A New Movement Seeks to Foster Resilience Through Play
By Rachele Harmuth, Head of ThinkFun, Ravensburger North America
MESH stands for Mental, Emotional, Social Health. MESH is a new initiative founded by ThinkFun and launched at MESHhelps.org in 2022.Experts and parents agree that kids are struggling due to the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but evidence suggests that the issues run deeper, pre-dating the pandemic and poised to continue long past it.
To better understand what is happening for kids and families, ThinkFun collaborated with resilience expert Deborah Gilboa, M.D. Together, we published our research in a white paper and launched MESHhelps.org, inviting members of the greater toy and game industries to participate in enacting change on a larger scale.
We found that most of us assume products like fidget toys and stuffed animals are toys that help kids with their mental health. While these provide comfort in times of mental distress, they don’t build the skills that make children stronger and more resilient. We learned that we could make a real difference by building specific MESH skills that make kids more resilient for the next time they face changes and challenges in their lives.
With the eight MESH skills culled from the research, ThinkFun looked for play patterns that intentionally built these MESH skills. The team identified four main play patterns that collectively build these skills. They are overcoming obstacles, storytelling, increasing challenge, and bridging play.
We realized this idea was far bigger than just one company and would be far more impactful if we launched this concept with the entire toy industry.
In 2023, ThinkFun focused on a goal to spread the word and build a multi-stakeholder task force to bring this project to the industry.
In 2024, MESHhelps.org will become a nonprofit organization with the mission of building kids’ resilience through play. Additionally, MESHhelps.org will launch a product certification program to help retailers and consumers identify products that build MESH skills.
As we saw the growing mental health issues in our youth population, we learned that we – the toy industry – have an opportunity to make a real impact on kids’ lives and be part of the solution. We’re inviting everyone to join us in the MESH effort.
Visit www.MESHhelps.org to learn more!
Rachele Harmuth, head of ThinkFun, division of Ravensburger
Rachele Harmuth kicked off her toy career at 18 by forming a company to attend the New York Toy Fair. With an industrial design degree from Carnegie Mellon University, she’s spent 30 years in design, marketing, brand management, and sales. Her expertise spans brands like K’NEX, Klutz, Scholastic, and Fat Brain Toys. Known for her enthusiasm and passion, she creates impactful products for kids and enjoys setting up treasure hunts, organizing cardboard boat races, and injecting fun into life with her family.
This article, recently published in The Toy Book in December 2023, was provided to Global Toy News to help increase awareness for this important movement.
