The Genius of Play’s “Emotional Wellness Playbook” Generates Buzz around Mental Health Awareness Month
May 12, 2023 | The Genius of Play’s Emotional Wellness Playbook, offering a curated collection of play-based activities that teach kids how to express their feelings in healthy ways, has garnered more than half a billion media impressions since its launch on May 1.
On May 5, The Toy Association’s Jennifer Lynch joined Sonoran Living on ABC15 Arizona to promote the new resource in time for Mental Health Awareness Month, which occurs annually in May. Outlining how The Genius of Play is encouraging play to help develop kids’ emotional well-being, Lynch discussed some of the research behind the Emotional Wellness Playbook and shared examples of how the guide engages all of the five key components of emotional intelligence (emotional self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills) with fun and screen-free activities for the whole family.
“Whether you have a three-year-old or a 13-year-old, children are dealing with stress and anxiety at all ages and stages of their lives, and play continues to be one of the best ways to nurture critical life skills such as coping, building resilience, and practicing empathy,” Lynch said.
Talia Filippelli, recognized mental health expert, founder of Starr Therapy, and certified holistic health coach, who worked in partnership with The Genius of Play on the playbook, also joined podcasts including Play, Learn & Create with Edx Education and Power Kid podcast to discuss mental health and the research behind the playbook.
Additional promotional highlights include:
- Features in print and digital outlets such as Vocal Media, LA Parent, and Psychology Today as well as trade publications including Toy World Magazine, The Toy Book, and aNb Media.
- Partnerships with Instagram influencers in the parenting/family vertical (thatdadblog, livingrosa, Kristin Sellentin, and others) to create fun content showing some of their favorite activities from the playbook. Together, these activations have resulted in over 1 million social impressions to date.
- An Emotional Wellness Playbook matte feature distributed nationally and picked-up by 2,777 outlets, generating more than 173.4 million impressions. Pickups include Townhall.com, International Business Times, Minneapolis StarTribune, and many more.
“Playing and having fun is absolutely critical for emotional and psychological wellness,” Filippelli said. “One of the best things we can do for our wellbeing is to make play and fun a non-negotiable fixture in our daily routine.”
The Genius of Play’s “Emotional Wellness Playbook” is available now online in a digital book format. For more information about The Genius of Play, visit thegeniusofplay.org and follow @GeniusofPlay on Facebook and Instagram.