About
Squiggle was created during lockdown to help my family stay in touch in a fun, engaging way.
The Squiggle back story
Squiggle was borne out of watching my two young children trying – but struggling with – the strange new, awkward world of video calls during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seeing how much they wanted to be with their grandparents and friends (and vice versa), and how deprived of this important contact they suddenly were, got me thinking back to simpler times. The ‘noughts and crosses’ and ‘hangman’ pencil-and-paper games I loved playing as a child with my parents. And how my wife Jo would squiggle on a napkin and challenge our kids to turn it into a picture if they started playing up in a restaurant (a game she used to play with her dad).
As a web developer I realised I could recreate the pencil-and-paper experience online and provide a safe, secure space where loved ones can still play with, talk to and entertain the children in their lives, wherever they are in the world. What I didn’t anticipate was how much Squiggle would benefit my wife and me – and in turn our friends and their families! Before we knew it the kids were asking to ‘Squiggle Grandma and Grandad’ and we suddenly found an hour or so a day of “virtual” childcare while we worked from home in lockdown.
Nothing can replace the physical time kids spend with their friends and families, but at a time when connection and hugs are so limited, I hope Squiggle can help.
Dan
Founder and dad of two
