The Story

About Us

We are a personalized toy club that powers parents to borrow (or try-before-they buy) premium educational and engaging toys for optimal playing, learning. and thriving - all based on your child's budding personality. Keep what your kiddo likes and send back what they don’t! We'll also take your outgrown clutter and help find it's next home: whether that's another family or the elementary school in your neighborhood.

Mission

[play it forward]'s mission is to make parenting easier with an innovative, affordable, and sustainable toy subscription to help parents de-clutter and discover stage-based toys. Our play experts have scoured the earth for the best toys by age and stage to help parents take the guesswork out of toys. By better matching your family's play preferences with toys, and by elevating the benefits of re-use, we can extend the life of toys and avoid overconsumption and landfill waste. Help us build a more sustainable future, one toy at a time!

Vision

We hope to inspire future generations to play more and waste less. That our little ones learn and thrive, and live more consciously. That every toy gets played with and is loved by multiple families. That the $90 billion toy industry becomes less reliant on plastics and that the world is filled with more sustainable and eco-conscious toys.

Meet the Play Experts

We leverage AI-powered data to pair your family's play preferences with toys your kids will love. And every data-driven recommendation is reviewed by one of our play experts. Learn more about the child development specialists that handpick our curated toys.

Chief Play Officer

Julia Rose Fischer

Julia Rose Fischer has been in the industry of play for...a bunch of years (over a decade!) She founded and ran Play Library™, helped create and launch award-winning toy lines with several large toy and entertainment companies, and was key in winning a $35M grant to create a new media-based intellectual property, with funding from the US Dept of Education for Wildbrain Entertainment. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in visual communications and is currently working towards a Master's in Clinical Psychology specializing in child development with a focus on play therapy from Antich University. On the side, she also teaches Parent & Me classes. Julia is currently living and working in Los Angeles with her husband, 3-year-old daughter, and newborn son. She is a die-hard fan of ice cream, robots, and kids who end their sentences with “and then”.

Toddler Specialist

Katelin

Katelin holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Relational Communication from Queens University of Charlotte and an American Montessori Society credential in 0-3 development. She has over 6+ years of classroom experience with children 15 months to 3 years old. Additionally, as a mother of a 4-year-old, she is passionate about providing rich play experiences that align with the Montessori philosophy for her bright and curious daughter.

Favorite toy: kinderfeets Pikler Triangle

Hello I'm founder and CEO Kim Bolt

I'm a mom of 3 kiddos under 4, a trained child development psychologist, a graduate of Wharton's MBA program, and a technology marketer by day. I know first hand how quickly kiddos can outgrow their baby toys and gear - and how much clutter can accumulate all over your house. Data and AI is helping to transform other industries and providing more personalized and custom solutions for today's most pressing problems. It's time we innovate the toy industry to help modern parent's navigate the world of play by finding toys for the right kid at the right time. And live lighter on the planet as a result.

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Meet Our Advisors

Nick Bolt

Nick has a Master's Degree in Developmental Psychology from Fordham University and has spent over a decade in K-12 education in philanthropic and strategic support services.

Fun Fact: Nick also served as a consultant on the Nickelodeon show Blues Clues.

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June Jiao Liang

June has dual bachelor degrees from MIT and Long Island University and is a former ICU nurse. As a mom of 2, she is focused on Waldorf and Montessori play philosophies to support her children's optimal development.

Favorite toys: Coco Village Balance Board and Grimm's rainbow

Dr. Tu Carol Nyugen

Tu is an emergency physician and Ultrasound Director at University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center who teaches and trains medical students and residents. She received her residency and fellowship training at University of Maryland Medical Center.

As a mother of two, who understands the need for a sustainable option for child play!