Apostolos Kakoliris

Interview: Maro Voulgari | Photo: Nikos Zappas

If the parents don’t play with their kid, no matter how many toys it may have it won’t be happy

He settled at Paros ten years ago, simply because “it is paradise”, as he has told us. Soon afterwards he created Felix, a very distinctive toy shop and then the Felix Kid’s creative centre at which parents and children discovered a really creative way to enjoy themselves.

How necessary is the existence of a play centre at an open space like Paros?
The lack of neighborhoods is not a geographical phenomenon, but a phenomenon of our time. There is ample space for play, but above all play means company. Here, there is a specially designed space where everybody visits with the same goal, to play.

Which do you think is the ideal way of entertaining a child?
The creative one. There is a category of play centres which offer a temporary relaxation. Our philosophy is different. We want to mobilize the imagination. Here the children will find “thematic” tables to play with Lego bricks, kitchens or castles, they will wear costumes, will play different roles, will be guided by an educator and all this will be an imagination game.

How is business at a tourist island with a quiet winter and a lively summer?
The visitors come to the island, tired of consumption. They do not need just another shop. On the contrary, they demand high quality services. Quality makes the difference. For me a client is not just a client. Above all, I wish to serve him, to help him and to see him again.

Nowadays the market has been inundated with cheap and shoddy toys. Do you believe that there has been a shift to qualitative and creative toys?
This responsibility lies with the parents. For kids every toy is …a toy. Yes, of course the young couples want to teach their kids how to develop good taste and critical thought. A good toy helps more than we can imagine, but the parents must spend time with their children. Otherwise no matter how many toys you give them, in fact they have nothing.

Are there in Paros any groups of young families interested in new generation and qualitative products and services?
Yes, of course, but the issue is more general. We must have infrastructures, spectacles, good entertainment, education etc. I think that it is a fiction that in the province parents spend more time with their children. This is the case with me as well. For this reason, they need a space where they will devote themselves to the children, they will organize their parties, and they will meet with other parents but will also enjoy a carefree cup of coffee.

Summer 2017