Nowa: the pet that turns routines into play

The learnings & science

All the learning runs through missions.

The pet asks your child for help, and every request comes as a mission: a small, real-world action your child does to care for it. Each mission grows one of three skills, chosen because decades of research tie them to how well kids do later in life.

The daily friction, minus the referee.

Brushing teeth, getting dressed, bedtime, homework start. The routine becomes something the pet needs help to finish, so the follow-through comes from your child.

3× more likelyChildren with the weakest self-control as young kids were about three times more likely to face poor health, money trouble, or a criminal record as adults, whatever their IQ or background.Moffitt & Caspi et al., PNAS, 2011 · Dunedin study, 1,000+ children

Shaped with Dr. Steven Kurtz · Parent-child interaction

Every mission syncs to a real action: tonight's actual toothbrush, this morning's actual shoes. You choose which kinds run, and when, from the parent app.

"Self-regulation works like a muscle. It grows through small, repeated practice, and play is where children practice the hardest."
Dr. Megan McClelland · Executive function · HTKS, used in 31 countries SAMPLE · PENDING APPROVAL

The learnings & science

Built with the scientists who wrote the science.

Those frameworks aren't borrowed second-hand. Nowa was shaped by the researchers behind them: in emotional competence, executive function, and parent-child interaction.

Dr. Susanne Denham

Emotional competence

Professor Emerita, George Mason University

40+ years researching how children process and manage emotions
Creator of CAPSEL and the Affect Knowledge Test

Dr. Megan McClelland

Executive function

Professor, Oregon State University

Co-creator of the HTKS task, used in 31 countries
116+ peer-reviewed publications, cited 23,000+ times

Dr. Steven Kurtz

Parent-child interaction

President, Kurtz Psychology Consulting

ABPP board-certified child psychologist
One of only 21 certified global PCIT trainers worldwide

Dr. David Mou

Mental-health systems

CEO, Benchmark Health Group

Harvard-trained physician (MD and MBA)
Named "Top 10 Under 35 for Healthcare" by LinkedIn

“Children don’t learn feelings from being told about them. They learn by reading them, naming them, and caring for someone who has them.”
Dr. Susanne Denham · Emotional competence · 40+ years of research SAMPLE · PENDING APPROVAL

See how we design each mission with our advisors · Inside the learning & science →

The game mechanic

How it works.

Nowa never assigns chores or grades behaviour. The pet just has needs and feelings. Your child responds, and the loop turns on its own.

The pet feels

Nowa shows a need or a mood in its own sounds and animation. Never human words.

Your child cares

They read what it needs and respond, with care and a little imagination.

The pet grows

Steady care helps it thrive and evolve. The visible reward of showing up.

Your child grows

Calm, routines, and self-regulation form on their own, as a result of the bond.

Pixel-art scene of a child watering a sprout — **Play beats being taught.** Across 17 studies of nearly 3,900 young children, learning woven into play drove bigger gains in early maths, focus, and task-switching than being taught directly.
Skene et al., Child Development, 2022 · meta-analysis of guided play

Why it works

Kids follow through on what they love.

A child will look after something they care about long after they'd ignore a chart or a reminder. So we made caring the whole game, and made the pet worth caring about.

Care for it like a real pet

A real little creature to feed, wash, play with, and tuck in. Caring for someone other than themselves is where the bond starts.

Collect a world of creatures

A whole planet of creatures to collect, each evolving with your child's care, so no two journeys are ever the same.

Games to play side by side

Mini-games and little quests your child and their pet take on together, just for the fun of it.

A world that keeps opening up

Caring unlocks more to enjoy: bedtime stories, songs, and fun-fact podcasts. The more they care, the bigger the world gets.

BRIM

NORI

OLLIE

FLORI

MIKO

PUFFIN

TARO

NORI · CRYSTAL

MIKO · SCHOLAR

TARO · PILOT

BRIM · VIKING

NORI · CORAL

Who might your child meet? Never a set to complete.

MORE REWARDS AS YOUR PET GROWS

Stories

Classics retold, plus original tales from the Nowa universe.

The Fairy Who Collected Lost Giggles4:28

The Lion and the Mouse2:16

The Bunny and the Secret Tunnel6:09

Songs

A morning anthem to start the day, a lullaby to end it.

Spin Around the Sun4:02

Yellow Duck1:27

Whispering Dreams4:01

Podcasts

A curious host and a real expert, on science, nature, and life.

Why Do Planets Spin?10:57

Kick It Like a Pro6:47

Inside a Raindrop12:40

Tap play to hear real samples. Unlocks are part of the game; you decide what's available, always.

Why songs, stories, and podcasts, and why they unlock?+

The rewards aren't filler. Stories build language and empathy, songs anchor routines and calm, and podcasts feed the curiosity that drives early learning. Every piece was chosen for its developmental value and shaped with our child-development advisors. Tying them to care turns showing up into something your child looks forward to: the better they look after their pet, the more of this world opens up. And you stay in control of what's available, always.

Safety & control

The safety isn't a setting. It's the design.

Most apps for kids are built to hold their attention. Nowa is built for the opposite: short, purposeful play that hands your child back to the real world, and an AI that can't say anything you didn't choose.

A natural part of the day, never the center of it.

Like a real pet, Nowa blends into your child's day, checked on here and there, never one long sitting.

Short check-ins of about 10–15 minutes, a few times through the day
No infinite scroll, autoplay, or notifications pulling them back
Every check-in points back out, to real routines, real people, real play

A day with Nowa

A few small moments. The rest of the day stays theirs.

A pet, not an AI companion.

Companion chatbots are built to be talked to, and needed. Nowa is the opposite: a pet your child looks after, nothing more.

Speaks only in sound, motion, and feeling, never human words
No open internet, so nothing it can say that you didn't choose
Its walled AI only reads progress and brings the pet to life, building attachment to the real world, not a screen

♪ prrr… blip!

Nowa speaks in sound, motion, and feeling. Your child does the understanding.

“The safest AI for a child is one with nothing to say, and everything to feel.”
Dr. David Mou · Harvard-trained physician · CEO, Benchmark Health SAMPLE · PENDING APPROVAL

No open internet · COPPA · ASTM F963 · No ads, ever · How we built Nowa safe →

Safety & control

The parent app: you hold every dial.

The app is where your role lives. You shape the routines, you set the limits. What you get back is a warm picture of how your child is growing, never a score.

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Mission Control

Set up the habit routines that fit your family's schedule: mornings, homework, bedtime. The app turns each one into a mission your child's pet needs their help to complete.

See it →

Growth insights

Progress and developmental insights drawn from frameworks shaped by our advisory board, not metrics we invented. You see only what genuinely reflects your child's journey, never noise.

See it →

Stay in the loop

See every mission and how your child did it, and set the pet's bedtime to match your child's. Every byte the game collects is yours. View it, and delete it from our servers anytime. We keep nothing for any other purpose.

See it →

Closed and family-safe. No open internet, no ads, ever. Explore the parent app →

	Audio	Play kits	Tablets	NOWA
Responds to your child	✗	✗	~	✓
Builds a bond over time	✗	✗	✗	✓
Sends them back to real life	✓	✓	✗	✓
Built with scientists	✗	~	✗	✓
No open internet, no ads	✓	✓	✗	✓

From beta families

From the families who tested it first.

Real households, real mornings. Words from the beta program.

My son used to fight me for 20 minutes every morning about his shoes. Now he's racing to get them on because he wants to tell his Nowa pet he's ready for the School Mission.

Mark J. · Dad of a 6-year-old BETA FAMILY

The dashboard actually showed me my daughter was feeling anxious about her math homework before she even told me. It gave us a bridge to talk.

Kate · Mom of an 8-year-old BETA FAMILY

Bedtime went from negotiation to ritual. The pet gets sleepy, so somehow my daughter does too.

Tom R. · Dad of a 4-year-old BETA FAMILY

He was proud of the pet's growth in a way that felt surprisingly personal. He really felt like his care mattered, and that made the progress feel meaningful.

Elena J. · Mom of a 7-year-old BETA FAMILY

It's the first screen I don't feel guilty about. Ten minutes, then he's off building a fort because his pet 'needed' one.

Priya · Mom of a 6-year-old BETA FAMILY

My two trade care tips like little coworkers. Each pet is different, so nobody's comparing scores.

Steph · Mom of a 7- and a 9-year-old BETA FAMILY

I expected another abandoned gadget. Six weeks in, the pet is still fed and my mornings are still quiet.

Alex M. · Dad of an 8-year-old BETA FAMILY

Before you ask

The questions every parent asks.

What age is Nowa designed for?+

Kids ages 3–10, the stage when routines, independence, and emotional habits develop fastest. The experience is age-scaffolded so it grows with your child.

How does Nowa build habits without nagging?+

Instead of you repeating instructions, daily routines become missions your child does to help their pet grow. The pet celebrates wins and encourages them through struggles, so habit-building feels like play, not punishment.

Is there AI in Nowa? Is it safe for young children?+

Yes. A closed, walled AI shapes how the pet feels, remembers care, and chooses missions. It never speaks to your child in human language, has no access to the open internet, and collects nothing beyond what personalizes the experience. It was built with our child-development researchers to support growth, not maximize engagement.

Is my child's experience safe and private?+

The pet doesn't converse, so there's nothing to monitor and nothing to leak. No open internet, content age-scaffolded for 3–10, built to meet COPPA and ASTM F963 standards. You stay in control through topic boundaries, bedtime modes, and usage limits in the parent app.

How much screen time does Nowa involve?+

Nowa is designed to be put down, not stayed on. Check-ins run about 10–15 minutes each, a few times through the day. Short and active, with no infinite scroll, no autoplay, no engagement mechanics. The goal is always to send your child back into the real world.

What happens if my child misses a day?+

Real life happens. Missing a day doesn't erase progress or create punishment, and the pet never dies. Left alone for a long time it may get sad or gently return to its home world, but it can always come back.

How does the parent app work?+

Set routines, see progress, and get warm, narrative insights without more mental load. Basic setup and routine tracking come with the device; full insights, advanced missions, and expert guidance are part of the optional Nowa+ subscription.

When will Nowa be available?+

Pre-orders are open now at $99, shipping September 2026. You can cancel your reservation anytime before it ships.

The pet that turns routines into play.

A pocket-sized pet, not a screen to scroll.

All the learning runs through missions.

The daily friction, minus the referee.

Built with the scientists who wrote the science.

How it works.

The pet feels

Your child cares

The pet grows

Your child grows

Kids follow through on what they love.

Care for it like a real pet

Collect a world of creatures

Games to play side by side

A world that keeps opening up

Stories

Songs

Podcasts

The safety isn't a setting. It's the design.

A natural part of the day, never the center of it.

A pet, not an AI companion.

The parent app: you hold every dial.

Mission Control

Growth insights

Stay in the loop

Calm like Yoto. Developmental like Lovevery. But alive.

From the families who tested it first.

The questions every parent asks.

Reserve your child's Nowa.