At the time, Schuett was a mechanic in the U.S. Navy who had dreams of becoming a cartoonist. However, Schuett said something struck him that day as he watched the athletes compete.
“Even though the kid coming in was in last place, the crowd was waiting and cheering for that person to get over the finish line,” Schuett said. “[The athletes] were all so happy that they just got there, and they competed and finished. There’s no other emotional experience like that.”
Witnessing the young competitors’ joy and surge of self-confidence struck a chord in Schuett that birthed the initial idea of a business that could help individuals with disabilities find the same success he saw in athletes at the Special Olympics.
That dream became a reality in 2005 when Schuett launched Funtastic Learning Toys, a then-online-only store that specialized in products for children with disabilities to assist with learning and developmental struggles.
Fifteen years later, in 2020, Schuett opened a brick-and-mortar storefront off Bammel North Houston Road. However, Schuett said all products are also sold online through the business’s sister company, Special Needs Toys Online.
“I want to have an impact on everyone with a disability, adult and child, whether it be hiring an adult [with a disability] and giving them a job, or having an adult support a child to help [that child] become a productive adult,” Schuett said.
Many of the products Funtastic Learning Toys offers revolve around music therapy; science, technology, engineering and math activities; and tools to assist with learning sign language. However, Schuett said the store also sells resources aimed at helping people better understand diagnoses of individuals with special needs, including books on autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Schuett noted the store also offers supplies and classroom decorations for teachers and homeschooling parents, including bulletin boards, charts, banners and furniture.
In the future, Schuett said he hopes to expand the business to include a warehouse that would supply additional store locations in areas such as Austin, Dallas, El Paso and San Antonio. That expansion, Schuett said, would lead to more job opportunities for adults with disabilities.
At its core, Schuett said Funtastic Learning Toys is still about making learning accessible for individuals who need assistance.
“Learning is best when you’re having fun,” he said.
Funtastic Learning Toys
12585 Bammel N. Houston Road, Houston
832-778-4888 • www.funtasticlearningtoys.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., closed Sun.
