Fresh and Fundamental SEL Fun, in Play

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a way to teach children how to understand themselves and others. The fundamental skills taught through SEL help children grow into healthy, empathetic adults. You may have heard of SEL before, given its rise in popularity in both counseling and educational settings. There have even been a number of toys that revolve around elements of SEL – but none are quite like Glo Friends!

PlayMonster ’s new licensed Playskool Glo Friends line takes on the challenge of bringing social and emotional development skills to parents in a way that is easy to understand and fun for children. Glo Friends is all about the power of your inner glow and features six adorable bug characters, each with their own personalities. Each toy is engaging and playful in its own right, with SEL mixed right into playtime.

To create this enchanting line of toys, PlayMonster’s preschool play experts teamed up with board certified behavioral analysts. They thoughtfully crafted each product to not only build out the exciting world of Glo Friends, but to also hit on key skills in social and emotional development for a 2+ age group. According to PlayMonster’s research, Parents are actively looking for toys that teach SEL. Research showed that “Any and all help they can get on the topic is inherently valuable, especially if that help provides the fun their preschoolers expect.”

Parents don’t have to be experts on SEL to incorporate it in their children’s home life with Glo Friends. Glo Friends’ SEL centers around five fundamental skill groups: Self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decisionmaking, relationship skills and selfmanagement. These fundamentals appear in the SEL badge on every Glo Friends package, alongside an explanation of the specific skills involved in each product – all communicated in a way that’s easy for parents to digest. There’s also a QR code on every box linking to the Glo Friends section of the PlayMonster website, which provides more details on SEL, the world and the characters. Each fundamental contains specific skills that kids can develop using Playskool Glo Friends toys. Self-awareness can help children identify their emotions and better understand themselves. Children can see themselves in the characters of the Glo Friends world. Glo Friends stories give parents and children shoulder-to-shoulder time, and features moments for discussing feelings tied to the plot of the book. Each character (and adorable bug toy) has a glow, and throughout the stories the glow will change with the bug’s emotions – something that helps children identify changing emotions.

Social awareness is all about appreciating others and forming empathy, while relationship skills center on helping children learn how to communicate how they feel and work with others. Whether it’s through playing with the interactive Wigglebug plush toy, reading about one of the Glo Friends or simply exploring with the adorable light-up bug toys, children can develop their understanding of others through play.

It’s never too early for children to begin learning about responsible decision-making, and in the context of Glo Friends this is all about basic problem-solving and the ability to reflect. Moments of reflection within several of the adorable Glo Friends books allow children to take a moment during reading time to explore how certain themes make them feel and how they might react to similar feelings to the characters in their own lives.

Finally, self-management helps children learn impulse control and self-motivation. The Wigglebug plush has several play modes that help children go from a place of excitement and energy to a calmer and more thoughtful mindset. Toys like Swirl & Shine MoonDrop Pond and Hugbug & Harmony: Pop, Push & Roll! also incorporate soothing, repetitive movements that can help a child soothe themselves.

Through the power of engaging play and fantastic storytelling, Playskool Glo Friends brings SEL straight to parents and their children in a way that is easily accessible. These adorable critters provide an exciting play experience with SEL fundamentals baked right into how children have fun, in order to help children grow (and glow!).

Parents are searching and shopping for toys just like Glo Friends. Make your store their next stop by carrying this wonderful line of toys! For more information on PlayMonster’s Playskool Glo Friends line, visit PlayMonster.com or contact your PlayMonster sales representative.

When Madame Alexander founded her doll company in 1923, she was a pioneer: an innovator in design and an advocate for imaginative play. Our dolls have been treasured for generations: a tradition of love and kindness for 100 years. Start a tradition of your own today!

A brand of Fahy-Williams Publishing

About Fahy-Williams

We’ve produced custom publications for organizations large and small, in addition to our own magazines, for 39 years. We fund them through advertising sales – that’s our superpower. Advertising is the reason all of the directories, magazines, and industry publications we create generate revenue for our partners. If you can imagine a publication that builds your brand, communicates with your members or customers, AND makes you money, we can deliver it. For more information, visit fwpi.com.