I am a mom of two boys located in Santa Barbara, CA! Arts and crafts have always been an outlet as a way to destress and relax. Sanuka Kid was created when my son was diagnosed with ASD. I often found that it was hard to capture my sons attention. To get him to sit down and learn anything was extremely difficult because he would become easily frustrated and bored. I started crafting and creating tangible learning tools that made learning fun and brought him joy.

Joy was a key word when it came to naming my business. Sanuka was the first word that came to mind. When I was 18 years old, I traveled to Uganda on a missions trip. I had never been to a foreign country, let alone a country that had such extreme poverty. Despite the poverty surrounding them and the limited resources within the education system, the children we encountered were always filled with happiness and were eager to learn every day. Every day we would pull out our cameras to document our trip and the people we would meet. Before every photo instead of saying 'smile' the children, would say, "Sanuka!" We asked them what this word meant and learned it meant, 'to show Joy’. From then on Sanuka always stuck with me. I have since learned it has other translations such as ‘to be smart, bright,' and 'of fun and enjoyment.' These are all words that embody why I started making these ‘toys/tools’ for my Son in the first place.  I hope Sanuka Kid will encourage your kids to find the joy in learning and make it fun!

-JESSICA