THE CREATOR of UEFA’s official mascot for Euro 2024 visited a Flintshire primary school as part of a national teaching pilot scheme. 

Internationally renowned toy and entertainment company, Toikido, which last year released its Roblox game, 'Piñata Smashlings' to much acclaim, has partnered with education experts iChild to engage young learners and encourage their passion for creative academic subjects.

The company, which created Euro 2024 mascot 'Albärt', has now set its sights on supporting primary schools teaching KS1 and 2 music and art in a nationwide pilot, which visited Westwood Community Primary School in Buckley on Monday.

Toikido provided Westwood Community Primary School with a free resource pack containing three lessons supporting the music and art curriculum for KS1 and KS2, as well as extension ideas for art and design and English.

The packs have been designed to blend learning with fun by featuring beloved game characters from Piñata Smashlings.

Utilising music from the upcoming Piñata Smashlings album 'Smashling Hits', students learnt about the importance of pulse, rhythm, and sound effects, which they will later use to create their very own musical story. They also undertook a range of art activities including designing their own Piñata Smashlings character.

Accompanied by several colourful costume characters, Grammy award winning producer and Toikido’s head of music, Jason Perry, will visit 20 selected schools across the UK from April 16 to May 23 with exciting lesson-plans, attractive activity books, as well as free toys for each child.

Lynne Brown, deputy head at Westwood Community Primary School, said: “The staff and children are delighted to be part of Toikido’s Piñata Smashlings’ school tour.

"At Westwood we encourage physical play and collective participation and recognise that learning and fun go hand in hand. I know that being part of this exciting initiative will enhance the learning journey of our pupils -  creating lasting memories that they will treasure.”

Jason Perry added: “It was a real pleasure to visit Westwood Community Primary School and see the children’s excitement as they took part in our Pinata Smashlings themed music and art lessons as well as meet some of their favourite characters from the game.

“Toikido’s success has been built on creativity, innovation and having fun and we are delighted to replicate these pillars in our exciting school tour for so many schools across the country.

“It has been claimed educational reforms have sidelined subjects like music and art, and so Toikido is keen to encourage the value of creativity and inspire the next generation of artists, designers, musicians, and writers."

Founded in 2020, Toikido creates captivating toys for emerging digital brands. Its growth and creativity have led to comparisons with Aardman, the world-famous animation studio, and the creators of Wallace & Gromit.

The studio is dedicated to developing its own exceptional intellectual properties (IP) across all entertainment genres, and offers an ecosystem across licensing, gaming, music, marketing, and entertainment. Its team includes Grammy and BAFTA winners, inventors, as well as social media, IP, and tech experts.