Meet Arlo: Allergy School’s Star Pupil
Arlo is a friendly armadillo with food allergies. He is caring, kind and funny.
Arlo loves making new friends, and helping schools, clubs and groups be more food allergy-friendly. He makes learning about food allergies fun and engaging for everyone.
Arlo makes learning fun!
He is passionate about making a real difference and helping everyone to feel more confident about food allergies.
With your help, Arlo wants to build a safer world so that children with food allergies feel empowered, included and protected.
To make sure that armadillos like Arlo can thrive in the natural world, Arlo wants to protect our environment and preserve our planet’s biodiversity.
Arlo’s origin story
Arlo first came to life in 2025. He was created by The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity.
He is the star of Allergy School, an education programme from Natasha’s Foundation to support children living with food allergies.
The power of puppets
Arlo the Armadillo joins a long list of puppets used to help children learn.
From Kermit the Frog to Dodge the Dog, puppets have been a feature in the classroom and on TV for millions of children over the years.
Their use is backed by a wealth of studies that show puppets can help with children’s language development and vocabulary, enhance story telling abilities, and allow children to effectively express their thoughts and ideas.
But most importantly, puppets like Arlo the Armadillo can make learning fun, delivering important messages in a positive and engaging way.
And if you are having fun, you are more likely to remember the messages you are being taught.
Allergy School worked with celebrated puppeteer Warrick Brownlow-Pike to create and bring to life the Arlo the Armadillo puppet who has food allergies.
Warrick has been a puppeteer since the age of two and is the only British Sesame Street Muppet performer.
For seventeen years he has worked as a puppeteer and content creator for the BBC, including performing Dodge the Dog on CBeebies.
He performed on the Disney movie ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ and most recently worked with Kermit the Frog when he sat in the Royal Box with King Charles at the King’s Coronation Concert. Warrick brought Arlo to life with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity, in 2025.
Warrick said:
“Natasha’s Foundation is teaching such an important message and it’s an honour to be able to help spread that awareness with the use of puppets.
Puppetry is a great tool to grab the attention of children. Puppet characters create a fun and safe environment where serious issues can be discussed with a light-hearted tone.”
Arlo’s birthday is on 6 June. Like a true Gemini, Arlo is clever, imaginative, and very funny! He loves learning, exploring and campaigning with friends to #MakeAllergyHistory.
Why not help us celebrate Arlo’s birthday and raise money for The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and Allergy School.
Have a Purple Day! It’s Arlo’s favourite colour.
Interesting facts about armadillos
What is an Armadillo?
The Armadillo is a mammal found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America.
What does Armadillo mean in Spanish?
‘Armadillo’ is a Spanish word meaning “little armoured one”.
How many hours a day does an Armadillo sleep for?
According to National Geographic, many species of armadillos sleep up to 16 hours per day! They forage in the early morning and evening for beetles, ants, termites, and other insects.
How are Armadillos helping the planet?
Armadillos have strong legs and huge front claws that are used for digging. They also have long, sticky tongues for extracting ants and termites from their tunnels. Their burrows provide shelter for many other creatures, including reptiles, small mammals, and amphibians. These abandoned burrows can become safe havens for species in need of protection from predators and extreme weather.
Armadillos play an important role as ‘ecosystem engineers’. The Giant Armadillo Conservation Project has shown how armadillos create new habitats for other species by digging burrows.
Arlo loves art
Arlo is a very creative armadillo!
He enjoys drawing, painting and crafting. He also loves collecting photos and art, especially from his friends in our wonderful Allergy School community.
Arlo’s Allergy School photo album
