As a mom of two young girls (ages 2.5 and 4), I am all too familiar with the rainbow of emotions they experience – everything from over-excitement to sudden sadness to instant tantrums. This is why I was so excited to recently discover The Moodsters! I knew right away they would be a valuable tool in helping my children understand their emotions. The toys are just awesome and I promise you they will help a lot of kids – and parents too. TheMoodsters.com website has lots of resources for parents as well – including a downloadable All About Feelings packet.
Let me tell you what The Moodsters are all about. They are a team of five little detectives [Coz (happy), Snorf (sad), Lolly (loving), Quigly (afraid), and Razzy (angry)] who come to the rescue whenever their friends, Zach and Zoey, have a feelings emergency. They’re the stars of a new line of books and toys for preschoolers designed to help build emotional intelligence (EQ) skills. What exactly is EQ you ask? It’s the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s emotions. Research shows that children with strong emotional intelligence do better in school, have less anxiety, and have higher self-esteem, among other benefits. These colorful, talking toys are learning tools to help teach kids the fundamentals of feelings and they’re also lots of fun.
Moodster Meter: Every parent has a thermometer for taking a child’s temperature—now every house should have a Moodster Meter for taking a child’s emotional temperature! Young children don’t always have the vocabulary to describe their emotions, so the Moodster Meter provides a fun, interactive way for kids to show how they’re feeling inside. In the Meet the Moodsters storybook, Zach learns an important lesson with the help of the Moodsters on how to handle angry feelings.
Feelings Flashlight: Use before naptime or bedtime to get kids talking about their day and expressing their emotions. Shine the light on the wall or ceiling and the Moodsters appear offering wisdom and humor for every emotion. The accompanying book, The Scary Sleepover, is a great little story about how Zach faced his fears with the help of the Moodsters and saved the sleepover. This product has recently been recognized with the NAPPA Bronze Award Seal.
Moodsters Mirror: A tool to help kids make the connection between feelings on the inside and facial expressions on the outside. Kids can make a happy, sad, angry, scared, or loving face into the Moodster Mirror, and they are able to see what these feelings look like to others. By turning the dial, kids select the matching Moodster to hear the character’s wisdom about that particular feeling, which will help kids recognize their own emotions and non-verbal cues. The accompanying storybook, A Time to be Kind, contains a wonderful message for kids about friendship and how kindness can make things right.
The Moodsters products are now available at Target and on Target.com
Connect with The Moodsters on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMoodsters
Twitter: https://twitter.com/themoodsters
