Meet Caitlin Spurr Helen Peterson | CO-Founders of For Littles

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caitlin Spurr Helen Peterson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitlin Spurr, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Honestly, the thought process behind starting For Littles™ came from a mix of deep passion and real-life frustration. As parents and educators ourselves, we saw how overwhelming it was to find quality, research-based resources that actually worked in everyday life with young kids. There were so many “Pinterest-perfect” activities and not enough practical tools that supported real development in a joyful, playful way.

We knew there had to be a better option, something grounded in child development and realistic for busy caregivers. So, we created For Littles™ to bridge that gap. Our goal is simple: to empower families and educators with playful, purposeful resources that support pre-reading, language, fine motor, and sensory development from birth to kindergarten.

Every product and course is rooted in research and tested in real homes and classrooms. We truly believe that early childhood matters, and that the small, consistent things we do every day add up to something powerful.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
For Littles™ is all about supporting the earliest years of childhood in a way that’s practical, joyful, and grounded in research. We create tools and courses that help parents, caregivers, and educators build foundational skills for things like language, pre-reading, fine motor, and sensory development, from birth to age five.

What sets us apart is that we’re not here to add pressure or make parents feel like they need to do more. We’re here to help them feel confident doing less, but doing it intentionally. Our resources are designed to fit into real life with little ones: during diaper changes, snack time, car rides, and messy play. We believe development happens in the small moments, and we want to help families make those moments count.

We’re especially proud that everything we offer is rooted in real child development and co-created with pediatric specialists, SLPs, OTs, early literacy experts, and shaped by the realities of everyday parenting. We’re not offering a perfect solution. We’re offering support that feels doable and grounded.

Getting to this point wasn’t easy. Like many small businesses, we’ve bootstrapped everything, from product creation to packaging to marketing, while also balancing parenting and teaching. There were plenty of nights we wondered if this was actually helping anyone. But the messages we get from parents who feel more equipped, or the photos of kids learning through play, remind us this work matters.

One big lesson we’ve learned: progress over perfection, always. Start small. Listen to your community. Don’t be afraid to shift when something’s not working. And trust that impact doesn’t have to be loud to be real.

If there’s one thing we want people to know about For Littles™, it’s this: we’re here for the long game. We believe in equity, in play, in science-backed approaches that respect childhood. And we’re building a world where early education starts with connection, not comparison.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We feel so lucky to call Boulder, Colorado home. It’s a place where the mountains meet creativity, where outdoor adventure and family-friendly community life go hand in hand.

We spend our weekends exploring local trails like Mt. Sanitas, Wonderland Lake, and the iconic Flatirons, always with a snack stash and a nature scavenger hunt ready for the littles. Pearl Street is our go-to for grabbing ice cream, spotting street performers, and browsing local shops. And just down the road, downtown Lafayette and Louisville have their own magic, cozy coffee shops, art walks, and sweet hometown events that make this area feel like one big extended neighborhood.

We also love our community centers, Bob Burger Rec Center is a favorite for swimming and indoor play, and the local water park is a summertime must for splashy fun. And no visit to Boulder is complete without tea and a treat at the Dushanbe Tea House, it’s like stepping into another world, right in the heart of the city.

Boulder isn’t just where we work, it’s where we hike, learn, connect, and raise our own little ones. We’re so grateful to grow For Littles™ in a place that truly values community, creativity, and the wonder of childhood.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oh, there are so many people who deserve a shoutout in the For Littles™ story. But if we had to choose, we’d dedicate this to the educators, therapists, and parents who’ve poured their hearts into helping young children grow, not just the ones we’ve partnered with, but also the quiet heroes who do the work every day without recognition.

We especially want to shout out our incredible collaborators, like the pediatric occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists who helped shape our courses. Their expertise grounded everything we’ve created in real child development, not trends or quick fixes.

And of course, we couldn’t do any of this without the families who’ve believed in us from the beginning. Every time a parent tells us, “This actually helped me feel confident at home,” it fuels us to keep going. This is truly a community effort, and we’re so grateful to be building something meaningful together.

Website: https://www.forlittles.com

Instagram: @_for_littles

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-spurr-forlittles

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forlittlesTM

Image Credits
All images were taken by Caitlin Spur or Helen Peterson, Co-Owners of For Littles