Ollee

Ollee is a digital friend for children aged 8-11 – created by Parent Zone and BBC Children in Need’s A Million & Me initiative. It helps children explore their feelings around subjects like school, family, friends, their body, the world and the internet, and seek the support of their parents or another trusted adult.

Ollee supports conversations between children and parents and helps them to share expert advice with each other through connected accounts.

So how does Ollee work?

Using the app, children can pick a subject they want to talk about, then choose an emotion they are feeling. It could be worried, stressed, happy, confused, or another emotion. With prompts such as, “I feel lonely”, “no one listens to me” or “I’m growing up”, Ollee gives children supportive advice about that subject and how they feel.

Parents and guardians can use Ollee to create an account for themselves, as well as their child. By linking accounts, children and parents can share Ollee’s advice with each other. Adults can also explore the different emotional scenarios their child might be experiencing – which also offer tailored parenting advice.

Ollee is designed to help children express their emotions – and also offers ways to deal with challenging and overwhelming emotions. The app includes engaging wellbeing videos to encourage children to slow down by focusing on mindful activities – such as guided breathing, positive visualisation and taking time to de-stress through art. If a child is unsure how they are feeling, Ollee offers suggestions and advice to help them figure it out. Children can also use their imagination and creativity to customise their very own Ollee.

Having a conversation with a parent or a trusted adult is a valuable way for children to learn how to explore their emotions. However, they can find it difficult to express themselves if something is worrying them. By promoting discussion, Ollee can support a child’s and family’s emotional wellbeing.