IKEA Soft Toys for Education – because everyone deserves to learn

on Dec 15, 2014, Updated Jul 18, 2020

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #IKEASoftToysEdu #CleverGirls

Education is a topic that’s near and dear to my heart as I’ve got four kids ranging in age from 10 to 4 years old and also teach college classes myself. In the six years my kids have been receiving formal education, we’ve used a variety of schooling methods: homeschooling and public schooled. Last year, two of them were public schooled, but this year they all came home.

I’m not a die hard advocate of any one type of education – homeschool, private school, public school – they all have pluses and minuses. We do whatever works best for our family at any particular time – so it’s not that big of a deal to switch between the different educational opportunities available to me and my family. While it causes family conflict sometimes {not everyone is on board with homeschooling}, I can’t express to you how thankful I am to have educational options!

Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as we are here – millions of children have NO access to any type of school at all. And that’s why I’m excited to tell you about IKEA Soft Toys for Education.

IKEA Soft Toys for Education – because everyone deserves to learn

Since 2003, IKEA along with UNICEF and Save the Children have made a positive impact on millions of the world’s children through the IKEA Soft Toys for Education Program by giving over 11 million children the opportunity to go to school where they can learn and play in a safe and protective environment. Children learn life skills that can help improve their own health and that of their families and communities. Access to quality education reduces a child’s vulnerability to abuse, exploitation and disease. It is one of the best investments you can make for children and it creates opportunities that impacts generations to come.

In Mozambique, thanks to the IKEA Foundation’s contribution of Soft Toys for Education campaign funds, 55,000 children in 88 schools were reached with the five components of the Child-Friendly Schools approach: education; protection; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health and social mobilization. Children in these schools also received physical education and were trained in important life skills (HIV awareness, awareness on gender issues, and preventing violence and sexual abuse).

I am a long time fan of IKEA and have been shopping there since I was a little girl in Germany. I used to ride my bike to IKEA with my friends and spend the day in the store. My childhood bedroom was outfitted with sheets, blankets, pillows, and light fixtures from IKEA, and my kids’ current bedrooms are too. I have a huge list of IKEA items on my list for our new passive house – can’t wait to decorate it. IKEA’s products are nice and reasonably priced.

How you can help

For every soft toy and children’s book sold between November 9, 2014 and January 3, 2015, the IKEA Foundation will donate $1.00 to children’s education through UNICEF and Save the Children. Since 2003, more than 11 million children have been impacted through 99 projects in 46 countries and more donated $90.4 million has been donated thanks to IKEA’s Soft Toys for Education Campaign.

Next time you go to IKEA, pick up one of their cute soft toys to support IKEA Soft Toys for Education. You can read more about IKEA’s Foundation here and on their facebook page. Thank you for supporting this worthy cause.