Remember the excitement and joy you felt as a child whenever the mailman delivered you your very own mail, or better yet, when you got a package!? I do - and my own kids celebrate when something arrives with their names on it too.
When researching for our "Gift Ideas for Children with Autism" article, I came across the Sensory TheraPLAY Box Company and wanted to learn more about what might excite sensory kids with a subscription-based monthly delivery of OT-minded games, toys, and activities. Thanks to the company's founder and OT, Christina, we received our very own sample Sensory TheraPLAY box to share with you all!
Unpacking our Sensory TheraPLAY Box
That excitement that I explained before? Well, pulling into the driveway with a carload of kids and seeing that fun purple box sitting on my front step brought back a bit of that child-like joy and anticipation! Even though the toys weren't for me, I was excited to see what new sensory goodies were inside!
Inside, the green box-filler paper shreds promised tactile fun even as I dug through to find the goodies inside. Here's what we discovered:
Making Sense of Sensory Toys
For parents who are new to sensory tools, or who want to understand more about why the contents of the Sensory TheraPLAY Box are meaningful to sensory kids, the company encloses an overview card that shows parents what is enclosed, why it was chosen (skills developed), and how to use each item!
For example, we unpacked 7 toys or games that could serve a few different purposes. The Discovery Putty is a great tool for meeting tactile sensory needs as well as for fine motor strengthening. Exploration of the "transportation themed" pieces could encourage cognitive and language skills as well as pretend play with objects once they're removed from the putty! The Create-A-Story Cards, Spirograph travel set, and sensory ball and pencil toppers make excellent on-the-go portable tools for a sensory tool box. Each of the toys enclosed in our sensory box served a purpose and would appeal to a range of sensory kids which we loved.
Why We Love This
Let's face it - no one (except your friendly therapist or teacher) wants to spend hours searching for the perfect toys for your kids. It's time consuming to figure out what's worth your money and frustrating when you realize that the toy you spent hours searching for online isn't really all that impactful after all. The tools that are enclosed in these subscription boxes are already vetted by an occupational therapist who is also a mom! They are a reasonable mix of affordable solutions (pencil topper) and more costly investments (putty, ruler) that have been chosen to target specific sensory needs and motor, language, and cognitive skills.
We also love that there is flexibility within the subscription service - you don't have to sign up for a year like some other kid-directed services. The options for service are month-to-month ($39.95) or 3-month plan ($113.85). You can always gift a box also - which is a perfect idea for hard-to-buy-for kids with sensory interests.
Thanks to Sensory TheraPLAY box for an inventive, functional, and FUN way to surprise the kids with new stuff each month, give the perfect sensory gift, and take the guesswork out of shopping for therapy-minded products!
* While Sensory TheraPLAY Box sent us a sample of their product, all opinions are our own.