... and a heavy dose of kindness, of course!

Today, we’re thrilled to share something truly special: Nurture is partnered with the Care Bears — one of the most enduring, beloved franchises in children’s entertainment — for a new series of adventures! 

It's a major moment for Nurture: a blend of iconic characters, research-backed design, and imaginative storytelling that helps young kids practice the skills that matter most. 

“Care Bears have spent four decades teaching kids — my young self included — that empathy and kindness are superpowers,” says Roger Egan, CEO and Co-Founder of Nurture. “There's no better partner for Nurture than a brand that's been championing emotional intelligence since 1983. When kids practice social-emotional skills through characters they already trust, the learning becomes joyful, not forced."

Whether you and your kids watch the shows, play the games, or squeeze the stuffies, you know how comforting, inspiring, and downright sweet these characters can be.  

“I grew up loving the Care Bears — their colours, their kindness, the way they made big feelings feel safe, explains Julie Stewart, Nurture’s Co-Founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer alongside husband Scott. “Getting to bring Care-a-Lot into the Nurtureverse is pure joy. This adventure celebrates what Care Bears have always taught: that every child has something special inside them, and together, we shine even brighter.” 

For more than 40 years, the Care Bears have taught generations of kids about kindness, courage, collaboration, and emotional expression.

“The world of Care Bears is truly magical. To honor the trust, inspiration, and connection parents and kids find in Care Bears, we don’t partner with just anyone,” says Sean Gorman, President of Cloudco Entertainment, creators of Care Bears: Unlock the Magic. “But Nurture is special. I love how kids are prompted to pick up the 'phone' and be the heroes in the story, so they're not just playing the game, they're part of it. It all culminates in the final magic moment, when their unique choices and determination pay off in truly heartwarming fashion."

Now, those timeless values meet Nurture’s immersive, play-based approach to learning, giving today’s families a way to build big-hearted life skills through joyful digital play.

“Kids and parents have always loved Care Bears for their strong emphasis on sharing and caring. The teamwork inherent to how the bears navigate problems and work together is fantastic for reinforcing what we’ve identified as some of the most important, yet underdeveloped, life skills: social-emotional intelligence, empathy, and collaboration,” explains Musa Roshdy, Head of Learning at Nurture. “In this adventure, the Care Bears help kids explore and reflect on finding their own individual strengths, so they can appreciate what makes them unique.”

When Care Bears meet the Nurture Buddies, kids are immersed in a playful, enriching adventure that’s just as exciting for kids as it is nostalgic for parents. 

Nurture Meets Care Bears in Badge Buddy

In this first Care Bears x Nurture Adventure (there are more to come!), a curious young kangaroo named Jojo arrives in the Silver Lining to learn about belly badges and discover her own strengths. But she finds the Care Bears’ powers aren’t working.

With your child’s help, Jojo:

  • Explores Care-a-Lot to figure out what’s wrong
  • Finds tools and materials needed to restore each Bear’s power
  • Matches and experiments to solve problems
  • Celebrates each win as the Care Bears shine again

And at the end, the Bears combine their abilities in a brilliant Care Bear Stare to award Jojo her very own Curiosity Buddy Badge, a joyful moment celebrating individuality, effort, and confidence.

Through this playful, heartfelt story, kids develop essential life skills:

  • Critical Thinking
  • Emotional Regulation
  • Creativity
  • Empathy & Social Awareness
  • Confidence & Self-Esteem

Before jumping into the game, take a moment to discover what each skill is and why they’re so important to kids’ development. Plus, how Badge Buddy helps kids practice it through play.

Why These Skills Matter for Kids 

In early childhood, around ages 4–7, kids are in a powerful window for building the skills that carry them into school, friendships, and the wider world. 

These life skills matter because:

  • They’re starting to see themselves as capable individuals, eager to try things on their own.
  • They’re learning the basics of empathy and cooperation — how to share, listen, take turns, and repair small conflicts.
  • Their natural curiosity is exploding, which makes this a perfect time to support critical thinking and problem-solving.
  • They’re beginning to notice and name big feelings, both in themselves and in others.

Encouraging kids to explore, question, and express curiosity at this age builds confidence and cognitive flexibility: the ability to adapt, think in new ways, and approach challenges with a “I can figure this out” mindset.

This powerhouse partnership comes at a critical time for kids, who must make a generational shift in learning as AI takes hold. As the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 details, technical skills are at risk of being substituted by AI, unlike soft skills like empathy, active listening, creativity, resiliency, and agility. These supremely human traits aren’t born into every child, though, they’re taught.  

“In a world where AI will handle technical skills, those truly human abilities are what will separate thriving kids from struggling ones,” says Roger Egan. “That's the Life Preparedness Gap we're closing. It’s exactly what childhood development needs right now.”

Recognizing feelings, meanwhile, nurtures empathy, emotional control, and social awareness, laying the groundwork for strong relationships and mental well-being. Life skills are all about what kids don’t learn in the classroom, but need to develop in order to thrive, find happiness, and be a good human. 

“Kids ages 4–7 are starting to ask 'Who am I?' and 'Where do I fit in?'” adds Musa Roshdy. “They're building the foundation of their self-image.  Encouraging them to identify their strengths while also supporting them in trying new things helps them build self-confidence and keeps them open to tackling new challenges."

In strategizing and building this adventure with Nurture and Care Bears, Chief Creative Officers and Co-Founders Scott and Julie Stewart recall the impact of the friendly bear characters on their own upbringing. 

“Care-a-Lot was one of the first fictional worlds that taught me the power of heart-led storytelling,” Scott explains. “Expanding that universe inside Nurture — giving kids agency to explore it, solve problems in it, and discover their own strengths through it — has been an absolute joy. It’s an honor to help reimagine a classic in a new and enriching way that still feels as playful, funny, and full of heart as ever.”

How Badge Buddy Teaches Life Skills

Let’s dive into how this exciting partnership teaches life skills through immersive media experiences that kids love, parents appreciate, and everyone connects through. 

Critical Thinking: Solving Problems with Curiosity

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information, test ideas, and solve problems step-by-step. It’s a foundational skill that helps kids make confident, thoughtful decisions.

In Badge Buddy, critical thinking shows up when…

  • Kids help Jojo search the Silver Lining for missing tools needed to restore each Bear’s belly badge
  • Matching puzzles prompt kids to make connections and test hypotheses
  • Exploration is encouraged — surprises reward curiosity and experimentation
  • Trial-and-error play builds persistence and flexible thinking

Kids practice observing, planning, adjusting, cause-and-effect reasoning, resourcefulness, and sticking with challenges. These skills support academic learning, real-world problem-solving, and independence.

Emotional Regulation: Staying Calm When Things Don’t Work

Emotional regulation is the skill that helps kids notice their feelings, manage big emotions, and find healthy ways to calm down when they’re overwhelmed. It helps them navigate challenges with confidence instead of frustration.

In Badge Buddy, emotional regulation shows up when…

  • Jojo and the Care Bears pause to take calming breaths when belly badge powers fizzle
  • Kids reset “stormy” skies through gentle, soothing Calm Cloud interactions
  • Character reactions normalize mistakes (“Let’s try again!”) instead of discouraging them
  • Multi-step tasks require patience, modeling how to stay steady during setbacks

Kids practice naming feelings, using calming tools, staying patient through challenges, and learning that it’s okay to try again. These skills support resilience, self-control, and smoother transitions in everyday life.

Children develop coping strategies, patience, and emotional flexibility — making it easier to handle frustration, transitions, and challenges both on and off screen.

Creativity: Finding Fun, New Ways to Help

Creativity is the skill of generating new ideas, experimenting with possibilities, and expressing yourself in flexible, imaginative ways.

Badge Buddy teaches creativity when…

  • Some puzzles encourage playful, unexpected solutions
  • World interactions feel whimsical and responsive — inspiring imagination
  • Jojo’s own curiosity models taking creative risks

Kids practice original thinking, creative decision-making, and expressive confidence, foundational for problem-solving, academics, storytelling, and play. This is also the focus of the Nurture + Crayola Adventure — check it out!

Empathy & Social Awareness: Seeing the Best in Others

Empathy and social awareness help kids understand how others feel, appreciate different perspectives, and respond with kindness and cooperation.

Badge Buddy teaches empathy and social awareness when…

  • Jojo notices each Bear’s unique strength and celebrates what makes them special
  • Kids help restore belly badges by collaborating with different Care Bears
  • Characters display clear emotions, giving kids practice in recognizing feelings and intentions
  • Story moments show how kindness, teamwork, and encouragement lead to shared success

By practicing perspective-taking, compassion, cooperation, and early ethical thinking, kids develop skills toward healthy friendships, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence.

Confidence & Self-Esteem: Discovering What Makes You Shine

Confidence and self-esteem help kids believe “I can do this” and “I have something valuable to offer,” built through effort, encouragement, and meaningful successes.

Badge Buddy teaches confidence and self-esteem when…

  • Jojo discovers her own strength — curiosity — by helping others and trying new things
  • Kids experience success by sticking with challenges rather than getting things “right” immediately
  • The final Buddy Badge ceremony celebrates effort, growth, and individuality
  • Kids see the impact of their choices as Care-a-Lot brightens with each restored belly badge

When kids practice taking initiative, trusting their abilities, feeling proud of their effort, and recognizing their personal strengths, they strengthen the foundations for resilience, independence, and a strong sense of self.

Why Digital Play Works for Teaching Life Skills

Digital play offers immediate feedback and safe spaces to experiment, making it ideal for building confidence and curiosity in early learners. When kids make mistakes in Badge Buddy, the Care Bears respond with encouragement rather than penalties, turning every challenge into a meaningful learning moment. 

“Screens aren’t the enemy — they’re immersive, powerful experiences for learning, intentionally and unintentionally,” notes Dr. Rachel Kowert, Nurture digital parenting expert and children’s research psychologist on the impact of video games. “Experiences like Badge Buddy and Nurture’s other adventures turn play into practice for real-life skills.”

Nurture’s intentional design supports agency, reflection, and gentle guidance, plus it includes co-play prompts so caregivers can support the experience. Thoughtfully crafted digital play like this helps kids practice real-world skills in ways that feel joyful, low-pressure, and developmentally supportive.

Behind the Scenes: Building Badge Buddy with Nurture & Care Bears

Badge Buddy was created through a close collaboration between Nurture’s learning designers and Cloudco Entertainment. We blended the Care Bears’ legacy of empathy with Nurture’s life skills framework for an immersive, exciting, and nostalgic adventure kids and parents can share again and again. 

“We hope Jojo inspires kids to be curious about themselves and the people around them,” says Sarah Kelley-Luker, Nurture’s Executive Producer and Child Development Specialist. “Her curiosity invites them to ask, ‘What do I like? What are my talents? What about my friends and neighbors?’”

Every Buddy Badge in the level represents a real-world quality — curiosity, bravery, patience, kindness — and each puzzle was intentionally crafted to reinforce those strengths through play!

“As we produced this Care Bears adventure, we focused on building interactions and small discoveries that make kids feel curious and delighted,” explains Xavi Fradera, Senior Interactive Producer. “Creating puzzles and world elements that reward exploration and the joy of finding something new was at the core of the experience.”

Together, the teams built an experience that taps into the joy of the Care Bears universe while reinforcing Nurture’s mission: creating digital spaces where children learn empathy, curiosity, and confidence through joyful, meaningful play.

Play Badge Buddy Today

Help your child discover their strengths, grow their confidence, and shine with curiosity.

Play Badge Buddy in the Nurture app today and help your child earn their Curiosity Buddy Badge!

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Russell Wojcik Russell Wojcik

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