All about Jofli

Hi I'm Suzi O'Neill the creator of Jofli Bear. I'm the main contact here but there are other members of Team Jofli that you will meet at various events, please stop and say hello.

The idea for Jofli Bear started in 1998 when I was working in Thailand. I was handed a soft toy that was being passed around the world as part of a school project in the hope it would one day be returned. I took it with me to Australia, and passed it on when I reached South Africa, never to see it again. The soft toy had captured my imagination, and as I continued on my journey I developed ideas of how I could create a companion to share the 'Journey of Life'.

I knew from my travels that memories fade, and details of the places you go and the people you meet are lost forever unless you record them with a photo and a page in a diary. As a child my grandfather wrote diaries and took photos of our family adventures, which are more valuable to me now than he will ever know.

I want to encourage families to record their adventures together, to reflect in years to come on memorable moments and happy times. I want children to explore their surroundings, abilities and opportunities, and encourage hopes and dreams for adventures along their Journey of Life. I want Jofli Bear help to...

Jofli has won his first award and it's a GOLD! The full parent reviews are at www.bizziebaby.co.uk , but here's a taster.

Product Tested By Debbie Harmes – Elizabeth 5 Years
Debbie Awarded the Jofli Bear 4.5/5

My Daughter was delighted the minute she saw him. The website is excellent; you can log your experiences onto the website as well as in the journal. The rucksack is sturdy y ou can also convert it so that the child can wear the bear and backpack separately. The instructions are excellent; it is also very well explained on the website. I think the bear is ideal for any age. My daughter is 5 and has enjoyed filling in parts of the journal, I think a child of 8 or 9 would probably be able to do it alone but I do think it would defeat the object really. In my opinion the whole point of this is shared experiences. My daughter understands that the bear is there to record special times in her life. Jofli has made me spend more time with my daughter doing the important things in life and recording them for the future. Debbie Harmes – Elizabeth 5 Years

Product Tested By Alison Page- Joe 6 Years
Alison Awarded the Jofli Bear 5/5

The quality of the bear is lovely and he is absolutely adorable! I found that the Jofli Bear made our day trips more interesting because Joe was constantly looking out for things that he wouldn’t normally so that he could show the Bear and take pictures of them. Joe definitely enjoyed our trips more often with the Jofli Bear and it also helped to get him involved in decision making. The online platform was fantastic. Joe has started to use the computer a lot more and this website has helped him with his navigation skills, it was also a great way of sharing photos with family. Joe really likes the idea that Jofli Bear is a friend for life and that he is going to be with him whenever he goes out. The Jofli Bear is a fantastic idea for the whole family to create memories that last a lifetime. Alison Page- Joe 6 Years

Product Tested By Kerry Bailey – Joshua 5 Years
Kerry Awarded the Jofli Bear 5/5

The entertainment value of Jofli is excellent. Josh enjoyed drawing pictures of places he had visited in Jofli’s Journal. It has definitely helped with my childs development. Jofli is a good size, and is also easy for a child to carry. Jofli has visited a castle, a museum and even Father Christmas with Josh! It was funny to see Josh explaining to Jofli where he was and was showing him the sights. We did lots of colouring together and Joshua liked reading stories about places that Jofli has been. Overall, a fantastic creation! Jofli is both loveable and educational. Kerry Bailey – Joshua 5 Years

You can follow Jofli Bear on Facebook and Twitter, and read all about his adventures in his Logbooks. To see some of your adventures click on Your Jofli.

Once you've got your bear here are some things you might need to know.

General Instructions
Bear
The hat, scarf and backpack are detachable to surface wash your bear or put on a delicate wash.
New bears may ‘shed’ a little fur, and will gain character as they become well travelled.
You can give him a light brush now and again to smooth his fur.

Register your Jofli
On the red side of the ID card you will find a registration number.
On the home page of this website you will find ‘Register Your New Jofli’
Enter your details and receive an e-mail with your personalised certificate to put in your logbook.

Logbook Pages
My Adventures - Decide what you want to record in your logbook. It might be a day out, a week away, the summer holidays, even a year of special moments. Add the end date when you complete the logbook, and start again with a new one.
Hopes and dreams - As you get older your hopes and dreams will change. Write about what you want right now. When you look back you’ll think ’Why?’, ’When?’ or ’Yes, I did it!’.
Favourites - These will change as well, some more than others.
Diary pages - Write about your adventures, get your friends and family to write in your logbook too.
Photo pages - These pages take a 6x4 photo. You can use glue sticks, tape, or even get some photo corners to slide them in to.
Scrap Pages - You can draw pictures, stick things in, anything you want.
Looking Back/Forward - These pages are there to show you what great things you’ve done, and motivate you to do more!
Use the box as a bookcase to collect your logbooks.
You can buy more diary, photo and scrap pages to add to your logbook, or buy new logbooks for new adventures. (see the online shop)

Backpacks
You can use the detachable backpack as a bag if you want to leave Jofli at home, or better still, strap him in and take him with you!
Clip the strap onto the side rings to use as a shoulder bag, or thread one end of the strap through the handle on the top, then clip it on, to create two loops, and wear as a backpack.
Backpacks come in a variety of colours and can be purchased separately.

Website
Some things to look out for.
Jofli’s Logbooks - Photos of Jofli’s adventures and the people he meets. The most recent ones are in the bookcase at the bottom of the page.
Your Jofli - Photos of your Jofli adventures. Send me a photo to add to the page.
Competition - Every month there is a competition question. Only one winner will get a special Jofli certificate!

Once you have registered your bear, you can login to the ‘My Jofli’ section. This is a secure area and only accessed with your password.

My Jofli
Gallery - Follow the instructions on screen to ‘Add an album’.
Click the ‘Edit’ button in your album to add photos. Follow the instructions on screen. You may have to resize your images before you select from your browser.
Your ‘Title’ may be a few words or a long story. Please note some keyboard functions are not available. i.e. spacing for paragraphs.
When you have finished your album you can click the ‘view album’ button, or ‘back to gallery’ and click on your photo.
This is a great way of sharing your photos with friends and family out of town. Only the people you give your secure password to can see your albums.
Colouring sheets - Print the colouring pages and add them to your logbook.
Stories - Special Jofli stories just for Jofli owners.
Fact Sheets - Fact sheets for a selection of, or make your own with the blank template.