Our Story
About Dear Ruby
My Why
Every sensory kit I create is rooted in something deeper than play. It's rooted in connection, learning, and supporting families.
For over 10 years, I've had the pleasure of working with children and families in a variety of roles. My background includes early education, early intervention, ABA therapy, and nonprofit family services. Most recently before stepping away to stay home with my daughters, I worked for a nonprofit organization teaching parenting classes, providing community outreach, and leading sensory groups for children and families.
I also hold a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Child Development, which has given me both the educational foundation and hands on experience to truly understand the importance of early learning through play.
When I became a mom myself, my career path shifted but my passion never did. Staying home with my girls has only deepened my love for creating meaningful experiences for children and families. Sensory play has become a huge part of our everyday life, and I've seen firsthand the creativity, learning, confidence, and connection that can grow from simple hands on activities.
Today, alongside creating sensory kits, I also create family related content centered around real mom life, play ideas, and local child centered activities throughout Northwest Ohio. My goal is to help families make meaningful memories together while supporting learning in fun and engaging ways.
I created these sensory kits, named after my oldest daughter, because I truly believe play is powerful and I'm so excited to share that magic with other families.
What is Sensory Play?
Sensory play is more than just play.
It's hands on learning that engages a child's senses through exploring textures, colors, sounds, movement, and imaginative experiences. From scooping and pouring to sorting, squishing, and pretending, sensory play helps children build important skills like fine motor development, problem solving, creativity, language, and emotional regulation all while having fun!
At its core, sensory play gives children the opportunity to learn through doing and that is the way that young children naturally learn best.
Benefits
Brain Development
Engages neural pathways and strengthens cognitive connections.
Fine Motor Skills
Scooping, pouring, and squeezing build hand strength and coordination.
Language & Creativity
Open-ended play sparks imagination and expands vocabulary.
Emotional Regulation
Tactile sensory input has a naturally calming, grounding effect.
Scientific Thinking
Exploring textures, temperatures, and volumes builds early STEM foundations.
Social Play
Shared sensory bins invite collaboration and turn-taking.
Our Materials
All sensory kits are thoughtfully created with children and families in mind using carefully selected materials designed to encourage hands on play, creativity, and learning. While every effort is made to provide safe and engaging sensory experiences, adult supervision is always recommended during play. Some materials may contain small parts and are not intended for children who may put items in their mouths.
Please use your own discretion based on your child's age and developmental needs.
Possible sensory kit materials may include, but are not limited to:
- ✓Kinetic sand
- ✓Rainbow rice
- ✓Cloud dough
- ✓Ocean/gem beads
- ✓Dried botanicals
- ✓Natural dyes
- ✓Child-safe foams
