Scoubidou Craze Taking Over School Playgrounds in Victoria

European obsession sees Australian children all knotted-up Scoubidou - the craft that swept through European school playgrounds earlier this year - has finally arrived in Australia and New Zealand, thanks to popular toy distributor, Modern Brands. Having recently escalated into a craze in NSW, Scoubidou is now expected to take off in Victoria, with early signs that children just can’t get enough of the plastic strings.

Scoubidou, which originated in France and was popular in the 1960s was named after the popular French singer, Sacha Distel. The art involves knotting supple, round, hollow plastic tubes of approximately 80 to 100 centimetres in length. The strands are used to make various knot designs, to create personalised items such as key rings, friendship bracelets and model animals.

Scoubidou’s popularity is also reflected in the large number of imitation strings currently on the market. However, the Dutch-made Scoubidou Original boasts the best quality and super-strong ‘un-breakable’ strings. Fast becoming the hottest accessory in the playground, the strands are available in packs of Rainbow (a variety of colours), Glitter, and Glow in the Dark. Also available now is the Scoubidou Fun Time book - a simple guide that increases the scope of what children and adults can make with the strands.

Simon Whiston, Managing Director at Modern Brands, says "My kids came back from the UK raving about these ultra-cool coloured strings so I investigated and thought they would work well in Australia. The great thing is, not only is it fun and inexpensive it also stimulates children’s imagination and creativity".

Caroline Dehaan, a Primary School teacher at Bayside Christian College in Baxter, Victoria, says, "Scoubidou encourages children’s problem-solving ability while developing fine motor skills and manual dexterity. Any product that increases these skills during downtime is wonderful".

Allan Tieste, the Merchandise Director at Toys R Us comments, "The children just can’t get enough of them. Being priced around $5-$10 means they can spend hours of fun making their own jewellery, key-chains and much more with their own pocket money".

Scoubidou appeals to both young and old. Adding to the fun and creativity of the craft is the fact that different colour combinations have different meanings - a code that can be used to secretly communicate with one another.

Scoubidou Original are currently available in K-Mart, Target, David Jones, Big-W, Toys R Us and Pick N Pay throughout Australia and are due to be stocked in Woolworths by the middle of November. They are also available in K-Mart, Farmers, Educational Experience and The Warehouse in New Zealand.

Children can register for the online Scoubidou Club by visiting www.scoubidouworld.com.au