StephyKatz Sensory Play
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
Being a parent is one of life’s most precious gifts. Our lives are changed forever once we hold that adorable little bundle of joy in our arms for the first time. Children are simply remarkable as they begin learning as soon as they are born. As parents, we want to nurture our children’s growth and development. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through sensory play. We are all familiar with the five senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. All five of these senses are vital in all aspects of our children’s growth and development.
The best way for a child or anyone of any age to learn is by experience. Take toddlers for instance… Toddlers absolutely delight in exploring the world around them. The best way for them to do so is by using their senses. Sensory play stimulates, challenges, and encourages the growth of one’s senses. Sensory play also helps build your child’s cognitive skills and influences how your child takes in what they are learning about the world around them.
When a child is born the senses are not quite fully developed. Children’s senses mature as they grow and discover new things. The child begins to build nerve connections that in turn encourage growth of the architecture of the brain. One local woman has not only made it her mission to encourage the growth of children’s senses everywhere but has in fact made it into a very successful business.
Stephanie McKenzie is the owner of a hot new business that not only tantalizes the senses but encourages cognitive growth as well. StephyKatz Sensory Play was founded in July 2022 and was named after a nickname that Stephanie’s sister gave her when she was younger. “It combines parts of my first name with my middle name,” shared McKenzie.
The inspiration behind StephyKatz Sensory Play is simple… “After years of working with children and seeing the immense benefits of them playing with sensory bins and other sensory items, I wanted to make these items accessible for everyone in the area at an affordable price. You can go online, and most places are charging almost double or more plus shipping. As someone with ADHD myself and sensory-seeking tendencies, I know how important and beneficial sensory play is, and I wanted to share that with my community,” noted McKenzie.
StephyKatz Sensory Play offers a wide variety of items such as sensory bins that feature all-natural sensory textures, all-natural Playdoh activity boxes, sensory bottles, calming fidgeting bracelets and custom-dyed chickpeas. McKenzie shared, “Everything is handmade other than the activities for the sensory bins. The sensory textures and play dough are handmade by me with all-natural ingredients. While the pieces in the activities are not made by me, I hand-select each item to offer a fun activity that works on fine motor skills, imagination play, and so much more.” McKenzie went on to add, “We love custom orders as well! Some of my most popular sensory bin themes were from custom orders. I also offer bulk orders of sensory textures and play dough.”
Sensory play items are great for all ages. “I feel like the biggest misconception about sensory play is that it only benefits certain people or ages. Sensory play is beneficial for all ages and people with or without sensory needs. Children learn through play and sensory play gives them a space to develop fine motor skills, so they can do things like tying their shoe, writing and zipping their coat. The tactile play that sensory play offers also focuses on building, pouring and mixing, which builds on their ability to use small muscle groups and coordinate movements. Sensory play also fosters cognitive growth, by asking questions, thinking about how things work, and building problem-solving skills. Also, it sparks imaginative play and help children develop their creativity. Many adults enjoy the desk-size sensory bins for the calming aspects sensory play offers. The benefits aren't just limited to children, it can be very beneficial for aging adults as well,” explained McKenzie.
If you would like to contact McKenzie about her amazing sensory play items, you can do so by visiting her Facebook page under StephyKatz Sensory Play or by calling 740.302.9050. You can also visit McKenzie’s website at: www.etsy.com/shop/StephykatzSensory.