Vancouver, BC — September 4, 2020: Kinzoo has added a new collection of masked stickers to its messaging app. These friendly Kinzoo characters are depicted wearing personal protective equipment and are meant to help normalize mask wearing for kids during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, masks are more and more prevalent as people try to slow the spread of COVID-19. Personal protective equipment is fast becoming part of children’s lives as schools introduce new COVID safety measures—and Kinzoo wants to help kids adapt to the new reality. As they venture out of quarantine and return to in-person learning, more children will be wearing masks and interacting with masked teachers and support staff.
While this can be an adjustment for children, according to pediatrician Ghassan N. Atiyeh, parents can help kids adjust to masks by incorporating them into imaginative play. Kinzoo wants to help parents do so by introducing friendly, masked characters into their sticker packs. By showing them to kids in a well-known visual medium, Kinzoo hopes they can help make them familiar rather than scary. Since the masked stickers launched in Kinzoo, they’ve been shared more than 10,000 times—and they’ve been popular with both kids and adults.
“As a father, I have first-hand experience with how this new reality can affect kids,” says Sean Herman, CEO of Kinzoo. “They’re excited to get back to school, but this school year will be much different. I want my daughter to know that she doesn’t need to be anxious when she sees masks—and if we can help kids feel a little better about the new normal, I’ll be happy.”
Kinzoo brings kids, parents and extended family together to share experiences and make memories that wouldn’t otherwise exist. They are building a safe introduction to technology that gives kids a constructive, skill-building outlet to connect with loved ones, explore their creativity and cultivate new interests. Their first product is a private messenger for kids ages 6 and up—plus the whole family, too! With this family-friendly app, your data is yours, profiles are not publicly searchable and parents approve all contacts.
