What is a Kimochi®? I am glad you asked!
Kimochi® means feelings in Japanese and these super cute plush toys are a way to help children deal with their feelings and the feelings of others in a safe and child friendly way.
Each character has a distinct personality and has feelings associated with it, these are the Kimochis® My cute little toy is Huggtopus® and she can get a little carried away sometimes with her big, friendly personality. The Kimochi's® that accompany Huggtopus® are Happy, Silly and Frustrated, they also come with a little handbook that gives parents tips on when to use the Kimochi® for the situation. These cute little guys tuck themselves inside Huggtopus® so that it shows where out feelings are.
There is a real focus on using these with children who are on the Autism Spectrum Disorder, and I can see why. It gives the kiddos a tangible item to connect feelings with as well as a story to hook them in, the tips in the booklet allow for parents to Connect, Communicate, Create and Practice.
To be honest I could see these being a big hit in an Early Childhood classroom but not with some of my older children that I support. It would be a great way to open a discussion of feelings in the classroom with the littles and the appropriate times and places to display those feelings. I would have loved to have a little story book to go with the Huggtopus® to initiate a conversation in a classroom as an example of a time when Huggtopus® got everexcited and became frustrated in a situation. If you visit their website you can purchase story books separately but I would have liked to have one included with the toy. You can also buy the Kimochi's as a mixed bag of feelings and a Teacher Edition Guide from the website.
Overall I think it is a great way to engage children in exploring feelings and personalities of both themselves and others
This post was an honest review of the product and is the personal opinion of the author. A sample was provided to the author by the named company.