Always on
This project successfully funded on 4th May 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
JamUp! Virtual Pets for Kids with Additional Needs
Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Aim
Help our 13 virtual pets support children with extra needs to stay hydrated, prepare for periods, and manage bag-packing.
Who We Are
Jam Up! is more than just an app, it’s a labour of love, shaped by lived experience and a deep understanding of the everyday challenges faced by families with children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
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Founded by Rachael, a physiotherapist and PhD student, Jam Up! was inspired by her own journey supporting her autistic son with daily tasks like getting dressed and brushing his teeth. Knowing how overwhelming routine activities can become, she set out to create something that would genuinely help.
Jam Up! uses cute pets, personalised routines, and gentle gamification to help children with additional needs build essential life skills. The app also gives parents and carers daily top tips and practical support videos, offering the right help at the right time.
But Jam Up! is about more than getting ready, it’s about building confidence, independence, and a sense of achievement. Working closely with healthcare practitioners, we’ve created engaging content, fun visual support videos, and a lovable pet guide who helps children through each step, making routines more enjoyable for them and less stressful for parents.
Why we need your help
Since launching on the App Stores in February 2025, Jam Up! has welcomed over 2,500 downloads, clear evidence of how many families are searching for practical, accessible support.
We’re proud to have achieved the National Autistic Society’s Kitemark and NHS DTAC approval. But we’re most proud of the difference we are making in families’ lives. For the first time ever, young people like Iwan are brushing their teeth and getting dressed independently, supported by countdown timers and encouraging prompts from their new pet companion.
Families have also been telling us about other challenges their children face, and how they’re not getting the help they need. That’s why we’re ready to build the next set of tasks, the ones families have told us matter most.
What are we Crowdfunding for?
1. Eating and Drinking
Many children find eating difficult, not just eating healthy foods, but in some cases managing to eat enough at all. For children with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), this goes far beyond fussy eating.
Parents need practical, everyday support: gentle food exposure like smelling foods, taking sips of drink or blowing bubbles, sensory-friendly strategies that make mealtimes less stressful, and clear, actionable guidance from dietitians and healthcare professionals. We want all of this to be easily accessible within the Jam Up! app.
2. Packing a Bag
Parents need simple, practical tools to help their child learn how to pack a school bag, from visual checklists and hands-on practice with zips, to predictable routines that make the task feel manageable. They also need professional guidance that supports independence, such as keeping spaces uncluttered and reducing decision overwhelm.
3. Managing Periods
Families have told us they need gentle, step-by-step support to help their autistic child manage periods. This includes clear visual guides, predictable routines that reduce anxiety, and practical advice from healthcare professionals so parents can feel supported through this important transition.
We want to help families reduce friction and frustration, cut down on constant reminders, and build healthy routines into the day in a way that is gentle, gamified, and rewarding.
4. Better Games
Right now, our 13 Jam Up! pets don’t get to have quite enough fun! Lots of children have asked us for more interaction. They want to let them go on adventures, earn gifts, and celebrate progress, rewarding children for their amazing efforts in completing tasks.
Why We’re Crowdfunding
We’re raising funds to build these three new, engaging, family-led tasks. As with all Jam Up! content, they will be designed alongside families, specialists, and children themselves.
How You Can Help
We’d love our community to be part of the solution.
-Download Jam Up! for free
-Share our campaign so we can reach more families
-And if you’re able, support the Crowdfunder to help us build these essential new tools.
Check out our rewards
Thanks to generous support from Harry Specters Chocolate, Born Anxious, Samson Clothing, The Masons Arms, Comfa Clothing, Taylors Restaurant, PANDAS and Bealies Adaptive Wear we have a wonderful range of rewards available
Please Support Our Campaign
Help us bring our three new tasks to life and continue our mission to make mornings easier, happier, and more empowering for families.
Your support means the world to us, and will make a real, lasting difference in children’s everyday lives.
Let’s build something that truly helps, together.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made