Today we’d like to introduce you to Mallory Prost.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Sense of Play officially launched in March 2021, but the idea started a year earlier.
Before starting Sense of Play, I spent 11 years as an elementary school teacher. Around that time I had a toddler and a baby at home, I was feeling burnt out and decided to take a one-year leave from the classroom.
In March 2020, I found out I was pregnant with twins, and at the same time, COVID hit. Suddenly, I knew I wasn’t returning to the classroom the following year, and I needed meaningful ways to engage my kids that didn’t revolve around screens.
I started digging through Pinterest boards I’d been saving for years, ideas I never had time to try. One day I ordered some rainbow rice from a small business across the country, and I immediately saw how captivated both my four year old and my 18 month old were. That moment was a lightbulb for me.
I began experimenting with creating my own sensory materials and activities at home. After my twins were born, sensory play became even more of a lifesaver for keeping my two older children engaged while also giving me opportunities to connect with them in an unpredictable and unexpected time in our life.
I started making sensory bins for friends, sold a few in a Facebook group, and realized there was a real need for this. So I decided to take a chance and build something bigger. A few months later, I hosted my first “Sense of Play Date” at a local park. The combination of sensory kits, art invitations and community experience was just what I was hoping for. What started as a way to support my own family during a season of major transition became a business built around helping children learn through play and giving parents simple, meaningful ways to connect with their kids.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Have there been struggles? Absolutely. Running a small business was never something I imagined myself doing. I had zero experience and no idea what I was doing. I still don’t to a certain degree.
I always felt confident in what I was creating. I knew my products and classes were thoughtful, intentional, and high quality because they were rooted in my background as an educator and as a mom. What I didn’t know was how to communicate that value to the right people and actually reach my ideal customers.
Marketing has probably been my biggest challenge. Like many small businesses, social media has been both an incredible asset and a constant frustration. With a very limited marketing budget, I rely heavily on social media and word of mouth. Anyone who uses social media for business knows how unpredictable it can be.
There’s also an irony to it. My mission has always been to help families engage their children in meaningful, screen free play, yet I depend on screens and social media to share that message and grow my business. Finding that balance, using those tools without letting them take over, has been one of my biggest ongoing challenges.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At Sense of Play, I create sensory play experiences and products that help children learn, explore, and connect through hands on, screen free play. I offer themed sensory kits, hand dyed sensory base and sensory and art play classes designed to make play based learning approachable and enjoyable for both children and their caregivers.
I specialize in creating intentional sensory experiences that are not only fun but also support children’s development. Every activity is thoughtfully designed to encourage creativity, problem-solving, language development, and fine motor skills while giving families simple ways to connect and play together.
What I’m most proud of is building a community around play. What started as something I created for my own children has grown into opportunities for hundreds of families to slow down, be present, and experience the joy and benefits of open ended play, together.
I think what sets me apart is my perspective. I bring together my experience as an elementary educator and my experience as a mom of four young children. I don’t create activities based on theory alone, I create them from both professional knowledge and real life experience. Every sensory kit and class is something I would genuinely use with my own children, and I think families can feel that authenticity and intentionality in everything I do.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The best way people can support me is by sharing Sense of Play with their friends and family. As I mentioned before, I rely heavily on word of mouth, and recommendations from families who have attended a class or purchased a sensory kit mean the world to me. Those personal connections are truly the heart of my business.
If you’d like to collaborate, I’d love to chat! I already have some exciting partnerships in the works for the fall, and I’m always open to new ideas and opportunities. You can reach me anytime at SenseofPlaySTL@gmail.com. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://senseofplayllc.myshopify.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senseofplayllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenseofPlayLLC/
