Press Release: First Fröbel, then Montessori, now Osmo is re-inventing the way preschoolers learn with new age building blocks

August 20, 2019 / Company News

The Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit combines AI technology with classic learning methods to create a holistic learning system for preschoolers from the world’s largest ed-tech company.

PALO ALTO, Calif. – (July, 2019)— The fundamentals of preschool literacy learning have been the same for nearly 100 years, despite significant research that has furthered our understanding of how children learn, and despite radical technological advancements. That’s why today, Osmo, the company responsible for creating a new category of seamless digital and hands-on play for 5-12 year olds used in more than 30,000 U.S. elementary classrooms, is bringing innovation to preschoolers with the release of the Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit, available on Amazon and playosmo.com.

The Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit has been created in partnership with Marbotic, a European technology leader in creating playful experiences for early learners.

The new innovation of the Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit combines proven hands-on play of Friedrich Froebel’s and Maria Montessori’s manipulatives with advanced computer vision for a personalized and highly engaging experience. To create this incredible new, “tangible” learning experience, Osmo used its AI technology and design-based research for the development process. The result is a system best-suited for the 3-5 age group that helps nurture core developmental skills including: vocabulary, letters, emotions, problem solving, and creative confidence.

Check out a video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/2BxpiiMeZYY

“On the heels of BYJU’S acquisition of Osmo, we wanted to focus our efforts on filling a critical gap in the market,” said Pramod Sharma, Co-founder of Osmo. “Since the release of our original Genius Kit a few years ago, we’ve received many inquiries from parents asking if we had something similar for their younger child… so we went to work.”

Pre-reading skills for 21st century learners

Research shows that while e-books and online ABC apps can be quite engaging for children, they can sometimes hinder learning. The Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit ignites early kid’s learning through these core, hands-on experiences:

  • Tangible ABC’s – Playful practice for pre-readers. Build letters with squishy, colorful sticks & rings. Over 500 vocabulary words for kids are available.
  • Squiggle Magic – Create anything you want using sticks & rings and they come alive on the screen! Learn vocabulary, build artistic confidence, and develop fine motor skills.
  • Costume Party – Experiment with clothes and colors to make party outfits, then watch the characters react!
  • Stories – Hours of problem-solving fun. Mix and match costumes to find silly solutions to obstacles and navigate adventures.

The academic research behind the Osmo Little Genius Learning system debuts at the 2019 ACM Interaction Design and Children conference, presented by Dr. Heidy Maldonado, of Osmo.

“We want to bring preschool learning to the 21st century by merging the proven educational benefits of Friedrich Froebel’s and Maria Montessori’s manipulatives with the adaptability and personalization of digital applications,” says Maldonado.

Osmo has resonated with kids, parents, and teachers worldwide and is beloved in more than one million households worldwide.

The Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit is available for pre-order today on Amazon and select retail partners over the coming weeks – at $79.To order your Osmo or get more information about the company visit: www.playosmo.com.

About Osmo

We are building a universe of hands-on play experiences that nourish the minds of children by unleashing the power of imagination. The company brings physical tools into the digital world through augmented reality and its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence.

Founded in 2013 by ex-Google engineers Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, the Osmo Play System fuses digital gameplay and physical interaction to create fun and nutritious play experiences designed for all kids. Its universe spans twelve titles, including Super Studio, Coding Awbie, and Masterpiece, which respectively teach creativity, computer science, and crafts for kids.
Osmo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Join in on the fun at PlayOsmo.com. Osmo is part of BYJU’S – The Learning App.

For Media Inquiries contact:

Karen@playosmo.com