Every parent wants the best for their child when it comes to nutrition, education and a warm and loving home. But what about when it comes to playtime? Cofounded by Jessica Rolph and Rod Morris, Lovevery began on the basis of having playtime with a purpose. The subscription-based service provides parents with everything they need for children’s milestones.
“I helped to build a baby food company called Happy Family Organics, and I went deep into infant nutrition and what to feed my baby,” said Rolph. “When I was playing with my son with all of the lights and flashing toys, I wondered what those toys were doing for his developing brain.”
That’s when Rolph read a dissertation on the Neurological Development of Infants, a piece of literature that changed her views as a parent. She realized that most of her son’s toys did not fit into what science said was meaningful for a baby’s development so she started to figure out how to make this information more broadly available for other parents.
“Parents want to know what happens with their baby’s development in the important stages of life and I just kept thinking, ‘how could I make this easier and better for parents,’” said Rolph, who partnered with Morris to expand the subscription program that promoted learning development stage by stage. “Parents have to adapt to their child changing every minute. When we buy toys, there are so many age bans on products because of safety warnings, not necessarily the stages of development of a child.”
Fortunately, Rolph and Morris found a niche market as subscription boxes are hugely popular. With boxes ranging from food and beauty to pets and clothing, there was a subscription program to suit every need, except babies.
“We wanted to be of service to parents and reading a book on childhood development was too much,” said Rolph, who wanted products for what her child was going through. “That’s when the concept of a stage-based learning program was best served through subscription because that model lends itself to being better parents. Remember, just like a baby doesn’t come with a manual, being a parent doesn’t come with one either.”
As for the research, Rolph, Morris and the Lovevery team (along with a team of medical and professional experts on board), calculated babies’ developmental windows. And while every child is different, they are practicing and learning the same motor skills and brain functions around the same time.
Passionate about climate change and understanding the importance of using as many natural products as possible, Rolph ensured that all of the wooden products were sustainably harvested, that water-based paint was nontoxic and that all of the cotton fabrics were organic. Each play kit is also compact and easy to take on the go.
“We work hard to make our products as portable as possible and look at possible color effects on mood,” said Rolph of the play kits, which start from birth and currently go up to the age of 2, however, many of the products and toys extend beyond the various development windows.
Parents will receive a play kit every other month for the first year of their child’s life and then every three months for the second year, as people have come to realize how important the toddler years are as well. When it comes to the play kits, a world of fun awaits inside. Children will learn through play with the Looker play kit (for weeks 0 through 12 when babies learn how to track movement and develop their vision), The Charmer play kit (for months 3 and 4 when coordinating their senses comes into play), The Explorer play kit (for months 9 and 10 when babies build their intelligence through the way items can be built and how they move) and several other kits paired with development. There are 10 play kits in total for babies and toddlers as well as a play gym that was rated as the best-selling play gym on Amazon.
“Lovevery helps to create a confident parent and it is that gift of confidence that you are doing everything you can for your child’s development, that’s what we give,” said Rolph, who uses Instagram and email as an educational platform for parents. “We take the wondering and the research out of it and allow parents to really enjoy being connected to their child.”
Sign up for your subscription box at www.lovevery.com and follow @lovevery on social media.
