Toys for Littles: Ms. Rachel Gets a Warm Welcome to the Toy Aisle

Some people call her Rachel Accurso. Some call her their go-to co-parent. One lucky little boy calls her Mama. But to millions of toddlers and preschoolers? She’s Ms. Rachel. 

Accurso is a musician and teacher who launched a YouTube channel, Songs for Littles, in February 2019. Along with her husband, Aron Accurso, the educator creates original content for young children, focused on helping them learn first words and communication skills. Now known as Ms. Rachel — Toddler Learning Videos, the channel boasts more than 12.6 million subscribers and more than 8.8 billion lifetime views. If you’re into math, that’s roughly 4.2 million views daily since it launched. 

For modern families, Ms. Rachel joins Fred Rogers and Jim Henson as legendary child educators. But unlike other toddler idols like Elmo, Daniel Tiger, and Josh and Blue, Ms. Rachel’s face was noticeably absent from the toy shelves — until recently. 

Ask any toddler parent, and they’ll tell you: There’s a magical element to Ms. Rachel’s videos — one even toy executives can’t ignore. Laura Henderson, Executive Vice President & Head of Early Learning at Spin Master, was determined to connect with Ms. Rachel after watching her videos while she was home on family leave with her son Sam. “The more we watched [Ms. Rachel] together, the more I realized that she wasn’t just helping him to learn; she was helping me to be a better parent. She was giving me this blueprint for how to play with him, whether it was nursery rhymes or songs or activities,” Henderson explains. “Ms. Rachel’s created this early-learning platform, and it’s going to change how parents discover toys, recommend toys, and play with their children,” she continues. 

Henderson set out to find the popular YouTube personality in real life. “I joined all the local New York parenting groups. I contacted friends of mine on Broadway, given Mr. Aron, her husband, is a really talented Broadway musician. I just tried to  find them in any way that I could. And I had this vision in my head just of having coffee with her, mom-to-mom. I was like, ‘If I could just meet her, we can have coffee, and I know that we’ll hit it off,’ she says. 

And they did. 

Spin Master first announced Ms. Rachel’s toy line in November 2023 and revealed the collection of playthings last August. The super soft, bright, sensory-friendly toys feature key themes from the YouTube series and Ms. Rachel’s likeness. The standout favorite among caregivers and kids alike, the Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll, sold out on preorder in mere minutes. Parents on TikTok posted videos of themselves crying in parking lots after not finding the doll at their local retailers. But since the initial chaotic flurry of excitement, the doll has been restocked multiple times, with thousands sold at retail.

Touted as the “it” toy of the holiday season, the doll earned a spot on The Toy Insider’s Hot 20 list; landed on top toy lists from Amazon, Target, and Walmart; and was named a Toy of the Year finalist. 

“Based on sales from Toys ‘R’ Us stores and insights from September’s industry data, Ms. Rachel has grown to become a new top brand in the infant and preschool space,” says Mary Cacciacarne, Vice President of Global Merchandising and Consumer Brands at Toys “R” Us. “[Her] content is entertaining, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. The toy line adds a hands-on, tactile element to guilt-free screen time.” 

And while Ms. Rachel has been producing YouTube content since 2019, the toy line came together in less than a year. 

Ms. Rachel has a mere 119 videos on her channel. While some YouTube creators post new content daily, Accurso takes time to create her educational videos, often featuring original music, choreography, puppetry, and so much more. For her and her team, it’s a game of quality, not quantity. The same approach was applied when it came to creating her first toy line.

“It was a huge deal for her to put her trust in us,” says Henderson. “We knew this couldn’t be a cursory ‘slap her face and her logo on a toy and call it a day.’ They have to really be an expression of who she is and how she teaches.” 

And Ms. Rachel agreed. “I really wanted the toys to spark imaginative play, learning, and joy,” she explains. “It was also really important to me that the toys be high quality and affordable and that they have long-lasting value as children grow.”

So, they called in the professionals: A group of seasoned toy designers who also happen to be moms. Chelsea Carter and Kate Lewis-Derose are partners at Katch Studio, a toy design firm known for working on several well-known toy brands, including GUND, Skip Hop, Itzy Ritzy, Fashion Angels, and more. Along with Erin Knowlton-Brown, an in-house design lead at Spin Master, the trio worked directly with Ms. Rachel to concept, design, and create toys targeted toward kids and their caregivers. 

“They were like, ‘We have this impossible task to bring this amazing person all these toys to market in one year, on shelf next fall.’ And we were like, ‘Whoa.’ [Then they said], ‘Oh yeah. And she has no branding and no style guide,’ explains Carter, recalling her first conversation with Henderson before boarding the Ms. Rachel toy train. 

“The dream team and collaboration is the only way this ever could have happened,” adds Knowlton-Brown. 

Unlike legacy brands, Ms. Rachel didn’t yet have a complete style guide to utilize when creating consumer products, including toys. Instead, Carter and Lewis-Derose worked on creating one for her, along with the team at Spin Master. They developed the logo, iconography, color palette, backgrounds, and even two custom fonts named after Ms. Rachel-inspired phrases, including “Hi, Hello” and “So Happy.” 

“[Her videos] all just feel charming and loose, but with this educational spirit,” says Lewis-Derose. “We had to create a visual language that you could recognize as [Ms. Rachel], so we just took her spirit and the way that she makes people feel and we tried to interpret that into art.”

Every element of Ms. Rachel’s new branding was intentional. The colors reflect her iconic outfit, the music notes highlight the importance of music, the curvy lines represent the ups and downs of development and parenting. The design is happy, playful, and, most importantly, Ms. Rachel-approved!

“The first few pitches, we were in her apartment, sitting on the floor. She brought us popsicles and juice boxes. Ms. Rachel has the best snacks,” says Carter. “It was a lot different than getting a licensed style guide, working, and submitting something into a portal and never kind of talking to the person — we were in her living room with her.”

“The entire process has really felt very personal,” adds Knowlton-Brown. “[Ms. Rachel] has never done this before and I think that was to her advantage. She was so open and creative with us and really excited. Her energy is so infectious and that’s just who she is, and it was so cool to get to do that from scratch with her.”

And with the brand identity locked in, it was time to play. 

After countless hours of research, watching Ms. Rachel’s videos on repeat, singing along to “I’m So Happy” and “Icky Sticky Bubblegum” for days on end, the toys started to take shape. The design team looked at what people were handmaking and selling on Etsy, along with toys Accurso demonstrates in her show, like finger puppets, rattles, instruments, role-play sets, and more. 

They experimented with different fabrics, textures, and materials. They identified which key elements from the show needed to be present in the toys and worked to perfect the character likenesses. Perhaps most importantly, they thought outside the box — even when it came to an actual box. 

A recurring feature in Ms. Rachel’s videos is the surprise box. Accurso sings a song and encourages kids to say “open” to find out what is hiding inside her special surprise box, so it came as no surprise that her toy line would include one. The box helps teach kids about object permanence while also letting them practice fine motor skills. 

Ms. Rachel’s Surprise Learning Box is a super soft, plush box with six accessories: a Bean Bear stuffed animal, a bunny, a bus, a scarf, a plush carrot, and pretend bubble gum. But this box is more than just a box that comes with stuff — it also features four learning environments. On one side, kids can play peek-a-boo with Ms. Rachel; on another, they can bring the bunny or bear to the playground to slide down the slide, or, they can tuck their stuffies into bed and even give them a bath. The surprise box is a skill-building activity that combines so many play patterns while also reinforcing healthy activities and helping kids get used to their daily routines — it’s like a parents’ dream toy. 

And then, there’s the Speak & Sing Doll — the crown jewel, or in this case, the pink headband — of the collection. The soft, cuddly doll looks just like the YouTube star. Kids can squeeze one hand to cycle through four iconic songs from the show or the other to hear one of 15 phrases — all in Ms. Rachel’s real voice. Reinforcing the themes from her show, kids will hear Ms. Rachel encourage them to be active, say first words, and be reminded that they’re great kids.

“I’m so glad little ones can be comforted by the doll and enjoy favorite songs and techniques away from the screen,” Accurso says. “She embodies qualities from the show, like unconditional love and kindness — though if the doll were literally me, it would be ‘tired mom doll’ with a mom bun and a little cup of lukewarm coffee!”

In addition to the Speak & Sing Doll and Ms. Rachel’s Surprise Learning Box, the initial product assortment also includes Take-Along toys featuring Herbie, a puppet voiced by Mr. Aron; a bunny-shaped soft rattle; a plush Learning Farm that opens up like a soft book; and even a yellow school bus tummy time toy. 

With a core audience of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, the toys range in price from $6.99-29.99. Similar to other brands for young children, like Fisher-Price’s Smart Stages technology or Lovevery’s thoughtfully designed play kits, the toys can also grow with kids. 

“Making my toys accessible was such an important priority from the start,” says Accurso. “With my show, I’m able to reach so many children, and I wanted the toys to be equally within reach. Part of that was ensuring we had accessible prices, and part of that was about making sure we made toys that lasted in the playroom for more than a few days and had value to kids and parents over time.”

With thousands of videos posted to Instagram and TikTok of parents finding the Ms. Rachel doll and toy line, one thing is crystal clear: The caregivers seem just as excited as the kids to see Ms. Rachel come to the toybox. 

“This is the most highly anticipated thing I’ve ever worked on before, and the response being so positive, it’s so emotional,” says Knowlton-Brown. “It’s why we do what we do. It reminds me of why I wanted to be a toy designer in the first place, and it’s been such an emotionally positive journey all along,” she adds.

Adults are seen marveling at their children’s reaction to the doll, gushing over her voice, and bragging about their newfound “favorite relative” status after gifting the toys. To say that these toys bring a LOT of joy is an understatement. 

“The response has been overwhelming,” Accurso says. “It’s so heartwarming to see children delighted with the toys. I watch every video, and my cheeks hurt from smiling!”

Each toy also comes with a learning card, which provides play ideas for caregivers to use the toys differently and engage in playtime with their kids. 

“Interactions between caregivers and little ones are so important and build little one’s brains. The toys are designed to inspire interaction,” explains Accurso. 

Since the toys’ launch, Ms. Rachel has also released a “play along” video that uses the Surprise Learning Box so kids can play with Ms. Rachel in real time. Proving that her brand is all about helping kids learn, she even provided free, at-home printables to go along with the video, so if families don’t have the $19.99 Surprise Learning Box, they can still play together and enjoy the content. 

“I think one of the things I’m most proud of is the team really understood the core of the brand and were really principled about what needed to be true. [These toys] are about helping parents to support their child’s development,” Henderson says.

In addition to the original toys launched in 2024, new products recently launched in January, including the Bean & Potty Play Set, which helps with potty training; the Phonics Puzzle, which features the “Phonics” song; and the Zoo Finger Puppet Set. And there’s even more on the way — the team says they are designing into 2026, so families have much to look forward to. 

“There are so many amazing things coming. We can’t wait for everyone to see,” says Carter. “We’re really focused on supporting all of those early childhood learning milestones. You’ll see a nice breadth of offerings. We’ve included a lot of the fan favorites, including favorite songs, favorite lessons, and favorite characters,” Henderson adds.

Spin Master’s collection of Ms. Rachel toys is available now in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand markets. The rollout will continue into additional countries later this year. 

Bye, bye, friends! We’ll see you again real soon.

A version of this feature was originally published in The Toy Book’s 2025 International Innovation Issue. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!