CHILDHOOD should remain as screen-free as possible.
This is because excessive screen exposure in childhood can interfere with brain development, attention span, emotional regulation, and real-world social learning that are critical during early growth stages.
For Pure Days founders Johnson Lai and Yuni Kho, their “screen-free” belief is rooted in the kind of childhood they remember.
The Kuching couple still remembers a simpler kind of growing up, when play meant running on grass, building with blocks and spending time outdoors.
That memory is reflected in Pure Days, which they said stands for the purity of childhood and is built around the belief that meaningful learning happens through real-life experiences and genuine interaction.
What began during the uncertainty of COVID-19 as a side income for two kindergarten teachers has since grown into a journey of designing learning tools, hosting outdoor family events and creating hands-on workshops for children.
They said Pure Days is also about offering families an alternative to the phone, the tablet and the fast-moving screen.
“We believe childhood should remain as screen-free as possible. Children will have plenty of time to learn it later, but childhood only happens once,” they said.
From uncertain days to Pure Days
Before Pure Days products appeared in stores and before its workshops became part of the brand’s work, the couple were kindergarten teachers trying to get through 2020.
“We started as kindergarten teachers, and when COVID hit in 2020, we began selling toys online just as a side income, to have something to keep us going during such an uncertain time.
“But the more we did it, the more we felt that just importing and reselling wasn’t quite enough. We wanted to create something with more meaning behind it.
“So, in 2022, we started designing and producing our own educational toys,” they said.
That same year, they also began hosting outdoor family events in Kuching, bringing families out into nature for activities and real experiences together.
They said this became one of their favourite things to do.
In 2023, they built Pure Days Studio, a space where children could learn through hands-on, thematic workshops.
“At the heart of it all was one simple belief: that meaningful learning happens through real-life experiences and genuine interaction,” they said.
Designing for children they understand
The founders’ background in early childhood education shaped the way they looked at children, learning and playing.
They said that as teachers, they understood children’s developmental stages, as well as the language, fonts and context familiar to Malaysian children.
“When sourcing products from other countries, we noticed big differences in education systems and learning approaches,” they said.
That was one reason they decided to design their own products instead of only selling what was already available.
“So when we design our own products, we do it with intention. Everything is created to be locally relevant by using elements that children here can relate to and connect with naturally,” they said.
Pure Days’ products now include busy books, wooden toys and flash cards.
According to them, the busy book series is created to provide hands-on learning experiences for young children, with activities that promote cognitive development, fine motor skills and early literacy while keeping learning fun and engaging.
Its wooden toy series is designed with educational purposes in mind, supporting durability, sustainability, sensory development and all-round skills.
The flash card series includes themes such as alphabets, numbers, fruits, vegetables, weather, days, transportation, animals, emotions and self-regulation.
“Above all, Pure Days products are certified with MC, ASTM and FSC standards, and that its design philosophy emphasises social interaction by encouraging parent-child or peer collaboration.
“All our toys not only enhance motor and cognitive development but prioritise relationship-building, the bedrock of our brand,” they said.
The childhood they want to protect
The name Pure Days is tied to the kind of childhood Lai and Kho remember, and the kind they hope more children can still experience today.
“Pure Days actually stands for the purity of childhood, and that’s something we genuinely want to protect.
“When we think back to our own childhoods, it was simple. Running on grass, playing with blocks, just being outside. There were no smartphones,” they said.
But they believe childhood should not be rushed towards screens too early.
“And we want that for children today too, as much as possible.
“We know that technology is part of life now, and eventually every child will need to learn how to use a laptop or a phone, but childhood doesn’t have to rush toward that,” they said.
They said the aim is not to remove screens completely, but to find a healthy balance – a slower alternative for families.
In their years as teachers and through their work with families, they shared that they have seen how too much screen time can affect children in quiet ways.
“What we’ve seen, both as teachers and as people who work closely with families, is that too much screen time quietly changes children in ways that are easy to miss. They talk less, make less eye contact, lose patience faster,” they said.
They linked this to the fast pace of much of the digital content children consume.
“A lot of the digital content out there such as cartoons and YouTube videos are very fast-paced which puts children in a constant high-stimulation state, and then simple things like sitting down to eat or read a book start to feel ‘boring’ to them,” they said.
Still, they said the goal is balance, not elimination.
“For us, it’s not about removing screens completely. It’s about finding a healthy balance, not elimination.
“We just want to offer families a real alternative, something that slows things down a little and brings people back together.
“Pure Days designs tools and experiences to create opportunities for children and families to value relationships, collaborate and build strong human connections.”
What children taught them
Although they design products for children, they said children have also taught them how to think about play.
“Children have taught us that less is often more, and they are always far more creative than we expect.
“A lot of the time, they use our products in ways we never even imagined. Give them something simple, and they’ll turn it into something meaningful in their own way,” they said.
For Lai and Kho, children’s responses are a reminder not to overcomplicate things.
“It’s a good reminder for us to not overcomplicate things.
“One of the most meaningful things for us is when a parent tells us that our product keeps their child busy and happy on a long flight, or while waiting for food at a restaurant, without looking for a smartphone or YouTube,” they said.
To the founders, those moments matter because they are exactly the gaps Pure Days was created to fill.
“We’re happy when our products can fill these small pockets of time with joy and engagement, instead of screens,” they said.
A studio built around connection
Pure Days Studio became another important part of that journey.
According to the couple, the studio and local collaborations were launched to bring families and children together through enriching shared activities.
“Our workshops are designed to promote hands-on participation, encouraging children to explore, experiment with ideas, express themselves and learn new skills in a supportive environment.
“The workshops have included themes such as global exploration, animal kingdom, culinary creations, festive fun and fantasy.”
Aside from this, they shared that Pure Days also organises family events and private workshops.
“Our family events are crafted to encourage interaction and collaborative fun, allowing every family member to contribute, learn and grow together.
“Our private workshops and events bring meaningful learning experiences beyond our studio, while our collaborations go beyond experiences, creating meaningful impact, strengthening communities and giving back,” they said.
Building from Kuching
Although Pure Days now reaches families beyond Sarawak, Lai and Kho said they remain proud to tell people the brand is from Sarawak.
They said the journey was not always easy, especially in the early days when they were trying to be seen from Sarawak.
“At the beginning, we felt quite far from opportunities and exposure, because we started from nothing, just a couple who love kids.
“Logistics was also a challenge, especially since about 90 per cent of our customers are from West Malaysia.
“It was a real challenge being a small brand from Sarawak trying to be seen in a bigger market,” they said.
In August 2025, the founders made the decision to move temporarily to Kuala Lumpur, where their warehouse is now based.
“It’s part of our effort to bring more exposure to Pure Days, while still staying rooted as a brand from Sarawak,” they said.
For them, building something from Sarawak that reaches families beyond the state means a lot.
“It means a lot, more than we can easily put into words. It shows that meaningful things can come from anywhere, even from a small place like where we started,” they said.
Whenever they showcase their products at physical stores, they feel proud to tell people that Pure Days is from Sarawak.
“It’s not just about us but about showing that where we are from doesn’t limit what we can build,” they said.
Seeing Sarawak on the shelf
Among the moments that made Lai and Kho proud was seeing Pure Days products displayed in major bookstores and children’s retail spaces.
“There have been so many moments, especially seeing parents actually put their phones down and spend quality time with their kids because of something we created.
“But one thing that made us incredibly proud was seeing our products displayed at stores like Kinokuniya, BookXcess, Tsutaya, MPH, HappiKiddo and many other stores,” they said.
They said it was meaningful to see something from Sarawak in places they once visited as customers.
“For a brand that started in Kuching, getting to walk into those big stores and see Pure Days on the shelf, this actually meant a lot to us.
“We were bringing something from Sarawak into places we once only visited as customers,” they said.
What they hope children remember
Asked what they hope Pure Days will mean to children years from now,the founders said they hope children will remember that learning was fun.
“For the toys, we hope they remember that learning was fun and that it didn’t always have to come from a screen.
“That hands-on, playful learning was something they loved. And for the children who came through Pure Days Studio in Kuching, we hope our workshops left them with real memories and moments of togetherness.
“Memories of making things, discovering things, being together as a group of children. If we can leave that behind, that’s more than enough for us,” they said.
