Raising A Mentally Fit Future
One Adventure At A Time
Raising A Mentally Fit Future
One Adventure At A Time
One Adventure At A Time
Every child deserves to grow up with the ability to take charge of their own well-being.
In today's fast-paced and demanding world, children face numerous challenges that can impact their mental fitness. We recognize the critical role early intervention plays in building a solid foundation for physical, emotional and social well-being. That's why at Hugalongs, we believe it is never too early to provide young children with the tools they will need to take on their journey.
Meet Kelly Hull, Founder + Mom
Born out of real-life necessity.
The Story of Hugalongs
Kelly had just found out she was pregnant with her second daughter. Her older daughter had only just started to stand. She wondered, as many parents do, how am I going to be able to deal with the challenges of two young children? Faced with a very set deadline, Kelly created a solution that would enable her to support her daughter through the significant emotional transition she was about to encounter - a new baby sister - while also preparing for and tending to a newborn.
As a junior Olympic dressage rider, Kelly discovered the joy, challenges and therapeutic benefits of riding horses, leading her to pursue a psychology degree, concentrating on neuroscience, from Johns Hopkins University with additional studies at Oxford University.
Building on her strong foundation, Kelly went on to study behavioral science and law through a Master's degree in Social-Organizational Psychology and Leadership from Columbia University, and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania. Her diverse educational background and experiences equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of human behavior, the brain and proven techniques leaders use to stay mentally fit in the face of life's challenges. Now, she just had to present these methods in a way her young daughter would use and understand.
This is how the first Papap Pony Wearable Adventure Buddy, was born, inspired by her love of horses and named by her daughter who at the time could only pronounce 'p' words.
After witnessing the results of the physical and emotional support Papap Pony provided for her daughter, Kelly realized she now had a powerful portable soothing and mental fitness training tool for young children disguised as a cuddly, wearable hobby horse. It was then that Kelly created, tested and launched Hugalongs - the mental fitness training program and tools to help other young children gain the skills they will need to face their own challenges.
