Buffalo entrepreneur Juliana Curtis has invented a game that changes the way that you will look at hopscotch. The 24-year old Buffalo Public School teacher has come up with a game called jWAY, a traveling board game that is easy to assemble, fun to play, and enhances the motor skills of kids six years of age and older. jWAY also gets kids thinking about strategy, while exercising at the same time. “For the past two years I have been inventing, designing and developing a new interactive spin off traditional hopscotch, where players claim spots on the board to win,” Juliana told me. “Kids love this game and it is meant for any child 6+. I designed jWAY to have alternatives to play the game for players/students with special needs and even to help people in physical therapy for balance and/or rehabilitation of their leg muscles. The great thing about this game is that it is designed to bring the outdoor element of hopscotch indoors anywhere you go and is easily assembled and put away in a clear carrying tote, making storage and play easy for families.”
After watching a video on how the game is played (see below), I immediately saw myriad benefits for youngsters who play the game. In an age of video game domination, jWAY is completely different and offers old school exercises with contemporary spins. “This game is fun yet promotes healthy and friendly competition amongst players,” Juliana continued. “As an artist, I have carefully considered the design of the game and instructional inserts because I want people to have a different experience when playing this game. During the time of innovation I was a Buffalo State college student going to school for art education and a recent graduate of SUNY Fredonias Visual Arts program. I have always had a deep appreciation for what the arts can do for a person and a community as a whole.”
Today Juliana is in the process of rolling out the game in a number of ways. Not only is she gaining traction in the game industry, she’s also interested in seeing these games make their way into local elementary schools. In fact, she has offered to donate 45 of the games at the total sum of $3,600. Apparently this young entrepreneur sees the benefit in introducing the game to youngsters as quickly as she can, even if that means picking up part of the tab locally. At the same time, it’s the national market where Juliana will make her mark. “This past February the game was picked up by S&S Worldwide (a dream come true) to be featured in their catalog which is distributed to schools and after school programs nationwide,” she exclaimed. “It has been quite a journey to have even come this far and there have been plenty of hurdles along the way. Being able to see kids finally play this game will be an amazing feeling. jWAY will be launched in October – I will be getting my first round of 500 games in! Games will be available through my website, amazon.com and S&S Worldwide once they come in early fall.”
jWAY Games website | Also see Facebook