Kimochis Review

Kimochis (key-m0-chees), Japanese for feelings, is a brand new product out there that not only is fun to play with but it’s educational, innovative, and cultivates confidence and character in your child!!!  I’m sorry, how many toys do you have like that at home?  Yeah, me neither.

The Kimochi line is currently comprised of 3 different large plush characters with 3 different personality types ($25).  A fourth Kimochi, “Cat,” will be available for purchase in August!  Each of these adorable little creations comes complete with a How To Feel Guide and 3 assorted feelings.  Seperate Mixed Feelings packs (containing six feelings) can be purchased to add to your Kimochi.  I really like that a blank feeling comes with each package along with a washable marker.  It’s nice to have that clean slate to add that hard to describe feeling that your child might be experiencing.  You can purchase any of the Kimochis here.

I love the idea behind Kimochis and the whole product line.  They were nice enough to send me Huggtopus for Bubba to try out and I have to say that it’s been such a neat toy for him to use.  The description of Huggtopus fit our little guy like a glove;

Huggtopus is, needless to say, all smiles and hugs.  She is very affectionate and strong and sometimes gets a little carried away by her big friendly personality.  Huggtopus doesn’t know her own strength and can sometimes be a little overbearing.  You can always count on Huggtopus to put a smile on your face if you’re feeling down and to give you a great big hug to make you feel better. 

I’ve written before about how we’ve been going through some issues with Bubba’s speech and his self expression and such and this toy has been such a useful tool in teaching him to communicate more effectively.  I’ve noticed a definite drop in temper tantrums and it’s also helping to widen his vocabulary.  Feelings like, jealous, silly, and brave were never used by him.  After discussing what feeling each of the Kimochis represented and what it means to feel that way, he is beginning to not only understand those feelings but use them correctly when he’s trying to convey what he’s feeling.  I love anything that makes Bubba’s life easier because it makes my life easier.  Furthermore, I love anything that makes him feel good about himself and Kimochis definitely does that.  There’s nothing more empowering than being given the tools to communicate with the surrounding world!

I can’t say enough good things about this toy and highly recommend it for any child.  You should also check out the Kimochi site for play tips, communication ideas, and even games to play starring the Kimochi characters!

So, what do you think of the Kimochi line?  Would you use it?

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