Children will Clearly Express What Makes Them Happy...In an era saturated with information about what children should be playing, watching, and the recommended limits on screen time—all while parents navigate the ongoing cost-of-living crisis—one certainty remains: children will clearly express what makes them happy, what excites them, and what brings them alive. Did you know Green Bean Studios has a retail line?  Our Products The Green Bean Collection is a culmination of over 20 years of child development expertise. Our products are thoughtfully arranged, designed, and built to ensure that children can confidently lead their learning. When they pick up our toys, books, and games, they are not just having fun; they are engaging with essential ingredients built into every line and every item. This approach ensures children are hitting key developmental milestones and are being nurtured through the curated collection we have put together.
To take this learning journey further, we invite you to visit our Green Bean & Friends YouTube channel. There, you can watch our live-action Green Bean Shows, like the popular "Green Beans Colours" and "Bedtime" episodes, to extend your child's learning experience. A Note on Screen Time: We recommend this content for children over three years. We encourage limiting screen time—perhaps cuddling up for a 10-minute story show before heading off to the park. 
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Tune in to the Wake Up to Money Show on BBC Radio 5 Live this Easter week! Join guest speaker Anita Frost for a catch-up on all the latest economic news, breaking stories, and an insight into the current state of our economy. Grab a brew and an Easter egg, and listen in! Date: Thursday, 2nd April 2026 Time: 05:00 to 06:00 (broadcast each weekday) Programme: Wake Up to Money on BBC Radio 5 Live This early morning financial radio programme covers a broad scope of business, economics, finance, and technology stories, with a focus on UK domestic business news alongside major international developments. The show features live discussions with a range of interviewees, including company executives, academic experts, business professionals, and members of the public. Expert guests often represent industry trade groups (such as the CBI, IoD, and FSB), university business schools, or regulatory watchdogs. A regular UK markets guest also features, commenting on company, commodities, or currency news and any breaking business stories. Frequent contributors have included Anita Frost (Green Bean Studios) and Justin Urquhart Stewart (Seven Investment Management).  Two Years of Investment Rejection, but Still Making Mass ImpactDespite nearly two years of investment rejection, how do you continue to push forward when your product is making a significant social impact, changing children's lives, and consistently supporting a space in the headlines as having an alarming decline, struggling and at a crisis point?  In this podcast, Anita Frost, the multi-award-winning author, entrepreneur and founder of Green Bean Studios, shares her journey as a Black female entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges of securing investment in a climate where funding for female founders, especially women of colour, remains disproportionately low and has not changed for over two decades. Hear how Anita Frost persevered, ignoring the constant "no's" to secure investment in her brand. Learn about the key backers who supported Green Bean Studios to unlock its potential, expand its network, and reach more young children, helping them to play, learn, and go on adventures with their famous friend, Green Bean. Crucially, discover how the Salford Innovation Sustainability Centre at Salford University—alongside supporters like KPMG and Innovate UK—has provided pivotal backing to help this brand and its founder continue to grow.  Anita's journey as an entrepreneur has been anything but smooth sailing. Her gender, ethnicity, and chosen industry have all thrown up unique barriers to success.
But through these challenges, Anita has built a level of resilience that has put her in great stead to drive Green Bean into its next growth stage through the acquisition of new markets. 00:00 Introduction to the Help to Grow Management podcast 00:19 Anita Frost on building Green Bean 01:17 How the Green Bean idea started 03:46 Creativity, disruption, and entrepreneurial roots 05:41 Creating a purpose-led children’s brand 06:50 The importance of play in a digital world 08:44 Anita Frost on dyslexia as a business strength 11:37 What Green Bean is and how it helps children learn 14:05 Building an IP ecosystem: books, toys, animation, and tech 15:43 Leadership lessons from growing a hybrid team 21:07 Funding Green Bean through partnerships and innovation grants 28:57 Why Anita joined Help to Grow: Management Course 31:32 Clarifying brand messaging, vision, and values 35:47 Green Bean’s impact on speech, reading, and confidence 40:28 Partnerships, scale and future growth 42:21 Taking Green Bean into the US market 43:47 Family influence, purpose, and long-term legacy 44:59 Anita’s advice for Help to Grow founders A recent survey revealed a significant decline in daily playtime for young children. Only half of UK parents with under-sixes now play with their kids every day, a sharp drop & striking statistic in The Sunday Times over the weekend. This lack of playtime is a serious concern, as experts like Play England warn it can negatively impact a child's vocabulary, future reading skills, and overall development.  However, the issue is complex and not solely the fault of parents. Many families are struggling with long work hours, rising living costs, and complicated childcare. A child psychology professor explained, "Because of the cost-of-living crisis, some parents are having to work longer hours, which will take time away from playing with their children, especially if the parents are stressed and tired." She noted that for some, the daily routine is a quick "get up, drop off at nursery, pick up, bath time," leaving no time for fun, messy activities like finger painting. Anita Frost Founder of Green Bean Studios comments "It's important not to assign blame. The focus should be on supporting families to ensure they have the time, space, energy, and the correct products and resources to play with their children. Furthermore, when parents are occupied, for example, making dinner, children should still be engaged with the right toys to support their next stage of development."  Anita is a child development expert, entrepreneur, and author who has won multiple awards. Her accolades include recognition for designing innovative books and toys that fundamentally enhance fun, early-years learning, preparing children for school. The good news is that Green Bean Studios® is actively working to address this. As a multi-award-winning, leading "edutainment" brand based in the Northwest of Manchester, Green Bean supports children under five to play, learn, and go on adventures. The brand's commitment and impact are clear: it has been backed by Innovate UK, invested in by KPMG, and has partnered with the National Literacy Trust for this year's Earth Day. Green Bean is here to stay and is making a significant difference.  Check out how Green Bean supports our little ones in their first fun learning steps through our ranges of children's books, eco toys and games, along with read-along storytelling available on YouTube. At Green Bean Studios, we are committed to the next generation, helping our children to be school-ready and ensuring they can enjoy those early years. By providing the necessary products and resources, we help them have fun in this space. This is more than just fun; it's the foundation for our children to do great things, as play and reading are crucial for them to become our future workforce.
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Editor
Melissa Brannlund is the features writer and editor, for author Anita Frost.
www.anitafrost.com Look out for latest articles on Anita Frost's author website, where we talk about topics including: Business, TV, Music, Media, Publishing and Child development, along with author news and events, and giving back to communities. To book Anita Frost for your event call 0161 524 3778 or book online
Words by Melissa Brannlund: [email protected] For press enquiries please contact: Sara Donnelly [email protected] Categories
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Margaret and Anita discuss some of the lessons learnt from "no-tech" days for early-years children.
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Registered No's: 12235929 - 12919046 VAT: 445 4542 90