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Earlybird's Mindful Playtime App

A mobile app to make playtime more fun and meaningful.

$3,725
pledged of$20,000 goal
21
0Days Left

Project Description

Earlybird's Mindful Playtime App

  • Are you tired of wondering what you can set up for your kid so they can play independently while you get a few things done?
  • Need inspiration for fun, age-appropriate play ideas?
  • Exhausted by their roller coaster of emotions and confused about how to help them manage their big feelings?
  • Curious about what skills your kids should have by age X?

We are building an app for all of this!

Earlybird Mindful Playtime App

 

With over 250 low-prep, developmentally appropriate activities for kids, we'll make personalized recommendations based on your child's age and current abilities. The app outlines what developmental milestones your child is at, and pairs these skills with easy, low-prep play ideas. We believe in nurturing the whole child. Everything on the Earlybird app uses the everyday materials that you already have to build your kid's early literacy, motor, numeracy, creative thinking, and social-emotional skills. Whether it's managing their own feelings or learning to communicate and read, these skills can be developed while your kids.. play!

Earlybird Mindful Playtime App

 

Earlybird Mindful Playtime App

 

The Earlybird app also introduces the idea of Mindful Playtime. We (and all the other child development specialists and play therapists) recommend as little as 10 mindful minutes of structured play a day – the kind of play where you, the grown-up, set up a simple, fast activity, put your phone away to deeply engage and build a meaningful connection with your child.  The rest of your child's day will be filled with independent play as they use the skills they learned playing with you in their own unique and creative ways. Whether you complete an activity in the app or spend other dedicated time with your kid, we'll keep track of these mindful playtime moments for you.  You can have confidence in knowing that in just 10 min per day you invested deeply in them and their future. 

Earlybird Mindful Playtime App

 

Our kids’ futures are going to look very different from ours. In this day and age, it matters more *how* someone thinks, rather than if they can memorize random facts. We want to build our kids' communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills and equip them to be confident, kind, empathic kids. Let's make sure all children get the strong start they deserve by making it easy for parents to have fun, play, and spend meaningful time with their kids.  
 

Why Support Our Campaign?

This won't come as a surprise, but building an app is expensive. Earlybird has been entirely self-funded and we hope to keep it that way with your help. This is your opportunity to support two moms in tech in building a tool that will help families around the world raise calm, kind, bright kiddos.

Please consider supporting our campaign – we keep what we raise! Thank you!

 

About Us

Renee Jordan and Sarah Hunter are the founders of Earlybird

 

Renée Jordan

Renée is Anderson and Frances’ mum. But she is also a teacher and curriculum designer with degrees in education, educational psychology and instructional design from the University of Victoria and Columbia University. She has worked with children and families in Canada and the United States to conduct learning assessments, devise learning plans and create resources to target key skills. 

Sarah Hunter

Sarah is Darcy and Kai’s mum. She is also a designer and entrepreneur with a business degree from the University of Victoria. When she's not working on the business and designs for the app, she's testing out the activities and play ideas on her two boys.

Updates

The Campaign FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Will the Earlybird app track developmental milestones?
    • Yes. The app not only gives you all the developmental milestones for your child's given age, but it pairs them with effortless, fun play ideas for the specific stage your child is at right now.
       
  • How will the app be different from your existing Activity Library?
    • In order for us to offer a more convenient, personalized experience, our app will allow you to add your kids and their ages so your recommended activities will be ones that your youngest child will be able to engage with. 
    • Tracking your kid's milestones in our app will also allow us to make activity recommendations based on the skills your child needs to build or strengthen.
    • Overall, our app is designed to be the one app you can use to better understand what's expected of your child at every stage of their development (0-8) and give you endless play ideas to keep kids busy and learning.
       
  • Is 10 mindful minutes of play really enough?
    • Yes! These 10 mindful minutes are of structured play – the type of play where you set up a little activity or put out some interesting materials and play with your child. This type of structured, mindful play gives them the opportunity to explore new concepts and try out some new skills with your support.

      Often parents think they need to spend 24/7 playing with their kids when really a few minutes a day of that high-involvement play is more than enough.  The rest of the child's day will be spent using the new ideas and skills they have learned from you to play independently and confidently on their own, while you sit back, relax and marvel at all the cool ideas they are coming up with.
       
  • Can kids really learn all their early skills by... playing? What about worksheets and drills?
    • You can toss out the workbooks and skip the math drills (unless your kid loves them.. then by all means). Decades of research show that kids can learn (and actually learn best) by playing. Play is a child's lab. It's where kids explore new ideas and grow their skills. 
       
  • Will I need fancy toys and materials to do the Earlybird activities?
    • No. Everything on the Earlybird app uses common, everyday materials that you can find in your kitchen or in your recycling. Early learning doesn't need to be expensive or time-consuming. 
       
  • What if I don't have a printer? Can I still use the app?
    • The Earlybird app will have a bunch of printable PDFs and play ideas that are print and go. But there will also be many simple, no-print activities. So whether you have a printer or not, you will find lots of great play ideas for you and your kids on the app. 
       
  • If I take a picture of our play, can I store it in the app?
    • Yes! We are building a digital scrapbook so you can document all the fun, meaningful moments you do with your kid. This will be a wonderful way to document and watch your little one grow over time.

      Bonus: you can also recycle all their art projects (if you want) because you will have them stored in a safe, digital space. 
Rasool Rayani
06/24/2022
Facetime with Renee Jordan
$300
Pat Swan
06/23/2022
Monetary Contribution
$1,000
Jennifer Hopkyns
06/23/2022
Monetary Contribution
$200
Sass & Smalls
06/22/2022
Virtual Recognition
$50
Peter Meyer
06/19/2022
Monetary Contribution
$500
Robyn Rayner
06/19/2022
Shop Bundle
$85
Gordon Hunter
06/18/2022
Monetary Contribution
$50
Christina Granholm
06/18/2022
Monetary Contribution
$100
Alissa Roberts
06/17/2022
Monetary Contribution
$100
Mahkeela McAllister
06/17/2022
Earlybird Special (1 Year Subscription)
$50
Monetary Contribution

Give what you can just because you support our concept. 

10 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
Virtual Recognition

Let us say thanks by including you or your company in the listing of seed supporters for the app on a permanent page on the Earlybird website.

2 Supporters
Select this reward
40.00 USD
Learning Bundles (Printables)

Receive all 3 of our popular learning bundles:

  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Learn Numbers
  • Learn Letters

You will be emailed PDFs of each bundle.

0 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Earlybird Special (1 Year Subscription)

Get a 1-Year Subscription to our app at a special, discounted rate

3 Supporters
Select this reward
85.00 USD
Shop Bundle

Printed Shop Bundle includes:

  • All 5 sets of our flash cards (colors, uppercase, lowercase, emotions, numbers)
  • Anchor Charts (pack of 5)
  • One of our Dramatic Play Kits (will be a surprise)
46 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
200.00 USD
All Access Pass

All Access Pass includes:

  • 6-month membership to the Earlybird Activity Library (value $48)
  • Full year subscription to the new app when we launch (value $72) 
  • Our new course, Bright Futures ($249)

Total value of this bundle is $369

1 Supporter
Select this reward
300.00 USD
Facetime with Renee Jordan

30-minute Facetime with Renee Jordan. Collaboratively solve challenges you're having, and receive personalized recommendations. Or talk about setting up your play space to promote independent play and receive personalized toy and storage recommendations. 

4 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

Victoria, BC
Created 1 Campaign
Family
Tech

Rewards

Monetary Contribution

Give what you can just because you support our concept. 

10 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
Virtual Recognition

Let us say thanks by including you or your company in the listing of seed supporters for the app on a permanent page on the Earlybird website.

2 Supporters
Select this reward
40.00 USD
Learning Bundles (Printables)

Receive all 3 of our popular learning bundles:

  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Learn Numbers
  • Learn Letters

You will be emailed PDFs of each bundle.

0 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Earlybird Special (1 Year Subscription)

Get a 1-Year Subscription to our app at a special, discounted rate

3 Supporters
Select this reward
85.00 USD
Shop Bundle

Printed Shop Bundle includes:

  • All 5 sets of our flash cards (colors, uppercase, lowercase, emotions, numbers)
  • Anchor Charts (pack of 5)
  • One of our Dramatic Play Kits (will be a surprise)
46 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
200.00 USD
All Access Pass

All Access Pass includes:

  • 6-month membership to the Earlybird Activity Library (value $48)
  • Full year subscription to the new app when we launch (value $72) 
  • Our new course, Bright Futures ($249)

Total value of this bundle is $369

1 Supporter
Select this reward
300.00 USD
Facetime with Renee Jordan

30-minute Facetime with Renee Jordan. Collaboratively solve challenges you're having, and receive personalized recommendations. Or talk about setting up your play space to promote independent play and receive personalized toy and storage recommendations. 

4 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward