Sensory TheraPlay Box is a monthly subscription service for children on the autism spectrum, or with sensory processing issues.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Sensory TheraPlay Box
The Subscription Box: Sensory TheraPlay Box
The Cost: $39.95 a month + shipping. Save with 3- and 6-month subscriptions.
The Products: An assortment of toys and other items curated by a pediatric occupational therapist, which are focused on sensory and tactile experiences
Ships to: The U.S. for varying rates; Canada for $22
Good to Know: They have just launched a quarterly Sensory Box specifically for teens and adults! Check out my review here!
Sensory TheraPlay Box January 2020 Review
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We received this one-page insert which includes photos of our items on the front with brief descriptions of them along with their retail values on the back. They have included their contact information as well as a disclaimer about how it is the responsibility of the adult to determine whether the items included are appropriate for the child. As someone with a Special Education background, I love that they include this since every child is unique and responds to various stimuli in different ways! There are some items that may not be appropriate for every child depending on those needs.
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They always send a nice little motivational card each month and this month they also included a card highlighting their referral program.
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Steve Spangler Science Energy Stick - Retail Value $7.99
Our first item is pretty cool and unique! This science energy stick lights up and makes noise when you hold each side conducting electricity with your body. This is a fun science toy that my kids were eager to get their hands on and it is child-safe. Everything is encased very securely inside the tube so I felt comfortable letting them play with it.
Here you can see how it lights up and makes a noise when I hold it at both ends, but it stops as soon as I let go of one side.
The coolest part is that you can create a human circuit by having one person grab one end and another person grabbing the other and then holding hands. It says you can make a circuit of up to 100 people, although so far we have only gotten up to 4! It is definitely a really cool toy and a great way to learn about science!
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Snapperz Rainbow - Listed Value $6.00
I love the tie-dye look of this little rubber fidget! When you squeeze the sides together, the suction cups stick to one another and then release to make a loud snapping noise. It is actually pretty firm and not overly easy to squeeze the sides together, so this toy is perfect for strengthening hand muscles, too! It looks like this might be a brand new toy as well, so I wasn't able to verify the retail value online just yet!
Here you can hear the satisfying snap it makes!
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Toysmith Neon Clay - Retail Value $4.64, Listed Value $3.00
This pack of neon modeling clay comes in six vibrant colors and will make a great calming activity or a fun way to work on fine motor skills! They recommend making twisty snakes with these, which I thought was a good suggestion. They also mention that this is a great activity for children of varying cognitive and fine motor abilities.
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Sensy Band - Retail Value $5.99
This Sensy Band is actually a repeat item for us, but it's one that we love and still play with quite frequently! This band has two different textures on either side from these little rubber bristles that are so much fun to run your fingers over! It makes a great fidget toy and even has holes on either side so you can attach it to a bag or somewhere else for taking it with you.
The coolest part though is that it is also a snap bracelet! It's even more fun to wear it on your wrist for some tactile stimulation.
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Boinks - Listed Value $1.00 (Buy a pack of 28 for $25.00)
I had no idea what this toy was when I first saw it! It reminded me of a Chinese finger trap but made out of nylon instead. After reading about it, I realized that it can bend, stretch, and even be launched into the air thanks to its stretchy nature. This is definitely a fun one, but I don't think I'd recommend it as a fidget for school settings, haha!
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Smoodle - Retail Value $3.99
Well, this little guy is just the cutest! He comes with a name, too! My kids already refer to him as Sunny and he has been making an appearance with their other toys. This Smoodle is made of a rubbery silicone and he must have some sort of wire tube inside because he can be bent and twisted every which way and he will stay in that position. This means you can wrap him around things and since he has all of those different bumps, you can enjoy the tactile sensations as well.
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Scratch and Sketch Trace Along Book - Retail Value $14.99 (found here for $11.79)
This last item is one that I was really excited about and can't wait to share with my daughter! She loves scratch books and this one is especially nice! It comes with a wooden scratcher that is held in place by a loop on the side and this is actually in the form of a story which is really cool.
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There are so many pages to trace and even some blank pages in the back for some "enchanting" sketches. There are also pages with images for them to color as well. I think this is great for fine motor practice in a fun and exciting way! It is challenging to trace over the lines, but so satisfying when you see the shiny colors peeking through and completing the image!
Verdict: Our Sensory TheraPlay Box was full of some exciting toys this month! The energy stick was really unique and made for some great science fun as we created human circuits together. The scratch book was really nice and a great way to work on fine motor skills in a fun way, just like the modeling clay. The Snapperz toy was fun as was the Boinks and my kids love the Smoodle and Sensy band so I think it's safe to say every item was a winner! It felt like we had two big hero items in the book and the energy stick and then those were balanced out by all of the other smaller toys to make a completely unique and fun curation that will address a variety of sensory needs. The total retail value of this box comes to about $44.60 using mostly retail and a few listed values, which is just under the $47.97 ($39.95 + $8.02 shipping) cost of the box. It's always a bummer when a box doesn't meet the cost you paid for it, but I do think there's some added value in the curation of such unique toys that I would probably never have discovered on my own.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive the February box. To receive the "current" box, you must sign up on or before the last day of the previous month.
Value Breakdown: This box costs $47.97 ($39.95 + $8.02 shipping) so here is what you are paying approximately for each item:
- Energy Stick: $8.59
- Snapperz: $6.45
- Modeling Clay: $4.99
- Sensy Band: $6.45
- Boinks: $1.07
- Smoodle: $4.29
- Scratch Book: $16.13
Alternatively, with 7 items in the box, that means each item has an average cost of $5.71.
Check out all of our Sensory TheraPlay Box reviews and the best kid subscription boxes for other activity and educational boxes to try!
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