We can not avoid more and more kids to have a smartphone in their hands, so why not think about an app to support kids in daily worries?

IDEO is definitely one my favourite design studios especially because of the human-centered approach puto into use for so many diverse markets. One of those is of toys. Their toy lab delivers projects for children that are based on “real people, real needs, and real desires”. They have been developing technological apps at the top of the Kids 5 and Under list. And I do not have doubts on that if I consider this presentation video of the Elmo Calls app.

Sesame Workshop and IDEO partnered to design this useful mobile application that works both as app for parents and as educational app for kids for the entertaining behavioral-development. Often by 2- to 5-year-olds during routine activities young families have to face often difficult behaviors, so the goal was to deliver a “magical experience” for such daily worries, as potty training, getting dressed, and going to bed. The first 30 days that the app was on sale, it made more than 4 million calls to kids and soon about 20 million calls had been made. Elmo Calls was listed in the iTunes App Store as an “essential” app for kids. Very good result indeed!