Press Release - 2/25/2025
MESH Helps Teams Up with Amazon & Ravensburger to Empower Kids Through Play
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MESH Helps, Inc., a pioneering nonprofit dedicated to helping kids build resilience through play by strengthening the critical skills of mental, emotional, and social health (MESH), today announced a collaboration with founding partners, Amazon and Ravensburger. MESH Helps was formed to create awareness around the urgent need to support youth mental health and offers an accreditation program that helps brands communicate the benefits of their toys to parents, educators, therapists, and others. MESH Helps, Amazon, and Ravensburger are united by a common goal: to further the mission and champion the well-being of children through purposeful play.
The Toy Book - 2/22/2024
From the Editor: Why Elmo, Larry David, and the Mental Health Discussion are Important in the Toy Department
Products designed with mental health in mind do more than simply comfort kids in times of distress — they foster the development of skills that build resilience in kids and will set them up for the challenges of the future. Emotional well-being is important, and it’s a wonder that it has taken the toy and game industries so long to fully support it in a meaningful way.
Press Release - 9/9/2024
Pioneering Toys & Games Recognized with First-Ever MESH Accreditation
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As families prepare for the holidays, a wave of toys is set to make an impact on how children play, while building skills of resilience and promoting mental health. MESH Helps, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening kids' resilience through play, announced the first-ever group of toys and games to receive the prestigious MESH (Mental, Emotional, Social Health) Accreditation. Submissions span 39 companies and 150 products reviewed including games, puzzles, construction sets, and creative kits. View full list of products with MESH Accreditation.
NPR Here & Now - 10/24/2023
A new toy certification is embracing mental and social health
A new toy certification that embraces mental, emotional and social health is resonating with a growing number of toy makers. It's called MESH, and is being used as a designation for toys that teach kids conflict resolution, problem-solving and adjusting to change, among other skills...
AP - 10/14/2023
Amid a mental health crisis, toy industry takes on a new role: building resilience
While still in its early phase, a growing number of toy marketers are embracing MESH — or mental, emotional and social health — as a designation for toys that teach kids skills like how to adjust to new challenges, resolve conflict, advocate for themselves, or solve problems.
Press Release - 2/23/2025
Resilience Can Be Taught: New Report Charts the Path Beyond Pandemic Recovery
CHICAGO, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MESH Helps today announced the release of its second white paper, Post-Pandemic: From Recovery to Resilience, a call-to-action for families, educators, and toy industry leaders to shift the focus of childhood back to what kids need most: purposeful play.
Toy Tales - 1/17/2025
The Friday Five - Rachele Harmuth
By collaborating with toy companies, educators, and mental health experts, MESH Helps raises awareness about the importance of play as a tool for emotional well-being. Through advocacy, partnerships, and providing resources, MESH Helps highlights the connection between play and mental health, empowering children to build lifelong resilience.
Global Toy News - 8/1/2024
Have You Heard About MESH?
As we saw the growing mental health issues in our youth population, we learned that we – the toy industry – have an opportunity to make a real impact on kids’ lives and be part of the solution. We’re inviting everyone to join us in the MESH effort.
Today's Parent - 10/25/2024
Do Meditation Toys for Kids Really Work?
With an essential oil patch that retains fragrance and a super-soft texture, Tate is the ultimate sensory experience. The product is certified by MESH Helps, an organization identifying toys that promote mental, emotional and social resilience.
Rachele Harmuthe, board president of MESH Helps, says mediTATE scored strongly in developing communication and self-advocacy skills.
Press Release - 5/1/2024
MESH Helps Partners with FUNdamentally Children for Toy and Game Accreditation
ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MESH Helps, a nonprofit with a mission to help kids strengthen resilience through play, continues to rally the toy industry to be part of the growing MESH movement by submitting products for accreditation through May 31, 2024. FUNdamentally Children will evaluate products as a third-party accrediting body led by Dr. Amanda Gummer to provide evidence-based testing in partnership with MESH Helps.
Press Release - 1/24/2024
Inspirational MESH (Mental, Emotional, & Social Health) Accreditation Program Launches to Strengthen Youth Mental Health Through Play
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MESH Helps, a ThinkFun initiative, continues its industry-wide call-to-action in 2024 with the launch of an inspiring accreditation program to evaluate and certify play products that promote mental, emotional, and social health (MESH) for kids. The MESH Accreditation Program is now accepting pre-order submissions in partnership with FUNdamentally Children through May 2024.