Mood Bears have been enjoying huge success since their launch and will feature at the NEC Birmingham trade fair this weekend.
Following a very successful Autumn Fair and her first foray into London’s Toy Fair show last week, Jo Proud is hoping for more success when she takes her Mood Bears to the NEC Birmingham this weekend for the annual Spring Fair.
Mood Bears are a fun way to not only support children and adults as they negotiate all manner of emotions, but have become a tool that can be used to teach and educate children about their feelings too.
There are eight bears in total based on the following emotions: Hope, Angry, Happy, Love, Sad, Calm, Nervous and Silly, with the bears available in two sizes. Each of the Mood Bears comes with its own personal poem to help understand and talk about emotions, feelings and thoughts and each bear has been designed to represent one of the key emotions or moods and has the international symbol for that mood embroidered on its feet.
The bears, which are made from 100% recycled materials and suitable for all ages, are all brightly coloured and are made of a soft material, making them perfect for children to recognise, associate with and cuddle to help them express themselves.
“We have only been supplying to trade since September and it’s been crazy busy with lots of orders, particularly over Christmas,” said owner Jo Proud. “The bears are being stocked at a variety of retailers including department stores, garden centres and independent retailers.”
“Right from when I first started the business a couple of years ago, we have always had amazing feedback. We have had so many lovely messages about how the bears have helped children and adults, especially through the pandemic. But they don’t have to be for something – they can just be for people who like a teddy bear or particular colour.”
Along with the bears, there is also a book titled Molly’s Tree, which focuses on Sad Bear, with the aim of helping to deal with loss or bereavement. Written by Iain Lauchlan, who created the popular pre-school series Tweenies, Jo is currently in the process of developing more books with the author, as well as a new bear.
Having become a member of Toymaster last autumn, Jo will be at the Toymaster 2022 May Show in Harrogate, which runs from Tuesday 17th May to Thursday 19th May at the Double Tree by Hilton Majestic Hotel in Harrogate. She also became a member of the British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) in January.
You can visit Jo and the Mood Bears on stand 5M49 at Spring Fair, which runs from Sunday 6th to Wednesday 9th February.
For more information contact 07772939821, email info@moodbears.co.uk or visit www.moodbears.co.uk
