My Mood Stars is a range of plush stars designed to help children aged nine months to five years express how they feel in a simple and playful manner.

Designed by Wendy White, a retired OFSTED registered childminder of some 20 years, My Mood Stars was developed following the 2012 introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), a Department of Education framework which sets the standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five years old.

Drawn in particular to the personal, social and emotional development area of learning, Wendy has created a range of felt stars, each with a different facial expression, as a resource for other childminders. Unfortunately, arthritis stopped Wendy from sewing the stars herself, but a chance encounter with an OFSTED inspector and My Mood Stars fan prompted her to put the stars into production for retail and distribution.

Non-verbal children, whether young or on the autism spectrum, can find it hard to convey how they feel. With My Mood Stars, kids can play games and engage in role-play activities, while the tactile feel and portable size mean that the stars can be taken to school, to bed, or on outings. Playing with My Mood Stars also helps children develop empathy as they learn to understand and control their emotions.

Created of velboa fabric, each star’s back is made of tricot, allowing them to stick to the complementary Hook board. Eight emotions are included– happy, sad, shy, scared, surprised, angry, silly, and sleepy – with the latter two having been of particular use to Wendy during her time as a childminder. My Mood Stars come presented in a clean and simple box, though the company is considering how to develop the packaging further for a retail setting.

A complementary My Mood Stars website offers additional resources to download or buy, including the book My Mood Stars: How do you feel today?, available to purchase now. Parents and carers can also download the My Mood Stars Games to Play leaflet.

My Mood Stars will be shown at the Coventry Childcare Expo in September, where Wendy will be happy to speak with parents and retailers regarding the range.

For more information, please contact Wendy Woo on 07711 100 533 or www.wendywoo.uk.