Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Sweden – A Children’s Paradise
Left: The animals in Peppy Pals are gender neutral and have different personalities just like humans, which makes them easier for kids to relate to. Top right: Rosie Linder (left), founder of Peppy Pals, and co-founder and CMO Paulina Olsson.
Peppy Pals teaches kids about social and emotional intelligence Social and Emotional skills (EQ) such as empathy, collaboration and problem-solving are increasingly important. The World Economic Forum stated that EQ will be among one of the top ten most-required skills in 2020. Peppy Pals is a series of researchbased apps and e-books designed to teach kids aged two to eight about emotions, empathy and friendship through storytelling and humour. By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Peppy Pals
Rosie Linder founded Peppy Pals in 2013 as she was missing a similar product for her two daughters. “I wanted to teach them about EQ, but I couldn’t find a playful way – so I created my own,” says Linder. “My kids loved games, so I thought why not use the power of games for something more meaningful than shooting each other or putting make-up on Barbie dolls?” Linder partnered with award-winning game developers with the aim of creating innovative games that could make a change. “There is a lot of emphasis on academic skills like math, reading and language. What many fail to realise is 64 | Issue 99 | April 2017
that these skills need to go hand in hand with EQ, a cornerstone for future success and wellbeing,” says Linder.
Universal skills Peppy Pals uses no text or language in the apps, making them available worldwide. Instead, the kids learn about EQ with the help of five gender-neutral animal friends: Sammy (a horse), Gabby (a rabbit), Izzy (an owl), Reggy (a dog) and Kelly (a cat). “We always involve kids in the development and decided early on to use pets because all kids love them. Another important criterion was for the animals to
be gender neutral as it is important for kids to use their own imagination,” says Paulina Olsson, co-founder and CMO. “We do not use score stress or levelling because it would dilute learning and take the focus away from the body language and facial expressions.” Peppy Pals has been downloaded in over 150 countries. “Emotions are universal. Regardless of language, gender, culture or religion, we all experience the same feelings,” says Olsson. In the future, the plan is to expand Peppy Pals to also teach parents and teachers about EQ. “That way, they will be better equipped to educate more empathic future leaders,” says Linder.
For more information, please visit: www.peppypals.com To download the apps, please visit: bit.ly/peppypalsapps