds.

One of the three gently worn dresses of Suneha that Ushri put up for sale on the site

The mother-daughter duo wanted to put up a few dresses on sale on the platform. Ushri feels the website's intent to reduce both financial and environmental burden with its focus on children's goods attracted her. Sharing her experience, she explains, "The process of enlisting items for sale is smooth and easy to understand. There are only a few simple steps. But, I think a one-minute video representing the process would have been better." As a working parent, who did all of this in between deadlines, Ushri reckons the site can add a filter for age groups at the top section itself: "I also felt the need for two-way communication. I would have preferred some authentication and formal intimation before updating my bank or UPI details on the site."

PRE-OWNED ITEMS
FROM: The share bear
AGE GROUP: 5 to 12 years
TYPE: Math game and book
PRICE: Rs 375 (Mars Maths); Rs 100 (Akbar and Birbal)
RATING: 2.5/4
LOG ON: thesharebear.in