OHIO — For Kayla Lupean, nothing is more important to her than spending time with her daughter, Elsie. One of their favorite pastimes is playing, and the toy they’re currently playing with just happens to be one that Lupean created. 

What You Need To Know

  • According to Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, on any given day in Ohio, more than 9,000 children are living with foster parents

  • For some children, the process of finding a forever home can be traumatic

  • One northeast Ohio woman has created a toy to help kids overcome challenges they may experience while in the foster care system

“Seeing my daughter play with a toy is made is surreal. I mean, this is not a direction I ever saw my life going in. I never thought, 'I’m gonna make a toy,'" Lupean said.

Three-and-a-half years ago, Lupean adopted Elsie. The experience not only taught her a lot about the adoption process, but it gave her insight into foster care, and how something as simple as a toy can combat the trauma children experience from entering and being removed from various homes. 

“I learned about the ages of children going into foster care that they go into foster care typically with nothing. Over 90% of kids don't have one toy that they enter the foster care system with,” Lupean said.

She came up with Play Maysie, a toy with a mission and created with all children in mind.

“Now that I’m a mother to a toddler, I see the importance and value of play for young children," she said.

The doll houses have removable magnetic floors with attached pieces. The little dolls go right inside, allowing children to easily pack up and pick up their portable world of play.

“Even as you're being transitioned throughout different homes, to have this little case where the rooms remain the same, that you can create your own story within these rooms. Really, this is your own little home that they can fully control and tell the story of," she said.

Lupean came up with the idea in December 2020, and with the help of a Kickstarter campaign, more than 500 Play Maysies have already been sold. Money raised through the campaign will help fund manufacturing and production. 

Lupean said she hopes to see Play Maysies in stores within a year, but even more than she looks forward to seeing Play Maysies being enjoyed by children everywhere. 

“Families can hold on to and pass down to the next generation as that one special toy that when you look back at your childhood, this is the toy that you remember playing with," Lupean said. 

For more information on Play Maysie, click here, or to learn about the Kickstarter campaign, click here.