From archery lessons to finger painting sessions, the Bay Area is chock full of classes for kids of every age and interest. Danny Montoya, a San Francisco dad and former teacher, hopes to add one more totally unique offering to the Bay’s wide repertoire of kids activities: a woodworking studio called The Butterfly Joint . He recently launched a Fundable project to crowd fund the studio where kids will build and create like never before. Read on to find out what The Butterfly Joint is all about, why it’ll be a great San Francisco addition and how you can help.

What Is The Butterfly Joint?
The studio is a children’s only learning space for young carpenters ages 4 and up to get a chance to tackle wood pieces and turn them into viable creations like a book caddy, tool box, doll house, picnic boards and more. Parents who fear loose parts won’t have to worry — all items are assembled by joining slats of wood together so the results are screws and nails free, but just as sturdy… if not more.

Led by Danny Montoya (whose resume is impressively kid-centric: He’s a dad of one and spent more than a decade in the classroom as an elementary teacher at The Hamlin School and Live Oak before pursuing woodworking full-time), students will be able to expand upon their creative talents as well as develop a good work ethic. It’s all about fostering a community environment and building strong values at The Butterfly Joint. Your little woodworker’s sense of responsibility and focus will grow as she learns to care for the shop and all the equipment.

At Danny’s side is his wife, Erin Feher who is also Red Tricycle’s Bay Area Editor. The dynamic duo has high aspirations for their new venture. They envision a studio with a variety of offerings, from drop-in classes, series workshops, birthday parties to custom courses for homeschooled kiddos. Plus, the old school aspect of clocking in with punch cards and hearing the sound of a steam whistle to signify the start and end of class makes us wish we could join this children’s studio, too.

How Can You Help?
If you want to see your whittler hammering away at The Butterfly Joint in San Francisco, consider becoming a backer through their Fundable page. It’s an all or nothing fundraising model, meaning that if the startup doesn’t meet their goal, they won’t collect the funds.

Different price points signify varying packages that will go towards your experience at The Butterfly Joint. For example, $25 gets you a “thank you,” a Butterfly Join decal and a Facebook shout-out while a $300 package includes that and more like a 4-days series workshop and your name on the Charter Member Butterfly Joint Wall installation. There are nine different packages, so check out the site to see which one suits you best.

Want to learn more about The Butterfly Joint? Check out their Fundable page here.

— Christal Yuen