BILLINGS — What's the best way to teach your kids about business? By starting one, of course.
Warbricks is a toy company that began as a home-schooling project for three Billings kids earlier this year. David, Daniel and Emilie Dryden are the student workforce, and they say they’ve been learning the value of hard work along with math, writing and critical thinking.
WarBricks runs out of their home in Billings. These three take a lot of pride in their company, but they will be the first to admit: Running a toy business is not all fun and games.
“It's so complex and complicated,” says Daniel. “You have to do so many things.”
He’s right. Among the three of them, they are buying product, fulfilling orders, shipping goods and working their own marketing. It can be tiring, but as far as the Drydens are concerned, they have one of the best toy products on the market.
Cobi toys are similar to Legos, and the two products are compatible. These toys are builder-friendly and largely focus on military vehicles.
And not only are the Dryden kids learning about business by selling these toys, but they are also learning about history. Each Cobi set is based on a real-life military vehicle from different time periods. Tanks from WWI, planes from WWII, and even the HMS Titanic. If you scan the QR code on any box, you’ll get a full backstory of the real-life thing.
Karine Dryden is the mother of these three young entrepreneurs and the proud chairwoman of this endeavor. She says that this project is about teaching more than just money handling.
“We really want to teach our kids to work,” she says. “To teach these life skills to them, so they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up.”
Karine added that she is proud of her children and that they have really risen to the occasion, though admittedly they still need a little prodding from time to time. She sees them developing great skills that they will use throughout their lives.
The company is doing well and even turning a profit. So much so, that they have even donated some of their income to local charities here in Billings. The family has shipped toys all over the United States and every box they send comes with a handwritten ‘thank you’ from the workforce.
Warbrick Cobi sets sell anywhere from $10 to $200. They make great Christmas gifts and as Emilie pointed out, “some fit into a stocking.”
For more information or to place an order, log onto www.warbricks.com or follow them on social media @warbricks.
