April Spotlight on Karen Duggan and Playful Planet

The Mom's Choice Awards is honored to welcome Karen Duggan, founder of Playful Planet and the multi-award-winning program Storyland Yoga: Interactive Family Fun.

As Karen's story shows us, you just never know when an idea becomes a spark and turns into a passion! Just four years ago, a conversation among parents was the seed for a collaborative effort with her husband Bryan and Ahmed Fahmy, a local yoga instructor.

As the vision grows, so does the realization that much of what Playful Planet does is philanthropic in nature. The topics are timely, necessary and are meaningful on a global level. Playful Planet welcomes all to join their Community with the belief that together we can create a brighter future for our children and the planet.

Please welcome Karen Duggan to the Alumni Spotlight.

MCA: Welcome, Karen, and congratulations on the growing recognition of Storyland Yoga. Can you please tell us about what motivated you to create Playful Planet and Storyland Activity Series?
Karen: The initial spark for Playful Planet came at a kids' birthday party I attended with my daughter. Ahmed Fahmy, a children's yoga teacher whose classes we had attended was also at the party. Several of us parents were chatting (as we often do at these functions), and we talked about Ahmed's yoga for kids and how he incorporates stories into his classes. I saw how several of the mothers lit up when they heard about how fun his class was.

My husband and business partner, Bryan, is a writer, director and cinematographer; so I thought, well, we could bring this class to moms through media. A few days later, I woke in the middle of the night and knew that this wasn't just about yoga, it was about the whole child, his/her health and well-being, and how that connects to the health of the planet.

I think the reason I have been so committed to this vision (and not given up) is that I am a mom that wants to be a good role model for my child and I want to instill healthy lifestyle choices in a fun way. I just haven't always known how to do that. Playful Planet's programs and the resources we offer online can help to do that.

MCA: Now that you have an award-winning product, what are your goals for the next year?
Karen: We are scheduled to film "Storyland Cooking: A Farm-to-Plate Adventure" in August 2011. This is the next installment in our Storyland Activity Series. If we are successful in raising investment capital this year, we very well could be adding two or three more titles to our series.

We are also in the midst of having a curriculum developed from Storyland Yoga, the award-winning DVD.  An amazing group called Curriculum Essentials is working diligently on this in order to have a pilot program available this summer and a potential launch of the curriculum for preschools, K-2 and aftercare programs by the fall of 2011.

We also recently received a Letter of Intent from WTTW (PBS-Chicago) letting us know they will be our presenting station for a 13-part Storyland Yoga series. This means we will also be busy finding sponsors for this endeavor. All of this, plus increasing sales are goals for this year.

MCA: Please name three ways your Mom's Choice Award® will help you attain your goals.
Karen: Well, the credibility that comes with an award of this nature will certainly help convince potential buyers, investors, and sponsors that our programming is high-quality and deserving of their attention. Second, moms will feel more inclined to purchase this product once they see the Moms Choice Awards® seal of approval. Last but not least, the opportunities for visibility through the MCA support network seem to be abundant.

MCA: Can you share with us what you learned about yourself as an artist, creator, and entrepreneur in creating your company and your award-winning product?
Karen: I have learned that I can trust my intuition and follow my gut a lot of the time  Having a great support system is very important, because I cannot do everything by myself and that if I am going to try to do that, I better allow ample time to get things done. I have learned that when I operate from a genuine desire to help out on the planet things unfold in a magical way.

MCA: Since launching your company and the DVD what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?
Karen: Definitely! My most rewarding experience has been seeing the response from real life moms and teachers who are using Storyland Yoga in their homes and at their schools. There is no greater result than getting the kids off the couch, loving the program, and wanting to do it over and over. 

We have also been very humbled to hear that there are special needs kids (and classes) that are finding a connection to Storyland Yoga. One middle school class of severely handicapped kids has adopted Storyland Yoga into their routine three times a week, and apparently it is a favorite among the students. Some of them ask for it every day! These stories, together with receiving the awards that I have such respect for are some of my favorite memories.

MCA: As a new honoree, do you have any questions you'd like some of the "old hands" to answer for you?
Karen: I would be really interested to know how to best maximize all the opportunities that are available through the Mom's Choice Awards®.


MCA: Thanks for joining us today, Karen. We look forward to learning more about the growth of the series and your ventures into television.


Okay, alumni ... how have you taken advantage of the opportunities the Mom's Choice Awards has opened for you? Add your voice to the conversation.

Mom's Choice Awards® Honors


Storyland Yoga with Ahmed Fahmi
by Playful Planet
2011 - Gold, Home and Mobile Viewing
(ages 3 to 8)

Creating a playful planet by empowering kids and their families to be healthy and live sustainably. Playful Planet donates a portion of every one of your purchases to causes that support children, the environment, and the world community. We select A+ causes with the highest integrity and minimal administration costs.




Contact, Connect and Network with Karen




The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.