The Story of ChatStix
ChatStix was born in Costa Rica.
We are a family of five from Boston who moved to Costa Rica for two years with our puppy (and duffle bags full of stuff we realized we didn't need).
One day, we came home from school with some friends and found our mom sitting at the kitchen table writing words on colorful craft sticks. She was preparing to teach an English lesson on opposites to our neighbors.
As usual, she asked us about our day. As usual, we replied something like:
“Fine. Good. Boring. Nothing.”
As mom was packing up the sticks, she suddenly had an idea. She asked us to pick a stick and share a story connecting one of the words to anything about our day. It actually was fun and way better than her typical questions. We were inspired to make our own set. We chose 52 words for 26 sticks (A-Z), such as EASY/EMARRASSING ... GRATEFUL/GROSS, and dozens more.
We called them ChatStix.
We kept them in a container on the table and after school or at dinner we all picked a random stick and connected one or both of the words to a story about our day. Our friends would come over and say things like: “I wish we did this instead … You guys should totally sell these.”
We returned home to Boston and with help from The Brookline Makery, we made lots of prototypes for other families to try. The feedback was amazing and inspired us to take our homemade project to the next level.
After almost two years of working to perfect the final product, ChatStix is finally ready to be shared.
We are so grateful to our friends and family, local business owners, and talented designers for helping us get ChatStix from our kitchen table in Costa Rica to homes everywhere.
We really hope you enjoy the stories they'll inspire and welcome your feedback and ideas.
Join us on our mission to get ChatStix on every family table in the US.
xoxo The Whole ChatStix Family
