Purrble® Toy Named in TIME’s List of the 100 Best Inventions of 2021 Published: Committee for Children and Sproutel’s Emotion-Regulation Toy for Kids Honored for Innovation SEATTLE—November 11, 2021—TIME revealed its list of the 100 Best Inventions of 2021 that are making the world better, smarter, and even a bit more fun. Alongside five other toys and games, TIME featured Committee for Children and Sproutel’s interactive emotion-management toy for kids, the Purrble companion. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the stress of daily life for families,” said Mia Doces, VP of Innovation at Committee for Children. “The Purrble toy began when our research partner Petr Slovak and I came together to brainstorm a research question: How can we create an at-home experience families can use to help kids feel calm when they’re feeling overwhelmed by their emotions?” To answer this question, Committee for Children, a nonprofit leader in social-emotional learning and creator of the Second Step® family of programs and The Imagine Neighborhood™ podcast, joined together with Sproutel, a play-focused research and development studio, to invent the Purrble toy. Powered by research-based technology, the Purrble companion is both a high-tech device and a soft, furry toy perfectly sized for on-the-go soothing. Equipped with sensors, it’s responsive to touch and fidgeting. As kids soothe the Purrble toy, its vibrational heartbeat slows and the toy responds with purrs that signal calm. Through calming the Purrble companion, children become more aware of their own feelings which can help them learn how to feel calm themselves. To assemble its 2021 list, TIME solicited nominations from its editors and correspondents around the world, as well as through an online application process. The magazine then evaluated each contender on key factors, including originality, creativity, efficacy, ambition, and impact. The result is a list that includes an innovative, eco-friendly dye for jeans, a truly novel pasta shape, groundbreaking vaccines for COVID-19 and malaria—and much more. “We’re elated to have the Purrble toy honored on TIME’s list of the 100 Best Inventions of 2021,” said Doces. “I’m excited to see how this honor will fuel interest in an innovation that creates a nexus of calm for the whole family.” The Purrble companion is available for purchase on Purrble.com and Amazon.com. ### About Committee for Children Committee for Children is a global nonprofit that has championed the safety and well-being of children through social-emotional learning (SEL), child protection, and bullying prevention for more than 40 years. With a history of action and influence, we’re known as a leader in social-emotional education and a force in advocacy, research, and innovation in the field. We take a comprehensive approach to SEL, promoting social-emotional well-being from birth to early adulthood—supporting not just classrooms, but entire communities. As our programs transform the lives of more than 20.5 million children per year, we rise to meet societal challenges to ensure children everywhere can thrive. Visit cfchildren.org to learn more. About Sproutel Founded in 2012, Sproutel is on a mission to improve the lives of children through play with purpose. The company’s expertise is working hand-in-hand with children and experts in the fields of medicine and child development to translate best practices into evidence-based toys that kids love. Sproutel’s other products, such as Jerry the Bear® and My Special Aflac Duck®, enable children facing illnesses to use imaginative medical play to care for interactive companions, mirroring their own procedures with toys as a way of emotionally coping. Visit sproutel.com to learn more. Media Contact Shauna McBride Vice President of Public Relations and Communications, Committee for Children smcbride@cfchildren.org 206-438-6432
Purrble® Toy Named in TIME’s List of the 100 Best Inventions of 2021 Published: Committee for Children and Sproutel’s Emotion-Regulation Toy for Kids Honored for Innovation SEATTLE—November 11, 2021—TIME revealed its list of the 100 Best Inventions of 2021 that are making the world better, smarter, and even a bit more fun. Alongside five other toys and games, TIME featured Committee for Children and Sproutel’s interactive emotion-management toy for kids, the Purrble companion. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the stress of daily life for families,” said Mia Doces, VP of Innovation at Committee for Children. “The Purrble toy began when our research partner Petr Slovak and I came together to brainstorm a research question: How can we create an at-home experience families can use to help kids feel calm when they’re feeling overwhelmed by their emotions?” To answer this question, Committee for Children, a nonprofit leader in social-emotional learning and creator of the Second Step® family of programs and The Imagine Neighborhood™ podcast, joined together with Sproutel, a play-focused research and development studio, to invent the Purrble toy. Powered by research-based technology, the Purrble companion is both a high-tech device and a soft, furry toy perfectly sized for on-the-go soothing. Equipped with sensors, it’s responsive to touch and fidgeting. As kids soothe the Purrble toy, its vibrational heartbeat slows and the toy responds with purrs that signal calm. Through calming the Purrble companion, children become more aware of their own feelings which can help them learn how to feel calm themselves. To assemble its 2021 list, TIME solicited nominations from its editors and correspondents around the world, as well as through an online application process. The magazine then evaluated each contender on key factors, including originality, creativity, efficacy, ambition, and impact. The result is a list that includes an innovative, eco-friendly dye for jeans, a truly novel pasta shape, groundbreaking vaccines for COVID-19 and malaria—and much more. “We’re elated to have the Purrble toy honored on TIME’s list of the 100 Best Inventions of 2021,” said Doces. “I’m excited to see how this honor will fuel interest in an innovation that creates a nexus of calm for the whole family.” The Purrble companion is available for purchase on Purrble.com and Amazon.com. ### About Committee for Children Committee for Children is a global nonprofit that has championed the safety and well-being of children through social-emotional learning (SEL), child protection, and bullying prevention for more than 40 years. With a history of action and influence, we’re known as a leader in social-emotional education and a force in advocacy, research, and innovation in the field. We take a comprehensive approach to SEL, promoting social-emotional well-being from birth to early adulthood—supporting not just classrooms, but entire communities. As our programs transform the lives of more than 20.5 million children per year, we rise to meet societal challenges to ensure children everywhere can thrive. Visit cfchildren.org to learn more. About Sproutel Founded in 2012, Sproutel is on a mission to improve the lives of children through play with purpose. The company’s expertise is working hand-in-hand with children and experts in the fields of medicine and child development to translate best practices into evidence-based toys that kids love. Sproutel’s other products, such as Jerry the Bear® and My Special Aflac Duck®, enable children facing illnesses to use imaginative medical play to care for interactive companions, mirroring their own procedures with toys as a way of emotionally coping. Visit sproutel.com to learn more. Media Contact Shauna McBride Vice President of Public Relations and Communications, Committee for Children smcbride@cfchildren.org 206-438-6432