Welcome, Mom’s Choice readers! Today we were able to sit down with DoHee Lee, the CEO of Bicycle (Ltd). Bicycle is a kid contents company, with its core program, PlaySongs Home, offering a music-based integrated developmental play education program for infants and toddlers. It was developed in collaboration with education experts, and music therapists. This early childhood home school program was designed to provide healthy play content tailored to the developmental needs of children aged 0 to 3 through play methods and the language of music. It aims to support comprehensive development, including brain development, creativity, self-regulation, motor coordination, cognitive development, and emotional development. Parents will enjoy exploring their child’s talents and expanding their possibilities by investing just 10 minutes a day of real play with PlaySongs Home.

DoHee’s company believes that the most critical mission for today’s educational content creators and service providers is to promote the idea that rather than completely restricting screen time, children should be exposed to healthy video content within reasonable limits. This is a message that should resonate not only with content creators but also with parents and educators.

MCA: Tell us about yourself.

I had my first child at the age of 46. During my journey of raising my child, I realized the importance of genuine educational services and content for young children. This insight inspired me to bring analog experiences into the digital realm.

I grew up in a large family with five siblings. Our home included not only my parents but also my grandparents, making it a lively household of seven children. I married later in life and did not have children of my own for quite some time. However, I was fortunate to watch my nieces and nephews grow up, and at one point they numbered over 10.

Being particularly fond of children, I found joy in supporting their upbringing. For over 20 years, during family gatherings, I would read their favorite books, engage in role-playing activities, and spend quality time with them, always meeting them at their level. This experience deepened my understanding of children and their unique perspectives.

While times have changed, and the focus on children’s needs has evolved, one thing remains constant: the early years are critical for shaping self-esteem, character, and creativity, laying the foundation for their potential.

I’ve spent over 30 years in the IT industry, managing businesses such as online music platforms and content security in broadcasting and telecommunications. My expertise and experience, along with the 17 years of on-site and online services that Bicycle has developed, aim to create a child-centered ecosystem of services and products that drive meaningful change.

Currently, Bicycle focuses on expanding PlaySongs programs into various products and platforms to develop a balanced educational environment and a database-driven, customized system.

MCA: Can you tell us about the journey that led you to create your award-winning product? What inspired its development?

The world children will encounter as adults will be drastically different, surrounded by technologies like AI, GPT, robots, and autonomous vehicles. Inspired by experts who advocate for utilizing healthy video content within a reasonable timeframe rather than completely restricting screen time, I was motivated to create PlaySongs Home.

PlaySongs Home is designed with activities tailored to the cognitive and developmental needs of each child at different stages. Through intuitive music, it encourages children to move and engage naturally. It offers both intensive in-center experiences and online-based videos and educational materials, allowing families to engage at home in a healthy way.

Recognizing the importance of digital literacy in today’s world, we are developing a service platform that helps children understand and leverage digital culture through their own experiences. Additionally, we are exploring how IT and AI can enhance rather than replace traditional educational environments, ensuring that the emotional essence of our 17-year analog program is preserved in the digital space.

MCA: Tell us about the research involved in the development of PlaySongs Home.

In developing the product, we focused on three main areas of research:

Program Structure: How can we integrate play methods and cognitive content that align with children’s developmental stages, while also fostering strong emotional bonds during early childhood?

Digital Transformation: How can we effectively translate the hands-on guidance provided in centers into videos and educational kits for at-home use?

Educational Kits: We carefully considered the types and amounts of educational materials needed at each stage. Rather than overwhelming parents with unnecessary quantities, we selected materials that are crucial for children’s development and designed them to be used repeatedly for cognitive reinforcement over a set period.

MCA: How does PlaySongs Home address a need or solve a problem for families?

It’s not always beneficial for parents to spend long hours with their children at home; it’s more about how you spend that time. Many young parents today express concerns about how to effectively engage with their children. Our product is designed to help build strong bonds and self-esteem, even if it’s just for 10 minutes a day.

This program is also useful for grandparents or babysitters who are caring for children occasionally, providing a way for both the caregiver and the child to enjoy quality time together.

MCA: What sets PlaySongs Home apart from similar products in the marketplace?

What makes PlaySongs Home unique is its foundation on 17 years of field data, which we used to develop educational kits that are truly necessary. These kits are designed to support repetitive use during critical developmental periods, focusing on essential cognitive and motor skills over appropriate timeframes.

Additionally, what differentiates PlaySongs is that the entire program is led by music from start to finish, allowing children to engage naturally and intuitively.

MCA: Can you share any memorable stories or feedback from customers who have used PlaySongs Home?

Many products aimed at young children include play, music, and educational materials, which may appear similar on the surface. However, once families use our product, their satisfaction levels are remarkably high.

In fact, 70% of customers proceed to purchase the next level after experiencing our initial offerings. Many reviews highlight the superior quality of our music and sound, which sets us apart from other products in the market.

MCA: As a creator/manufacturer, how do you ensure safety and suitability for your target audience?

Our program was not newly designed for the market but developed based on 17 years of data from on-site PlaySongs programs. This is a trusted program that has been popular among premium customers in Korea, now made accessible at home through videos and educational kits.

Unlike many unverified video programs flooding the market, our content is carefully vetted, ensuring it provides positive influences on children. Additionally, we have completed all necessary safety testing and certification for our products.

MCA: What challenges did you encounter during your development or launch, and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges was digitizing the analog essence of the PlaySongs program used in our centers. There were delays and increased production costs due to a change in our development team. While it is still a work in progress, we continue to address the challenge of creating real-time and interactive features to keep up with the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Constant communication with customers helps us refine and upgrade our offerings.

MCA: Looking ahead, what are your plans or goals for expanding or improving your product offerings?

We anticipate that AI and data-driven solutions will bring significant changes to the early childhood education market. Our goal is to create customized solutions that expand each child’s unique characteristics and potential.

We aim to provide children around the world with access to high-quality content that fosters independent thinking and self-driven growth. As we look to an unknown future, we hope to support children in growing up at the right time, while instilling the important values needed for their journey.

MCA: What an exciting program you offer to parents and caregivers. It’s been a real pleasure to speak with you today, DoHee. We’ll be on the lookout for any new products your company develops.