Groton’s Rod Lowe is a designer with a background in creating innovative toys for children. He has worked at well-known companies like Hasbro and Maxim Enterprise, Inc., where he gained valuable experience in toy and game design, particularly in the realm of preschool wooden toys. Rod’s desire to make a positive impact has led him to create toys that foster creativity, imagination, and active play in a world increasingly dominated by screen time.

In 2019, Rod founded Fiwi Toys LLC, with a mission to design toys focused on what customers genuinely want—fun, engaging toys they would love to have and play with. The name “Fiwi,” derived from Patwa, means “for us” or “for the people,” reflecting the brand’s commitment to creating toys for everyone. When asked about his focus on educational toy design, Rod explained that while parents want toys to promote learning, children prefer toys that are engaging and fun. As a robot enthusiast, Rod combined his interests to create a robot that both teaches and entertains. The core concept is playability, and this vision led to the creation of Pre-Bot.

Pre-Bot was designed to be visually appealing, fun, safe, and non-toxic. More than just a toy, Pre-Bot teaches children valuable lessons by responding to their interactions, encouraging positive behavior through a series of educational storybooks. Children are inspired to ask, “What did I teach Pre-Bot?”, creating a unique, engaging experience that aids their development.

Pre-Bot allows children to work with their families to teach the robot and learn from it. To support this interactive experience, Fiwi Toys created storybooks like Pre-Bot Learns Not to Hurt and soon to come, Pre-Bot Learns to Be Brave, which help convey positive behavior patterns. Pre-Bot has even become a globetrotter on Instagram, where followers can see the robot’s adventures around the world—a fun extension of its educational mission.

The small toy company quickly found that bringing Pre-Bot to market was a significant challenge. The high quality of materials used for Pre-Bot makes production costly, which can be a barrier for retailers. However, companies like Barnes & Noble and CAMP, picked up Pre-Bot, giving it a place on retail shelves.

Rod shared that marketing and selling toys involve significant effort. Currently, he primarily sells Pre-Bot through his own channels, focusing on the creative aspects of design rather than extensive marketing. He has plenty of advice for those interested in learning about the toy market.

Rod is actively working on new toy concepts and additional books for the Pre-Bot series.

Pre-Bot is available for purchase at www.fiwitoys.com.

All photos provided by Fiwi Toys.