Want to play and learn with a soft, cuddly monkey who can read along with you? Kids sure love Parker and teachers too! As a speech language  pathologist, I am always looking for fun, engaging toys to capture and hold the interest of a child that stimulates conversation and storytelling. Parker is the perfect learning pal. I’m a fan of BlueBee Pals and Parker is the new guy in the family of plush learning tools. Connect the animals to a Bluetooth enabled phone, tablet or laptop from Apple to Android and they become a cuddly learning pal, adding a physical (think sensory plush), visual and auditory dimension to learning. While an exact number is hard to come by, there’s consensus among experts that well more than half of communication is non-verbal. That being the case, language stimulation and impact are enhanced with these creatively animated friends. Kids were fascinated by our pairing Parker with a reading from Winnie the Pooh’s Heffalump, with realistic mouth movements and a soothing story being told. My first grade teacher friend shared that Bluebee Pals are her kids’ first choice during their “Smart Time” each morning. She uses them to pair with educational apps and stories to be read so the students can read along. Bluebee Pals can read a story, converse by phone or lead a sing-along, making learning fun. How we communicate with kids or tell a story really does make a difference… “the media is indeed the message” in the case of Parker and friends!

By Bob Artemenko

Available at Bluebee Pals. Click here