What is Leemo?
Leemo is a friend you can make for children that is created from a sticky toy that slowly creeps down the inside of any empty bottle when it's turned about. When I first made Leemo for kinder children I work with and for, I added a googly eye to the sticky toy so that children can better empathise with it as a living creature. Interacting with Leemo allows children to explore how their own actions may affect the emotional state of others, and also explore how the actions of others may affect themselves and recognise how that may impact upon them.

These sticky toys, which are round with small nodules covering them, can sometimes be called Creeblers or Creepy Wall Crawlers, depending where you purchase them from.

I’ve added links further on this page to where they can be purchased through Amazon within the Australia and the US, but for full disclosure, these are affiliate links that can help support me in creating further teaching resources and illustrated children’s books.

At the end of this page, you’ll also find a Tutorial Video I made about how to make you own Leemo, along with Downloadable and Printable PDF versions of all that’s discussed here as well as a Leemo Care Sheet for children.

How does Leemo Work?
The curious thing about Leemo is that they'll slowly roll down the side of the bottle they live in as long as the bottle is tilted or handled gently. The moment someone shakes the bottle, however, Leemo will freeze in place and sticks to the inner walls, unmoving and held in place by the agitation as it increases the physical tension that Leemo needs to adhere to any surface. Shaking the bottle, however, increases this tension to a point where Leemo becomes immobile until that agitation has passed.

Leemo tends to work best in squared bottles as the flat surface seems to be more encouraging of Leemo’s movement within their bottle. Given that the toy that Leemo is created from can be considered a choking hazard, it’s recommended that any empty bottle used to home them is one that has the lid glued in place or at least held with tape. Electrical tape, or something similar that has a pliable, stretching property is best for this as it will mould itself to any lip or rim that the lid may have.

Why is this Important?
Leemo’s reaction of freezing in place when their environment is unsettled is a helpful way of explaining to children how this can happen too with people.

As adults, we may know of this as being the Fight or Flight response, when a situation is unsettling for them and it can make them shut down and be unresponsive, essentially a reaction that ties in with flight or fight responses. Though children may or may not understand the purpose of this term, the meaning behind it is made clear through their own interactions with Leemo.

When I first presented Leemo to children, many of them were curious as to how Leemo moved and responded to their handling of the bottle. Some did indeed shake it to see that Leemo would in fact freeze in place, but only the once. As Leemo's bottle was passed around by some 14 or so children as they sat in a circle, everyone's movements and handling of Leemo became much more gentle and considered.

With the children spending close to 20 minutes passing Leemo's bottle amongst themselves (quite a considerably long time for toddlers), it was only for the first several minutes that any one of them shook the bottle. The remaining time was one of great care and affection, with the children even talking in much quieter tones to avoid frightening Leemo. They reached their own acceptance of knowing that they in fact had some sway in Leemo's reactions based on their own actions, and they made the choice to respond with great care.

This activity and interaction invites children to consider empathy, how their actions affect others, and how they themselves are affected by the acts of others. The agitation of Leemo's bottle, and how doing so would halt any progress or calm movement, was a good analogy for stressors and how we can respond to others affected by them.

Note: Placing two Leemos together in a bottle will limit their movement, as they will stick together at all times. This, however, can also be used as an activity to convey a message about connections and community if you wish to do so.

Introducing Children to Leemo
When first introducing children to Leemo, you want them to have a connection with it as a living creature, given that its purpose is to help promote empathy in others. Before ever shaking Leemo’s bottle, I always ask Leemo if it’s okay to do so – something that also teaches the children about consent – and if Leemo allows it after I hold the bottle to my ear for their reply, I only shake the bottle for a moment or so to demonstrate how it affects them. Sometimes Leemo is agreeable to this, other times they say they’d like to wait a moment as we continue to discuss how Leemo moves and the meaning behind that. I also make a point of asking Leemo if they’re okay after this to further highlight that we can all acknowledge our actions when they affect others.

As Leemo can be considered a choking hazard and is best kept within their bottle, I’ve found the best (and most amusing) method of dissuading children from uncapping the bottle or removing any tape is to tell them that Leemo does in fact like to eat socks – either spare socks in the children’s bags or upon their feet. No children who’ve been told of this make any further attempt to open Leemo’s bottle, and nor do they seem intimidated by this prospect, rather regarding it as a cheeky, odd trait that Leemo has. I also explain to them that Leemo may be frightened if they do roam too far and wind up alone in the outdoors, something that the children regard with concern and care, wanting to ensure Leemo is kept safe and comfortable.

One of the questions that I have also been asked by children when introducing Leemo to them is this... Is Leemo real? My reply to this at all times, not wanting to outright deceive the children is always, “Do you want Leemo to be real?” So far, not one child has answered, No.

I bring this up as a suggested reply to this because it’s important. Offering a child this opportunity to decide for themselves if they wish to grant Leemo some sentient autonomy is not only an exercise in imaginative thinking and play, but it is also a conscious act on the child’s part of practicing both empathy and affinity. They are making the choice of offering worth to something they don’t have to, and regarding that entity with consideration.

What Children May Benefit from with Leemo
As stated, Leemo can offer children a means of exploring empathy as a practical activity that explores how stressors can create a Fight or Flight response in others, but there are also other ways that Leemo’s movements and actions can assist in teaching children.

·       Leemo as a Sensory Aid

o   Leemo can also be used as a calming activity for children to find a place of calm as the movements that will allow Leemo freedom to move are ones that are gentle and thoughtfully measured.

·        Leemo as a Cognitive Activity

o   Leemo can also be used as a cognitive activity by using either a permanent or white-board marker to draw lines upon their bottle, forming something much like a maze. This allows the children to explore movements that take into account how Leemo may pivot in movement due to the weight of their eye, encouraging them to take considered thought in how they manipulate Leemo’s bottle to follow any path drawn upon it.

You may find many other uses for Leemo yourself, and more importantly children may also. I hope you and any children you teach or care for find as much use for Leemo as I have!