Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is the ability to express and control one’s own emotions, as well as interpret and respond to the emotions of others. In the last year or so, it has become an emerging theme for entertainment and consumer products targeted at preschoolers.
Some of the EQ-centric preschool initiatives in the news since the beginning of this year include:
- The animated series Shimmer & Shine debuting on Nick Jr., with licensed products expected to arrive on store shelves in 2016.
- Smiley Kids being introduced at MIPCOM this October, intended for broadcast in 2017. The animated series is for older preschoolers and is based on the Smiley characters.
- Moodsters launching exclusively at Target with a range of books and toys from Kids Preferred. Jelly Jam Entertainment is the licensor.
Emotional intelligence has been emphasized in early childhood education for some time, and programs such as Sesame Street have dealt with the topic as part of a broader curriculum. A few properties focused on this theme have debuted over the years, including Popcorn the Bear, a European character created in 2004 that has been expanding internationally of late.
More recently, emojis and emoticons, which are graphic representations of emotions, have become ubiquitous in communication and pop culture. Even the latest Disney-Pixar film, Inside Out, is rooted in EQ.
It seems that the time is right for emotional intelligence to enter the spotlight as a core theme of preschool entertainment and media.
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