Tag Archives: mindfulness

Sesame Street enters the mindfulness market with Headspace podcast and Penguin Random House books

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Headspace, a global leader in meditation and mindfulness, and Sesame Workshop, have launched a new podcast project that uses meditation and mindfulness techniques to help children relax during their bedtime routines.

The first episode will launch on June 13, 2021 with 11 subsequent episodes launching every Sunday through August 29.

Developed by a team of early childhood and meditation experts at Sesame Workshop and Headspace, Goodnight, World! looks to help children practice transitioning from their active days to naptime or bedtime. Each episode includes: a wind-down story narrated by a rotating cast of Sesame Street friends; a “sleep journey” led by one of Headspace’s sleepcast readers, and a soothing soundscape of music and relaxing sounds that evoke places like Big Bird’s nest and Abby Cadabby’s fairy garden.

“Maintaining healthy routines helps young children understand their world and feel secure – especially this year, when we’ve all experienced so much upheaval and disruption,” said Gabriela Arenas, Sesame Workshop’s vice president of licensing, North America.

“Even beyond bedtime and naptime, mindfulness is a powerful tool to help kids calm their bodies and regulate their emotions, skills that set them up for success in school and in life. We’re thrilled to work with Headspace to make the practice accessible to families everywhere.”

Episodes of Goodnight, World! are structured to follow families through a typical bedtime routine. In the opening stories, Sesame Street characters model the same feelings of reluctance that many kids experience before bedtime – and tap into the same mindfulness strategies described later in the episodes.

Guided “sleep journey” meditations use techniques like belly breathing, visualizations, and affirming self talk to help kids independently manage the transition from waking time to bedtime.

“Teaching kids the fundamentals of mindfulness and meditation that they can use not only at nap and bedtime, but any time of day, is critical in helping them grow and is at the core of our mission to improve the health and happiness of the world. That’s why we’re so excited to expand our resources for families through our partnerships with Sesame Workshop and Random House Books for Young Readers,” said Morgan Selzer, VP Content at Headspace.

Headspace and Sesame Workshop are also working with Random House Children’s Books to adapt their successful Sesame Street Monster Meditation series of animated shorts into a six-volume series of board books for children aged two to five years old.

The books will include the same characters, themes, and plotlines as the popular videos, which have been viewed more than 30 million times to date. The series launches with Sesame Street Monster Meditation: Being Patient with Cookie Monster on June 29, 2021, and continues with Sesame Street Monster Meditation: Getting Ready for Bed with Elmo on September 28, 2021.

More books are planned for 2022.

“Sesame Workshop and Headspace have created something truly exceptional with their Sesame Street Monster Meditation video series,” said Sonali Fry, VP and director of classic brands and preschool publishing, Random House Children’s Books.

“Through entertaining stories that feature fan-favorite Sesame Street characters, they provide young children with valuable mindfulness techniques. We are excited to continue their mission through our new collection of board book adaptations, which will introduce emergent readers to a variety of helpful meditation exercises for every occasion.”

Oddbods focuses on children’s mindfulness in new series Oddbods: Busy Bodies

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One Animation is launching a new iteration of its animated series Oddbods, placing a new focus on helping kids relieve stress, move their bodies, and engage in imaginative play.

Called Oddbods: Busy Bodies, the show will place emphasis on mindfulness in children with each episode in the series hosted by the veteran yoga therapist and teacher trainer, Hersha Chellaram, a specialist in children’s and accessible yoga. The series, a mix of live action and animation, is debuting on the AVOD Safe Streaming service, Kidoodle TV this week.

Oddbods: Busy Bodies encourages children to get active and use their imaginations as they participate in adventures with Hersha and the Oddbods characters to locations including space, a winter wonderland, the park, or enjoying a rainy day at home. During each episode, Hersha guides viewers through movement, stretching and breathing exercises while participating with the Oddbods to achieve their goals.

Hersha Chellaram is a certified Integral Yoga instructor with expertise in bringing the complete practice of yoga to adults and children of all ages and abilities, including those with special needs, disabilities and chronic health conditions. Hersha was selected for the list of 20 Yoga Teachers of Colour to Watch in 2020, and the 2014 Women of Hope Award as Children’s Advocate, presented by the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital Foundation.

Michele Schofield, SVP, content distribution at One Animation, said: “During the pandemic, children have experienced an emotionally challenging and turbulent time, during which they’ve shown remarkable resilience and courage. At One Animation, we wanted to show up for kids and deliver tools that would alleviate stress, promote mindfulness, and encourage them to get active physically and with their imaginations, and so we put our efforts into creating Oddbods: Busy Bodies – a series to offer kids a chance to release energy and have a few moments to process their feelings.

“As an existing partner of Kidoodle.TV, we’ve seen the platform’s positive uptake and tremendous growth, especially this past year, and we knew this trusted and kid-focused platform would be the ideal place to premiere this hopeful new series.”

Brenda Bisner, CCO for Kidoodle.TV at A Parent Media Co. Inc, added: “The pandemic has challenged our children in multiple ways and the new Oddbods: Busy Bodies show is a great example of not only addressing individuality, but also celebrating it.

“How we get through this looks different for everybody but we can do it together. The mindful techniques this series delivers are a powerful way to integrate a more meaningful and timely form of kindness and understanding into the lives of kids and families. We couldn’t be happier than to be the first to show this original series to millions of kids and families globally.”

Oddbods is a globally loved, three-time Emmy Award-nominated, non-dialogue comedy featuring seven adorable, highly unique pals. Together, despite their differences, they survive the perils of everyday life, unintentionally turning ordinary situations into unexpected, extraordinary, and always humorous events.

LEGO launches wellness soundscape using the satisfying sounds of 10,000 bricks

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The LEGO Group is treading (softly) new ground for toys in the mindfulness space with the launch of a new LEGO White Noise playlist, designed to help listeners find a moment of relaxation – by listening the noises made by LEGO bricks.

But there’s no soundtracks of fully-grown adults yelping as they step on LEGO bricks left across the floor, but moreover, a curated list of tracks that have each been created using nothing but LEGO and the sounds that they make.

Designers of the LEGO White Noise playlist experimented with over 10,000 bricks in their quest for the perfect soothing sounds. The result is a soundscape that includes tracks such as It All Clicks, capturing the sound of two LEGO elements joining together, and The Waterfall, created by pouring thousands of LEGO bricks on top of one another.

Like other white noise tracks, the playlist is designed to help listeners find a moment of zen in their day, making it an audio accompaniment for falling asleep, unwinding, or relaxing through LEGO building.

The playlist can be accessed for free from over 15 different music streaming platforms including Spotify, iTunes and Google Music.

The LEGO White Noise playlist has been released to accompany the immersive LEGO Botanical Collection building experience, following research that found that almost three quarters (73 per cent) of adults are on the hunt for new ways to destress.

The new LEGO Botanical Collection includes the LEGO Flower Bouquet and the LEGO Bonsai Tree that are designed to offer adults an immersive building experiences to help them express their creativity and destress as they build a beautiful model that can be proudly displayed when completed.

Both sets are available now from LEGO.com, LEGO Stores and other retailers globally.

Motorhead and Judas Priest slow it down for Rock N’ Roll Colouring books

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Taking a break from the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, Motorhead and Judas Priest are slowing things down a little, as the iconic rock bands move into the serenity of the adult colouring book trend.

In a new deal brokered by Global Merchandising Services, the two groups have partnered with Rock N’ Roll Colouring to launch the first, officially endorsed colouring books, featuring iconic artwork from classic albums.

‘Each book allows you to raise the horns in celebration of two of Heavy Metal’s most legendary and important bands, letting your imagination run riot as you create your own personalised versions of your favourite designs,’ read a statement from the firm.

Each book in the series contains renderings of each image, with detailed outlines for fans to unleash their artistic skills using pens, pencils, or paint.

Rock N’ Roll fans was devised and created by two life long rock and heavy metal devotees and colouring book fans.

‘Every effort has gone into making sure these books do justice to the legacy of both Motorhead and Judas Priest, and gives fans another reason to enjoy some of the most beautiful and creative artwork from these bands,’ said the company.

‘Not only that, colouring has proven significant mental health benefits including mindfulness, relaxation, and increased focus, and can be enjoyed by any age group. These two books provide hours of creative and restful activity that combines a love of the music with a love of the art,’ it added.

Both books will be published on November 2 this year and will be available for worldwide shipping.

Motorhead and Judas Priest slow it down for Rock N’ Roll Colouring books

Posted on by

Taking a break from the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, Motorhead and Judas Priest are slowing things down a little, as the iconic rock bands move into the serenity of the adult colouring book trend.

In a new deal brokered by Global Merchandising Services, the two groups have partnered with Rock N’ Roll Colouring to launch the first, officially endorsed colouring books, featuring iconic artwork from classic albums.

‘Each book allows you to raise the horns in celebration of two of Heavy Metal’s most legendary and important bands, letting your imagination run riot as you create your own personalised versions of your favourite designs,’ read a statement from the firm.

Each book in the series contains renderings of each image, with detailed outlines for fans to unleash their artistic skills using pens, pencils, or paint.

Rock N’ Roll fans was devised and created by two life long rock and heavy metal devotees and colouring book fans.

‘Every effort has gone into making sure these books do justice to the legacy of both Motorhead and Judas Priest, and gives fans another reason to enjoy some of the most beautiful and creative artwork from these bands,’ said the company.

‘Not only that, colouring has proven significant mental health benefits including mindfulness, relaxation, and increased focus, and can be enjoyed by any age group. These two books provide hours of creative and restful activity that combines a love of the music with a love of the art,’ it added.

Both books will be published on November 2 this year and will be available for worldwide shipping.

Children’s mindfulness brand Max Mindpower positions for growth across licensing

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Max Mindpower, a children’s brand that comprises a range of plush toys, a book series, and a new app all with the focus on promoting and encouraging mindfulness among kids, is pushing ahead with licensing efforts thanks to investment from CHF Media and licensing guidance from industry expert Valerie Fry.

Today, the conversation around mindfulness in the children’s space is in full flow, and in recent months and over a development period of years, Max Mindpower has found itself at the centre of much of it. Developed by Nikki Collins, the Max Mindpower brand already spans a successful book series, mindfulness app and soothing plush bar that encourages mindfulness in children through play and breathing exercises.

Nikki Collins, founder, Max Mindpower

“The topic of mindfulness in children is incredibly important, not only because it’s something that the consumers are actively looking for and want, but because it’s a real issue in society today and not something that is going to go away today or tomorrow,” Collins told Licensing.biz.

“It’s certainly something that is being taken more seriously than it was maybe two years ago, but like anything it takes familiarity before people can take it on board. The more we talk about what is affecting children and what they need, the more the industry will listen and respond.”

Having met with investment from CHF Media and having recently appointed the licensing specialist, Valerie Fry as its commercial director, Max Mindpower is ‘on the cusp of some big things in the licensing space.’

“Max has certainly made an impact on the toy industry and brought mindfulness to the forefront after winning an award at its launch at London Toy Fair,” continued Collins. “I notice a lot of the trends in toys since have been more towards wellbeing, which is so heartening as it shows that this is something which is becoming increasingly important throughout the industry; not just a nice idea.”

Collins’ move into mindfulness toys for children was, in fact, inspired by a number of culminating factors, not least the recorded rise in mental health issues in children today and the fast-vanishing downtime that children have at their disposal in modern day living. But not only this, Max Mindpower was inspired by Collins’ own life experiences, following a hit and run incident that left her with disabilities and mental health issues at the age of 19.

“I was given a very poor prognosis in terms of recovery and was actually recommended mindfulness as a way to come to terms with how my life would be, but I actually got better. It gave me a completely different outlook on life and made me fascinated with psychology, which I went on to study,” she explained.

It was while studying that Collins was struck with the idea of developing an all round children’s toy that ‘conveyed mindfulness through a mainstream children’s toy.’

From then on, Max Mindpower, a toy which “encompassed emotions and coping skills and tricks that children could learn from a young age and use in every day life,” was put into development.

The move has payed off for Collins who has since reported an ‘overwhelmingly positive’ reaction from consumers and retailers to her Max Mindpower concept, and the brand developments around it.

“In terms of retailers, we have some that champion and support us so much, but the consumer reaction is the best. We often get emails, letters, and videos from people letting us know the difference it has made to their children. We are so grateful that people take the time to write to us, and they probably have no idea how much getting these responses means to us,” she concluded.