At Story Time Learning, we firmly believe the toy & game industry needs to be a part of the solution to the youth mental health crisis. We are committed to helping kids build resilience through play by strengthening the critical skills of mental, emotional, and social health.
When MESHhelps.org - an independent nonprofit created in 2023 to bring kids' MESH (Mental, Emotional, and Social Health) to the forefront of the toy industry - launched a groundbreaking MESH Accreditation program, we knew we wanted to support this initiative. This resonated with our commitment to address the growing concern of kids' mental health in an increasingly challenging world, so we decided to submit Story Time Chess and Story Time Backgammon to their rigorous evaluation.
In September 2024, Story Time Chess and Story Time Backgammon became part of the first-ever group of toys and games to receive the prestigious MESH (Mental, Emotional, Social Health) Accreditation. This esteemed recognition is the result of thorough product evaluation and certification conducted by FUNdamentally Children, the independent, third-party accrediting body for MESH Helps. The MESH Accreditation Seal serves as a trusted source for parents, caregivers, therapists and educators seeking toys and games that foster youth mental, emotional, and social health.
Through extensive research into youth mental, emotional, and social health, MESH Helps has identified four key play patterns that encourage the development of multiple resilience-building skills:
Both Story Time Backgammon and Story Time Chess were found to include all four play patterns, and scored very strongly for intentionally building key MESH skills: problem-solving, perseverance, adaptation, cognition and communication. The accreditation reports highlight that these games “provided the children with ample opportunities to develop their perseverance, problem-solving and cognitive skills as they had fun and learned a new skill. Including the story element also helps to create lasting memories and provided the children quality time with family and friends.”
We at Story Time Learning affirm our dedication to the principles of MESH Helps and the MESH Accreditation Program. We believe that through intentional, innovative play, we can help build a generation of resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy individuals.
