Hello,

My name is Taseea and I am the Founder of Ivy Kids. I am a certified early childhood teacher and mother of three. After my second child was born, I became a stay-at-home mom. Trying to entertain two young children at home proved to be more difficult than I had expected. I had a tight budget and could not afford those great early childhood classes. I also became frustrated with the lack of developmentally appropriate educational games available for young children. As a result, I began creating my own projects and activities to keep my children engaged and cognitively stimulated. I wanted the time I spent with my children to be meaningful and not just trying to get the day to go by. I noticed that when the activities were based around a favorite book and characters, my children were more invested. I worked hard to create activities that would encourage problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking. I started making kits for family members and friends that were also staying at home with their kids. I always included one personalized item or activity in the kit for the child, which was a big hit. I received so much positive feedback about the creativity, entertainment, and educational value of the activities that I thought I might try starting a business and sharing the kits with other parents. I have now recruited some other teachers (turned stay-at-home moms) for their expertise. We believe Ivy Kits are a great resource for parents and caregivers looking for creative ways to spend quality time with their children while also helping them build important foundational skills.

Taseea Lainas-Cruz

is the Founder and CEO of Ivy Kids Kits. She is a certified early childhood teacher and mother of three. She earned her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College and obtained her Bachelors of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University. Taseea was a classroom teacher for 6 years in New York City. Taseea researches and develops the games, projects, and activities for each Ivy Kids Kit in her home office in Brooklyn, New York.

 Anna, age 4

Exploring with color paddles 

Maggie, age 3

Painting a sun catcher

Xavier, age 4

Playing letter jump  

Alyssa, age 2 

Creating a frog habitat

Selina, age 3

Working with pattern blocks

Sahil, age 6

Reading the book of the month

Arhman, age 3

Playing Hide the Mice

Aneesa, age 5

 Making patterns

Noah, age 5

Creating a sun catcher

Eliana, age 3

Playing "Runaway from the Cat"