Forming Children’s Imaginations
MixItUpDough
When it comes to children, there’s no better way to keep them occupied than by stimulating their imaginations. We grew up playing outside with imaginary friends, fighting off dragons to save the princess, and playing cops and robbers. And who didn’t play school when they were kids? However, as we aged, so did our devices. Nowadays, you see kids playing with tablets instead of playing with swords. These pieces of technology really are great tools for children when used in a positive way. However, Kat Holloway made the decision to take us back to our childhood roots when she recently created her company, MixItUpDough.
MixItUpDough is a themed play dough kit company. Kat makes her play dough completely from scratch right out of her own home. But the truly amazing thing about her company is that she also creates different scenes and items for her kits herself. “I’m big on sensory play,” Kat mentioned. “This keeps kids off of the screen and forces them to use their imagination to develop worlds and play.”
The idea for MixItUpDough came about the way most amazingly creative ideas present themselves; through everyday life. Kat’s son Cole is now four years old, but when he was two years old he loved playing with play dough. One day, while Kat was picking up after Cole, she saw that he had started putting toys in his play dough. This gave Kat the idea to start creating kits for her son with his toys to keep him entertained while Kat got to get things accomplished during the day that she was in desperate need to get done. And just like that, MixItUpDough was born.
MixItUpDough officially launched on June 14th of this year. Even though Kat’s business baby is extremely new, she has already seen amazing success with her company. “In the first month of MixItUpDough being open I received 70 orders,” Kat said excitedly. “We are able to ship online, out of state, as well as deliver locally.” Kat has been able to spread the word about MixItUpDough through online sources such as influencers, as well as participating in local markets.
For Kat, her intentions with MixItUpDough come with love and care for families around the world. “I want to be able to give moms that don’t like messy toys an outlet for their kids to get to enjoy a toy that will show them a new way to create and to play,” Kat added.
Kat’s desire with MixItUpDough is to also spread awareness about the importance of sensory play and to teach kids how to play independently. When one of Kat’s three sons was two years old, she noticed that he had outgrown his normal toys and had fallen in love with things that forced him to use his imagination. Kat began researching ways to be able to play with him in the way he needed, which is when she stumbled upon sensory play.
Through her creation of play dough kits, Kat has seen amazing results even in her own children. “I can tell that my oldest child’s imagination has grown exponentially,” Kat mentioned. “He’s gained access to a part of his brain that allows him to engage in a whole new world.” Even Kat’s 18-month-old has shown signs of progression by being able o speak over 500 words.
Kat’s children have learned to play independently in a very healthy way which is a dream for most parents these days. “He’ll play by himself for an hour while I clean and do laundry. These play dough kits are great for stay-at-home moms.
When it comes to MixItUpDough, Kat truly is about helping children grow and play in a fruitful way. However, she is also a huge advocate for supporting parents in their everyday lives. “I’m right there with you in the trenches,” Kat joked. “When you find something for your child that you can do together, it makes the day so much more fun for everyone.” MixItUpDough is helping to form children’s imaginations one homemade play dough kit at a time.