Feel it, step by step
The story starts gently and builds, so your child cares a little more at every turn, until they really want things to work out.
About Iris Art Lab
Stories that move them.
We make story kits for children. Not to fill an afternoon, but to give them a story they feel all the way through, and come out of a little lighter than they went in.
Why we’re building this
A great story doesn’t just entertain. It carries you.
Think of a story that really stayed with you. Not the biggest or the loudest. The one that took its time, let you care about someone ordinary, and then wouldn’t let go until you were cheering for them.
When it ended, you felt lifted. Hopeful. Ready to do something good.
That feeling isn’t luck. It’s built, moment by moment, by how a story is told: who we meet, when we meet them, how slowly it starts and when it finally takes off.
We believe children deserve stories built that way, on purpose, with them inside.
What a story should do
Feel it. Name it. Leave lifted.
Name it, from the inside
Your child steps into the story and says how a character feels, in their own words. There are no wrong answers.
Leave lifted
The story rises to a moment that feels like a real win. Then your child chooses how it ends: still buzzing, or calm and quiet.
How a kit does it
Their hands. Their words. Their story.
Each kit is one story: a fold-out board, tokens your child colours, and Ollie, our AI storyteller. Ollie tells the story out loud and pauses so your child can add their own ideas.
The shape of the story stays the same, so it always builds to its big moment. But what happens along the way is up to your child, so no two tellings are alike.
- Screen-freeAudio only. There’s nothing to watch, so eyes stay on the board and hands stay busy.
- No camera, everThe story never watches your child or your home.
- Their words are enough“Sad” is a whole answer. We don’t correct feelings or hand out better words.
- Small heroesNo superheroes or famous faces. Just ordinary characters worth caring about.
Who we are
A small studio in Halifax.
Iris Art Lab makes story kits for Canadian families. We write the stories, design the boards and test every telling until it feels right.
We’re starting with four stories about four big feelings: empathy, friendship, courage and inclusion. The first one belongs to Pip, a small lantern who feels a little dim.
We’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
Launching in Canada