BEIJING, January 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ --
Babytree, the most influential parenting website in China, announces the arrival of Mika World, a series of products for at-home early education. With the introduction of this product line, Babytree hereby enters the at-home early-education market on the strengths of its five-year leadership position among parenting sites. Furthering its long-held dream of "helping to raise a new generation of healthy, kind, bright, and courageous Chinese," Babytree now not only provides an online platform for parents to connect and swap ideas, it also extends itself into their homes, accomplishing a perfect union between the internet and the education domain.
While most traditional preschool education begins at age 3, modern-age child-development experts believe that, prior to kindergarten, at-home early education can play a key role in the capability exploration and character formation of a young child. "Unfortunately, for most young Chinese parents, even as they appreciate the importance of a solid early-childhood home education, they simply do not have the time nor the know-how to do it properly, and usually end up missing out on a critical developmental phase for their children," laments Dr. Hongmei Zhao, a noted child-development expert from Peking University.
Hence, Allen Wang, founder and CEO of Babytree and the man behind Mika, in launching "Mika World", introduces this new concept of "at-home early education" to parents through the Babytree website and other channels.
"Every month, an 'early ed kit' will arrive at each subscriber's home, consisting of a variety of scientifically verified and meticulously produced products specifically tailored for the developmental needs based on each child's age. From a DVD to an interactive book, from a picture book to a toy and/or arts & crafts kit, our early-ed package is a set of products that work in concert to provide everything a family needs to foster the learning and development of their child."
Developed by a leader in the online parenting space, that crosses over into the realm of education, "Mika World" was painstakingly put together over a two-year time span that involves a team of several hundreds, an investment of close to 100 million RMB, and countless sleepless nights. "Everyday on Babytree, we see parents not only eagerly learn and share about child-rearing tips, but also discuss and fret about the education and development of their children," adds Mr. Wang. "We realized that, Babytree cannot simply stay as the leading platform for online parents, we needed to help them with exceptional educational products for home use."
The 'Mika' in Mika World refers to the title character which is a little dinosaur. "Dinosaurs are one of children's favorite animal forms all over the world. Mika World begins with what happens around Mika the dinosaur," Mr. Wang explains. As for the name Mika itself, Allen says, it is the name of the childhood best friend of his US-born son Alex. "My hope is that Mika will become part of the family for thousands of homes, helping parents and providing companionship for children just like Alex. Just like my mom did years ago as she held my hand as I first walked into my elementary school, or my dad, as he followed behind on a bike, projecting a protective shield as I encountered my first bully, we hope that Mika will accompany each and every child as they grow up."
Known as the Father of Guge (the Chinese name for Google) for his role in bringing Google to China, and the Father of Babytree for co-founding the website, Allen Wang has now added a new title as the Father of Mika. Meanwhile, many experts in early education are eagerly watching and have high hopes for this brand-new early-education product. "What Babytree is doing is that it's turning our theoretical studies into reality. With Mika, we're getting a product with the most in-depth understanding of what today's parents and children need in China. This is what makes this product launch such an exciting event for the early-education field," says Zhongxiao Cong, Director of the China Children Center.
Mika World is now available for subscription. For more detailed information, please visit Babytree at http://www.babytree.com and the Mika World website at http://www.mika123.com.
