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San Antonio mom creates sensory boxes for kids to learn, play at home

Narwhal Sensory Boxes filled with materials to help stimulate different senses

SAN ANTONIO – Parents, are your kids getting too much screen time and not enough play time? It could be hurting their imagination.

A box full of fuzzy, colorful, mushy and even scented materials is a good way to capture your child’s attention and launch them into a world of imagination and exploration.

A small local business is grabbing the attention of parents and little ones through a box full or surprises and play. (Narwhal Sensory Box)

Sofía Garza, mom of two boys and owner of Narwhal Sensory Boxes, started the business in November 2019. Garza curates each toy box to encourage children ages 3 and up to feel, play and learn.

“It’s filled with objects that will make the children’s senses to be stimulated,” Garza said. “So, it has different textures, different sizes, (and) different colors.”

Garza said sensory play also helps with the development of motor skills, supports language development, encourages problem-solving and helps build nerve connections in the brain.

According to Garza, Narwhal Sensory Boxes promote your little one’s creativity, imagination and exploration while stimulating their senses, (Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

“Our little ones learn through play,” Garza said. “Play is important for healthy brains, bodies and social connections.”

The sensory boxes also encourage independent and open-ended play.

“Everything in the box is basically just an offer to the kids to create whatever they want. You don’t have to give them instructions. You just put the box on the table, they open it and they start doing whatever their imagination, creativity or exploration tells them to do,” she said.

Narwhal Sensory Boxes are themed and filled with a variety of materials and textures to promote imagination and stimulate different senses. (Narwhal Sensory Box)

Customers have a variety of themed boxes to choose from, including dinosaurs, space, reef, scientists, insects, baking, ponies and more.

“Each box includes homemade Play-Doh scented with essential oils to provide the benefits of the oils into your little one’s play,” Garza said. “Play-Doh provide many benefits, such as if the child is anxious, they could get a little bit of relaxation through playing with the Play-Doh.”

Although it smells delicious and it’s nontoxic, the Play-Doh is not edible.

Homemade, scented play dough! Owner, Sofía Garza makes the essential oil-infused Play-Doh right before shipping inorder for it to last longer. (Narwhal Sensory Box)

Networking is also a big part of Garza’s mission.

She has collaborated with moms who also run businesses, including Annie Vu, owner of Annie’s Petites Treats and with the social worker and local author, Tedi Mcvea, who published a book about germs to help her son better understand COVID-19.

“It’s important to get connected to mom-bosses in San Antonio so we can grow together as business owners, but also where we can provide some type of cool object or product to our community,” Garza said. “(It’s also an opportunity for) people to get to know all (our) businesses.”

Narwhal Sensory Boxes is making it easy for customers like parents, cool aunts and uncles and grandparents that like to spoil their little ones, to purchase online. Prices range from about $15 to $40 with shipping available to San Antonio and surrounding areas. Orders can be placed on the local business’ Facebook page or via direct message on Instagram.

Read more on KSAT:

Try these free summer activities with your kids
San Antonio woman writes children’s book about coronavirus
KSAT Kids Home Science: The Tie-Dye Milk Experiment

About the Authors
Alicia Barrera headshot

Alicia Barrera is a KSAT 12 News reporter and anchor. She is also a co-host of the streaming show KSAT News Now. Alicia is a first-generation Mexican-American, fluent in both Spanish and English with a bachelor's degree from Our Lady of the Lake University. She enjoys reading books, traveling solo across Mexico and spending time with family.

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