Safe, Playful AI Avatars for Early Learning
Nurturing Minds AI creates child-friendly digital companions to support storytelling and curiosity in young children. Always supporting, never replacing, the vital human relationships at the heart of learning.
- Roundie
- Story Sloth
- Tiko
- Oops Bot
- Chef Pickle
- Sparkle
“My mission is to empower every child to thrive through playful, responsive AI tools that enhance not replace human connections in early childhood education.”
Jen Poulton, Founder & Early Years Specialist
Where Imagination Meets Innovation
Designed for Early Years Practitioners • EYFS Classrooms • Primary Educators • Parent–Child Learning
Nurturing Minds introduces AI safely and meaningfully through playful, language-rich experiences that support confidence, creativity, and low-pressure learning.
Rooted in Research
Grounded in early childhood education and AI ethics.
Child-Led Learning
Encourages curiosity, conversation, and imagination.
Ethically Designed
Built around the SAFE PLAY principles for AI in early years.
The Principles of SAFE PLAY with AI Avatars
Our research-informed framework ensures that every AI experience nurtures safety, empathy, inclusion, and connection because children deserve technology that's designed with their wellbeing at its heart.
🤝SSocial and Scaffolded Co-Learning
SSocial and Scaffolded Co-Learning
AI should enhance, not replace, the social fabric of learning. Our avatars invite children into collaborative conversations, asking open-ended questions, building on their ideas, and creating space for peers and educators to join the experience.
→ Why It Matters
Learning is fundamentally social. Children thrive when they co-construct knowledge with others, and AI should amplify this not isolate children.
👶AAge and Developmental Alignment
AAge and Developmental Alignment
Every interaction is carefully designed to match a child’s developmental stage, linguistically, perceptually, emotionally, and cognitively. Meeting children exactly where they are, with tools that grow with them.
→ Why It Matters
Children process language, emotion, and complexity in different ways. AI designed to be developmentally aligned supports learning without overwhelm, and builds confidence through just-right challenges.
🌈FFairness and Inclusion
FFairness and Inclusion
Our avatars reflect the beautiful diversity of children's lives. They offer the option to choose different accents or languages.
→ Why It Matters
When children encounter bias in technology, it can shape how they see themselves and others. By offering culturally responsive voices and experiences, we design honour every child’s background, language, and identity.
💙EEthical Transparency and Emotional Safety
EEthical Transparency and Emotional Safety
Our AI avatars are designed with young children’s wellbeing at the centre. They speak openly about being computer helpers, explain their actions in simple, age-appropriate ways, and give adults clear control over how information is used. With calm voices, predictable behaviour, and supportive feedback, the avatars create emotionally safe spaces that nurture curiosity and confidence. By combining transparency with care, we help children learn that AI is a tool guided by people, one that can be explored safely, playfully, and responsibly.
→ Why It Matters
Transparent AI experiences teach that technology is human guided, helping young learners explore confidently, ask questions freely, and build the foundations for safe, responsible digital awareness.
🎯PPurposeful and Pedagogical Design
PPurposeful and Pedagogical Design
We design each avatar to serve a learning goal rooted in early childhood pedagogy. We don't add technology for its own sake we design with intention, grounded in play-based, inquiry-driven approaches.
→ Why It Matters
Flashy tech without purpose can distract from real learning. Purposeful design ensures AI genuinely supports learning and development.
🔒LLimited Memory and Data Protection
LLimited Memory and Data Protection
Our avatars don't store personal data or create persistent profiles. Data Protection and Privacy are non-negotiable.
→ Why It Matters
Children have a right to privacy and to grow without surveillance. We prioritise trust and safety by limiting data collection to only what is necessary, ensuring full educator or parental consent. All information is encrypted, securely stored, and managed in line with GDPR standards
✨AAdaptive Feedback & Child Agency
AAdaptive Feedback & Child Agency
Our avatars work within a safe and purposeful framework but respond to each child’s pace, interests, and choices. Children remain in control of the interaction at all times, fostering autonomy and engagement.
→ Why It Matters
Agency builds confidence. When children feel ownership over their learning, they explore more boldly, think more deeply, and develop lasting self-efficacy.
💛YYield to Human Relationships
YYield to Human Relationships
AI is a tool, not a replacement. Our avatars always encourage children to share their discoveries with teachers, families, and friends, reinforcing that the most important connections are human.
→ Why It Matters
Nothing replaces the warmth, wisdom, and presence of caring adults and peers. AI should strengthen these bonds, never substitute for them.
Meet Our AI Companions
Each avatar is a playful character designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and confidence in young learners through safe, guided interactions.
We can create custom avatars tailored to your needs, topic, or purpose.
Roundie
Roundie is a happy, bouncy friend who loves finding circles everywhere! Roundie asks, “Can you draw a circle with your finger?” and helps children look for round shapes. Together, they spot circles on plates, wheels, and bubbles. With Roundie, learning about shapes is fun, active, and full of smiles!
Story Sloth
Story Sloth supports children in creating imaginative adventure stories by helping them choose characters, invent superheroes and powers, identify a central problem, and decide how their heroes will overcome it. With a calm, thoughtful presence, Story Sloth encourages creativity and storytelling structure in a playful and engaging way.
Tiko the Turtle
Tiko the Turtle is a gentle, curious sea explorer who loves to share stories about ocean life. He teaches children about the creatures who live under the sea and asks important questions like, “How can we help keep the sea clean for me and my friends?” Tiko encourages kindness to animals, recycling, and taking care of our planet.
Oops Bot
Oops Bot is a friendly, curious robot who's still learning and sometimes gets things wrong! Through playful questions like “Are giraffes small?”, Oops Bot invites children to spot mistakes, share what they know, and explain why. This introduces AI literacy in a fun, age-appropriate way, encouraging children to think independently and become confident learners.
Chef Pickle
Chef Pickle is a cheerful kitchen helper who loves talking about yummy, healthy foods! With a big smile and a big chef's hat, Chef Pickle helps children explore what they can pack in their lunchboxes and what makes a snack good for their bodies. Chef Pickle makes talking about food fun, friendly, and full of colourful choices!
Sparkle
Sparkle loves listening when children read or tell their own stories. She smiles, listens carefully, and always wants to know more! After the story, Sparkle might ask, “What part did you like best?” or “Who was your favourite character?” She helps children feel proud of their reading, use their voice, and talk about the stories they enjoy.
Join Us at the BrightStart International Conference
Founder Jen Poulton will present the SAFEPLAY framework and demo the AI avatars at Bright Start International Conference, AI Play Forum & Global Think Tank.
🗓 Saturday 15th November · 📍 BrightStart International Conference
Partner With Us
Whether you're a school, edtech developer, or researcher we welcome partnerships to co-create safe, joyful AI for children.