Overcoming Obstacles with MESH Helps &nbsp MESH Helps started with a question, “How can we strengthen the skills kids need for their mental, emotional, and social health and build resilience through play?”. ThinkFun inaugurated this initiative in partnership with resilience expert, Dr. Deborah Gilboa who prepared research and built the MESH White Paper. &nbsp MESH Helps is proud to be a nonprofit organization as of December 2023 with a mission to help kids build resilience through play. &nbsp This weekly column will share insights on MESH Accreditation and provide details on the MESH play patterns to select and submit products for evaluation during the pre-order sale through May 17, 2024. This week’s column share’s insights on one of four play patterns: overcoming obstacles. &nbsp When kids face obstacles, whether by solving a problem or adapting to an unexpected circumstance, they develop coping skills that allow them to tackle future hurdles. These coping skills can make children more confident, competent, capable, and influence them to try new things. &nbsp Overcoming obstacles as defined by MESH encourages the skills needed to identify and solve problems which is a critical skill of mental, emotional, and social health. &nbsp We recommend using the 4 play patterns as a guide to select and submit products for MESH Accreditation. Through the research and expertise from Dr. Gilboa and the accreditation framework built by Dr. Amanda Gummer, founder of FUNdamentally Children, we found that a majority of toy and game products within these play patterns encourage multiple skills of resilience. To pass MESH Accreditation, products must intentionally develop at least two MESH skills of resilience by design, feature, and/or instruction to pass evaluation. The following play patterns are a good reference for selecting products for MESH Accreditation: &nbsp Overcoming Obstacles - Encourages the skills needed to identify and solve problems Example MESH Skills: problem solving, cognition, adaptation, perseverance &nbsp Storytelling - Encourages the skills needed to express experiences Example MESH Skills: communication, self-advocacy, adaptation, cognition &nbsp Increasing Challenges - Encourages the skills needed to adapt and comprehend Example MESH Skills: perseverance, adaptation, self-regulation, cognition &nbsp Bridging Play - Encourages children and adults to play together and connect Example MESH Skills: communication, conflict resolution, self-advocacy &nbsp FUNdamentally Children is the expert third-party accrediting body for MESH Helps which is led by Dr. Amanda Gummer with over 20 years' experience in child behavior development and a PhD in Neuropsychology. The organization provides an independent, evidence-based approach to testing and accreditation. Each product submitted for MESH Accreditation will be reviewed by FUNdamentally Children staff that have credentials in child development and/or education. &nbsp Pre-orders for MESH Accreditation end on May 17th and are prioritized for review. Products can be delivered to FUNdamentally Children in the US or the UK by May 31st. MESH Accreditation reviews for pre-orders will be completed by September for holiday marketing. Check out the MESH FAQs Sheet for more information.&nbsp &nbsp For more information on the MESH Accreditation Program, please visit www.MESHhelps.org/accreditation or email info@MESHhelps.org. &nbsp

NOMINATIONS FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR THE 2024 TOY & GAME INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS ARE OPEN! &nbsp People of Play (POP) is Accepting Lifetime Achievement TAGIE Award Nominations NOW Through June 1st SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATIONS HERE &nbsp Chicago, IL – April 15, 2024 - Now entering its 17th year, the TAGIE Awards, presented by People of Play (POP), will once again honor the best and brightest innovators, designers, retailers, suppliers, PR and marketers in the toy and game industry. Each year, the TAGIEs bring together the many communities that make up the larger industry of play, including professionals and fans from all over the world. The TAGIEs are part of POP Week. This important recognition, honoring contribution, innovation, and spirit of community is the very heart of POP. &nbsp John Barbour, a respected captain of the toy industry and Chair of the TAGIE Lifetime Achievement Committee, encourages you to nominate Lifetime Achievement individuals that have: ​ Long experience and record of accomplishment in the play industry. Innovative product or marketing introductions. Charitable efforts benefiting children and/or children’s causes. An unimpeachable record of integrity and respect in the industry. &nbsp Past Lifetime Achievement Honorees include: &nbsp &nbsp2008 -&nbspJeffrey Breslow 2009 -&nbspReuben Klamer 2010 -&nbspEddy Goldfarb 2011 - Burt Meyer 2012 -&nbspTheo and Ora Coster 2013 - Howard Morrison 2014 -&nbspMichael Kohner and The Kohner Family 2015 - Richard Maddocks 2016 -&nbspReyn Guyer 2017 -&nbspAdi Golad 2017 -&nbspJudy Blau 2018 - Paul Rago and David Small 2019 -&nbspIvan Moscovich 2020 - Erno Rubik 2021 -&nbspTom Kalinske, Michelle Litzky and the Pressman Family 2022 -&nbspLeslie&nbspScott, Kantaro Tomiyama, and&nbspAlan Hassenfeld 2023 - Jill Barad and Rouben Terzian &nbsp Submit your Lifetime Achievement nominations HERE. There is no fee and the form is easy to complete!&nbspFor more information about the TAGIEs, visit the webpage here. Photos from 2023 can be found HERE. &nbsp About People of Play &nbsp People of Play (POP) is the toy industry's most comprehensive networking and resource hub; a social platform and industry portal where toy industry veterans, newbies, inventors, buyers, job seekers, recruiters, consumers, and others come to find each other. Get up-to-the-minute toy industry, event, and product news; participate in live online educational and networking events; browse a vast library of expert resources; and peruse and post to the industry's only dedicated social feed., People of Play hosts a wide range of events including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIE) Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge, the POP Roast, PlayCHIC and the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch & International Innovation Summit. Media contact: info@chitag.com &nbsp About the TAGIEs &nbsp Founded in 2008, the Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (TAGIEs) celebrate the outstanding achievements of toy and game industry leaders from around the world, by honoring masters of innovation. The annual event also pays homage to industry professionals who differentiate themselves with their spirit for fun, philanthropy, inventor advocacy, creativity, and humanitarianism. Inventors, designers, manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, media, public relations, marketing and the general public come together for this prestigious annual gala event. The TAGIEs are hosted in the fall in conjunction with the Toy & Game Innovation Conferences, Chicago Toy & Game Fair, PlayCHIC and Young Inventor Challenge. For more information, visit https://www.chitag.com/2024-tagie-awards.