Description
Haylo the Horse is a soft, interactive toy designed to help children understand and manage their emotions in a fun and practical way.
Recommended by Dr Gummer’s Good Play Guide
- Introduces four key emotions: Happiness, Sadness, Anger, and Anxiety
- Encourages emotional recognition and positive behaviour
- Children earn tokens for demonstrating emotional understanding
- Tokens are stored in Haylo’s built-in pouch and can be reused for rewards
- Inspired by how horses reflect human emotions, helping children feel seen and supported
Ideal for home, classroom, or therapy settings, Haylo offers a simple yet engaging way to build emotional intelligence through everyday interactions. The reward-based system motivates children to practise self-awareness and empathy, supporting healthy emotional development through play.
“Haylo likes it when I feed her tokens.” - Boy, aged 4.
“I'm going to try and get 2 tokens today.” Girl, aged 5
Haylo the Horse was a favourite among the children, who were immediately drawn to its friendly, “cute” appearance and engaging storybook. The resource gently encouraged children to explore and express their emotions, with younger children showing some initial hesitation but quickly warming up through the support of the story and the positive reinforcement offered by the token reward system. Parents particularly valued the clear, practical guidance that came with the set, helping them to confidently use Haylo as a tool for promoting self-regulation and emotional understanding at home.
The story also inspired rich imaginative play, as children took Haylo on new adventures, often themed around helping others and solving problems. This role-play encouraged empathy, creativity, and reinforced the emotional lessons from the book. The set also supported early language development, with children engaging in thoughtful discussions and expanding their vocabulary through storytelling. Caregivers reported a noticeable sense of pride and achievement in children as their emotional efforts were acknowledged, making Haylo not only a comforting toy but also an effective tool for emotional growth.
Helps teach self regulation
Encourages communication
Inspires imaginative play
