We recently connected with Kajsa Rossetto and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kajsa, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Dough Play Dream Sensory Kits came about because I wanted to encourage children to use their imaginations and let creativity come to life. Play dough is a great sensory base for open ended play. In other words, play without limitations or pre-determined expectations. There is no right or wrong with open ended play. The kits that I create facilitate open ended play and encourage children to imagine new worlds through play. In naming my business, I wanted to suggest that play should be a welcome place for children to dream and bring their creativity to life.

Kajsa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! I’m Kajsa Rossetto and I own Dough Play Dream Sensory Kits. These are play dough based sensory kits and encourage kids to explore their imaginations through play. Each theme is carefully created to maximize imaginative play while also providing an opportunity for sensory exploration.

I fell into this craft during the winter of 2020 partially by accident and partially due to the pandemic. I had been furloughed from my flight attendant job and was spending all my time at home with my family. Motherhood always has plenty of challenges, and the pandemic created new ones. Limited socialization for my daughter had me constantly searching for new activities and play dough was one of the few things that kept my then two-year old engaged. I could not find any locally made sensory based toys, so I tried my hand at making play dough and it turned out great! I decided to set up an LLC and sell a few of my kits within my community and they were very well received. I was not the only one struggling to find ways to keep children entertained while at home. A few weeks later, I received the shocking news that I was going to miscarry the pregnancy that I had recently found out about. I was devastated, lost in sadness, and struggling to see what my future might hold. But, the play dough orders continued to arrive along with photos and stories about how much kids were loving the kits and how frequently they asked to play with them. These orders provided a task to distract me from my sadness and the stories brightened my heart. All of a sudden, my little business had new meaning. It was helping other families provide an engaging, screen free activity for their children and it was helping me find myself again.

Building Dough Play Dream has given me a creative outlet I didn’t realize I needed, has pushed me to be stronger, and reach higher towards new goals. It has also taught me that it’s okay to need my own space. Having a project of my own fills my cup and allows me to give more back to my family. I’m proud of myself for creating this business and sticking with it. I continue to push myself to create engaging play dough kits and accessories for kids. I am always brainstorming new ideas and making sure that every piece within each kit is carefully chosen to add to the quality of play.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

Figuring out how and where to sell my products has been one of my biggest challenges and I have found that there is no perfect answer. My website offers all of the products I have available for purchase. But figuring out how to direct traffic to my website is a never ending and difficult process, as many business owners know. I have a few items listed on Etsy. Etsy helps introduce my product to a wider audience, however, their seller fees are high. Little by Little Children’s Boutique in Arvada, Colorado carries some of my seasonal items, and it has been wonderful opportunity to work with another local small business. I recently began renting some shelf space at the new Painted Tree Boutique in Northglenn, Colorado. This has offered me a large amount of exposure to new customers. I love being able to offer my products in a retail environment surrounded by so many other artisans. Lastly, I participate in many craft shows and festivals around Denver throughout the year. I truly love interacting with people and sharing my product face to face. It is easy to scroll past something online, but in person you can see how vibrant the colors are and feel how soft the play dough is. I am happy to have the opportunity to participate in in many craft shows and share my play dough kits with other families.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

I design all of the play dough kits myself and make all of the play dough from scratch. The first time I tried to make a batch of play dough, I had no idea what to expect. Over time, I have adapted my recipe to make sure that the play dough has the perfect consistency. It is super soft, squishy but not sticky, and long lasting. Currently, I am trying to figure out how to make larger batches of play dough without altering the consistency. I want to maintain the high-quality standard that I have established.

I have found another local artist to cut wood pieces for me that I then paint, seal, and assemble as play dough stampers. It is important to me that I support other local businesses when possible. Hand-painted peg dolls are also included in most kits. Every item that I paint and seal uses non-toxic materials to ensure that it is safe for children. I put a lot of thought into each component included in each kit so that each piece is intentional and has meaning.

As Dough Play Dream continues to grow, I encounter new business needs. It’s been an enlightening process figuring out how to source larger quantities of materials, especially with all of the supply chain issues caused by the pandemic. Flexibility and patience have played important roles. I am grateful to be experiencing a season of growth and look forward to learning to navigate new challenges as they arise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.doughplaydream.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doughplaydream
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doughplaydream