Fleggybob Fenomenon

Like some of the most interesting ideas, Fleggybobs comes from humble beginnings. In fact, the idea came about when Jenny – creator, crafter, one-time teaching assistant and qualified counsellor wanted to help raise funds for her sons’ school:

"I wanted a way to help raise money for some new playground equipment for my sons’ primary school. I offered to do a craft stall at the local craft fair and asked other parents for donations of craft materials. I’d originally planned to make an enormous teddy out of pom-poms made from the donated wool bundles but I soon realised, well after a good few hours, that I’d been a bit ambitious, so decided to put a face and feet on my efforts and create a new creature. I called it a Fleggybob."

"I went from thinking of a name to creating a whole back story of where my newly named Fleggybob lived, how it came down from the attic at night to nibble on bits and bobs, the songs it sang, and before you know it the idea of Fleggybobs had literally grown legs and I’d opened up a whole can of worms for these woollen companions!"

"Unbeknown to me the head teacher told the children all about the Fleggybobs in the school’s attic and if they wanted one then they’d be available to buy one at the craft fair. I’d only made a handful thinking that a few children might feign an interest but, on the day, there was a queue of around 70 children! We had to take orders to make sure that every new-found Fleggybob fan would get their hands on one."

"Children kept asking me all sorts of questions about Fleggybobs: what they ate, where they slept and much more. As a child I remember writing a book on how to look after your pet worm, so I developed this into Fleggybobs – The Handbook. The first copies were photocopied in black and white and stapled together."

"I had done a children’s writing course and sent a copy to my tutor. He encouraged me to get some business advice and so, with the help of friends and family, I went on to self-publish The Handbook. I decided to put instructions on how to make your own Fleggybob and supply a kit with all the necessary bits to make a mini Fleggybob."

"This was mainly borne out of my fatigued fingers from making Fleggybob after Fleggybob, but also because I was passionate about children using their imaginations and getting creative in a hands-on way. That’s why I put the birth certificate in the kits – it gave the activity a different dimension whilst personalising it. I realised the more Fleggybobs that were made the more questions children were having about them: how they came to be in schools, why they sing at night and many more. So, I wrote Fleggybobs – The First, the story of the first ever Fleggybob and how he came to make a friend."

"The story also dealt with issues like fitting in. The children at school were getting super excited about them and the reception teacher was using it as a settling in activity for the new kids. That’s why I developed the school resource."

"At a time when Google was still a noun rather than a verb, Facebook was in its infancy and you’d be going down the doctors if something went viral, I never really expected the idea of Fleggybobs to be talked about outside of the school let alone beyond the borders of Norfolk! The local media picked up on Fleggybob fever and I endearingly became known as the Fleggy lady."

"Then came the Fleggybobs really big break. Heathrow airport had a minor incident which delayed lots of very bored children. Their emergency team had been instructed to find a toy manufacturer with unique activity kits to give to the children. They somehow came across my website and ordered several thousand books and kits. I spent the whole night packing them! As a result of this the Fleggybobs flew off all over the UK and abroad."

"I had an influx of enquiries asking me to do what was now known as a Fleggy Workshop at a school or children’s club or party. I couldn’t manage this by myself, so I enlisted children’s entertainers to go and do it on my behalf."

"The Fleggy phenomenon grew. I had letters and emails from children, parents and teachers alike from all over the country, some abroad, telling me Fleggy tales – tales of Fleggybobs helping children overcome a fear of school, and parents who loved having an alternative to TV and computer games. From festive Fleggybobs to themed ones, so many people seemed to have caught Fleggybob fever – even royalty! A school in Windsor sent the Queen one for her 80th birthday and received an official letter thanking them for the Fleggybob and saying that she hoped her corgis would make friends with it."

"It seems Fleggybobs have a somewhat philanthropic side too, with hundreds making their way to African schools as well as Polish and Romanian Orphanages. They’ve also proved useful tools for tackling mental health in children. Because of the unexpectedly important role they were playing in children’s development and emotional wellbeing I knew I couldn’t let Fleggybobs fade away."

"Having gone on an extended hiatus to raise my boys and pursue a career in counselling, I neglected Fleggybobs. 15 years after it was created, and with no social media coverage, I was surprised to receive an email from a teacher in the UK. Her daughter, who had grown up playing with Fleggybobs, had qualified as a teacher in New Zealand, taking her mother’s Fleggybob school resources with her. Her mum contacted me to beg for new materials as Fleggybobs had become folklore in the school, and new children were disappointed that they didn’t have the chance to find out about Fleggybobs for themselves."

"After some searching it soon became apparent that despite the lack of promotion, children all over and beyond the UK had come to believe in Fleggybobs. I listened to what Fleggybobs had been achieving in my absence and what it meant for children, parents and teachers. I ultimately decided to reinvent the idea in order to maximise its potential to tackle environmental, educational, social and emotional issues using children’s natural capacity for play."