The Happy Heads Card Game is the indie card game publisher Book of Beasties’ challenge to the global toy industry “to do better.”

A game that wants to provide the space for parents to bond better with their children through the communication of the kaleidoscope of emotions we all experience but too rarely discuss, Happy Heads also sees it its mission to ‘demand more, and demand better’ of the toys and games children are faced with. Particularly when it comes to wellbeing.

Or rather, it is, as Craig Fearn, the global workplace wellbeing and leadership expert and wellbeing advisor to Book of Beasties puts it: ‘Sustainable Wellbeing’ – a concept that takes the “fundamentals of sustainability – the use of resources in such a way that continues their lifecycles for much longer without damaging the ecosystem – and applies it to humans.”

“It’s always seemed weird to me that we can talk about it in terms of trees and gas and oil and materials, but rarely do we talk about it in terms of our most crucial resource: people,” says Craig. “I’m all for the ideals of sustainable development but for that to work, we have to bring people along with that and that means addressing wellbeing first and foremost.”

Craig uses the analogy of the West vs the rest of the world. Or the global North vs the global South – an uneven playing field upon which nations “that have experienced their industrial revolutions hundreds of years ago” are able to point at activities around the world “and label them ‘good’ and ‘bad’.”

“But telling a man trying to feed his family in the Amazon Rainforest not to cut down trees simply isn’t going to hold water,” says Craig. “We need to create the environments in which there is no longer a need to slash and burn rainforests.”

It’s an example in the extreme but one that can be easily transposed to the workplaces we encounter day-in day-out. How – Craig asks – can we expect staff to engage with the much needed climate action if the jobs they have and the companies they work for aren’t first providing and supporting them with the wellbeing measures they need?

“Yes, you get companies that might provide a course on ‘wellbeing’,” says Craig. “But these can often be too shallow – a quick fix – and don’t address issues that might be present with wider company culture. Are people able to talk about their mental wellbeing? Have you fostered an environment where people can keep going? And it all comes down to how we really approach the subject of wellbeing and implement the right actions.

“The Framework for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is grandiose and well-intentioned. But the argument for me is that we need to take the people with us, or none of these plans will transpire. And the only way to take all the people is to understand what they need to be well. They need to have what they require for wellness in their life.”

So, what’s this got to do with a card game?

Phil Tottman, the creative talent behind Book of Beasties – a Mental Wellness Card Game believes play time can be a credible vehicle for societal change. That’s been the driving purpose behind his company’s product development over the last five years and counting and the stimulus for the many conversations he has subsequently had with educators, carers, social workers, and of course, children.

Book of Beasties has done the rounds. First introduced to schools as a resource and programme to enable children to talk through mental wellness and learn how to communicate emotions, it’s a platform that has undergone rigorous research and testing to bring it to where it is now. The Happy Heads Card Game is the company’s move to bring that philosophy out of schools and onto the shelves of the UK’s toy shops.

“Children are hyper-intelligent, they can see when they are being coerced into something and a lot of the time, opening up dialogue about emotions can feel like an act of coercion,” says Phil. “Our role within this is to bring ‘wellbeing’ into the everyday in a natural way. If you shine a spotlight on it, you are effectively trying to shoehorn it in. But instead, if you make it a part of play and entertainment you are integrating it into a subconscious mindset.

“This isn’t about ‘sitting down and playing that game about emotions’, it’s about creating fun and engaging play that just so happens to be themed around it.

Consistent feedback from trialling the game in schools and social care situations has provided the team a strong narrative. Key among the findings have been ‘increased children’s engagement and socialisation within school and growing their confidence and ability to describe and communicate emotions.’

“And this brings us back to sustainable wellbeing,” says Craig. “Because effectively what you are doing is building an environment where a child and parent can interact to build the bonds they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

Of course, Book of Beasties isn’t the first to enter the toy space with the topic of wellbeing, but given the level of expertise and lived experience the business has on the team, it believes it is well-positioned to cut through the “wellwashing” prevalent in the marketing of many others to tackle the foundations of the issue at hand.

“Too often businesses are a machine for profit and the individual is overlooked,” says Craig. “For us, we’re creating a product that isn’t us telling you one thing and doing another. We’re not marketing the hell out of a trend, we’re on a mission to re-educate the toy industry and its role in children’s lives.

“Today’s children are the business leaders of tomorrow and if you spend your time focusing on improving humanity, it won’t be long before we’re able to change the course we’re on.”