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- Brew #7: A Gift Guide for Highly Sensitive Children (Plus a Mom Treat!)
Brew #7: A Gift Guide for Highly Sensitive Children (Plus a Mom Treat!)

Raising Highly Sensitive Kids. No Filter.

Real Talk
Hey mama,
It's amazing how the right toys and tools can transform playtime with our highly sensitive kids. When Brody was younger, I learned that having the right toys could help us play and connect while also helping him regulate. One simple spinning seat became our absolute game-changer for when he started to feel complete overwhelm (I'll tell you all about this one in an upcoming issue!).
Our speech therapist showed me that even simple things, like playing with cars together, could help Brody learn to engage and follow along with us. It wasn't about filling up the toy box - it was about finding what actually worked for him.
That's exactly why I'm so excited about our gift guide this week. We've carefully chosen each item with highly sensitive children in mind - these aren't your typical mainstream picks. They're thoughtfully selected gifts that create genuine moments of joy and connection. Whether you're holiday shopping or looking for ways to support your HSC's growth, we hope this guide helps you discover some hidden gems that make a real difference.
What's in this issue:
🎁 Your ultimate HSC gift guide (real testing, real results!)
👩⚕️ Meet Rachel: Play therapist & HSP mama who gets it
✨ 7 tips for meaningful play with your HSC
💆♀️ A little luxury just for you (under $20!)
And if you have another favorite toy your child is loving, hit reply and let us know! we want to be able to share it with everyone here.

Jill
FOUNDER & CEO

HOT OFF THE BLOG

Meaningful Play with Your Highly Sensitive Child: 7 Engaging Tips
Looking for ways to turn your sensitive child's unique way of experiencing the world into meaningful play moments? Those same qualities that can make daily life more intense - noticing every detail, feeling things deeply, picking up on subtle changes - can become superpowers during playtime. When we lean into these traits rather than trying to work around them, we open up a whole new world of connection with our little ones.

WORTH YOUR FOLLOW

Rachel Zahniser, a Registered Play Therapist in St. Louis, Missouri, brings a unique blend of professional expertise and personal understanding to her work with highly sensitive children. As a highly sensitive person herself, she truly gets the daily challenges and beautiful gifts that come with heightened sensitivity.
We absolutely love Rachel's content! Her Instagram feed is a goldmine of practical tips and gentle wisdom for parents navigating the highly sensitive path. Through play therapy, she teaches children and parents to work with their sensitivities and big feelings, creating lasting connections that transform families.
When she's not in her therapy room, you'll find her biking to local parks with her 3-year-old and spouse, or unwinding with a good novel (because every highly sensitive soul needs their downtime!). Her sweet spot? Teaching parents to use play as a powerful tool for co-regulation with their deeply feeling kids.
Rachel also just launched her Emotion Regulation Starter Kit – a 10-day guide packed with play-based strategies, art activities, and connection tools to help your highly sensitive child navigate big emotions with confidence. Make sure you check it out if you love her content as much as we do!
The Highly Sensitive
GIFT GUIDE
We've done the digging to find those hidden gem toys that don't usually make the mainstream gift guides - and we've put each one through real-life testing with our own kids. These aren't just random Amazon finds; they're thoughtfully chosen picks that have created genuine moments of joy and connection in our own homes.
![]() | Freeze Dance with ChillyAGES 4+ Need a game that gets everyone moving without feeling like exercise? This penguin pal turns ordinary dance parties into laugh-out-loud fun that even your "too cool to dance" kid won't be able to resist. It's perfect for those rainy days when everyone's bouncing off the walls - or those moments when you need to switch up the energy fast. We love watching our kiddos try to hold their silliest pose when the music stops, creating those priceless family photos we wish we could capture (but we're too busy trying not to move ourselves!). |
![]() | Glo Pals Sensory Play PackAGES 3+ Looking for sensory play that's actually easy to set up (and won't end up all over your floors)? This clever bundle brings the magic of color-changing light to your sensory time. Drop a Glo Pal into the child-proof jar, add some farm-themed fillers, and watch your little one's eyes light up as they discover how different materials interact with the changing colors. What really makes this shine? It's all contained in one neat package that's perfect for those "I need an activity NOW" moments. Whether you're mixing it with water, rice, or playdough, it's creating those precious sensory play moments without the mess. |
![]() | Durable Doctor KitAGES 3+ Want to help your little one feel braver at their next check-up? This sweet doctor kit turns those intimidating medical visits into familiar fun right at home. Made from smooth, natural wood that's just right for small hands, it's sturdy enough to survive countless checkups of stuffed animals, siblings, and yes - even mom and dad! We've seen the most amazing confidence boost when kids get to play out their own doctor visits beforehand, turning those nervous waiting room moments into "I know what that is!" excitement. |
![]() | Herd MentalityAGES 10+ Ready for some family bonding that'll have everyone giggling? This game is pure comedy gold wrapped in a simple package. No need for anyone to feel like the "smart one" or the "creative one" - it's all about thinking like everyone else (how often do we get to tell our kids that?). The best part? Watching your quiet kid light up when they realize their answer matches the group, or seeing your competitive kiddo learn to laugh when they end up with the Pink Cow. It's creating those "remember when..." moments that families talk about for years. |
![]() | Dissect-It KitAGES 6+ Looking to feed your curious kid's mind without the actual frog drama? This kit is your answer to "but how does it work?" in 3D form. It gives them all the excitement of real science with none of the queasiness factor (thank goodness for synthetic materials!). We've watched even the most squeamish kids turn into confident junior scientists, proudly showing off their discoveries. It's that perfect mix of gross-but-not-too-gross that kids absolutely love, while secretly building those problem-solving skills we parents are always hoping for. |
![]() | Spooner Boards FreestyleAGES 3+ Looking for a way to channel that endless energy that doesn't involve jumping on the couch? This balance board is your new best friend. It's like having a mini skate park in your living room (minus the heart attacks). Perfect for those "I'm bored" moments, it gives kids a way to move their bodies that feels more like play than exercise. We've seen the proudest grins when they finally nail that trick they've been working on - and yes, you'll probably end up trying it yourself when no one's looking! |
![]() | Liquid Sensory Floor TilesAGES 3+ Need a sensory win that doesn't involve slime all over your carpet? These liquid tiles are like having a piece of pure magic right there on your floor. Whether you've got a sensory seeker who needs to move or a careful observer who loves to watch patterns, these tiles create this amazing calm-but-engaged zone we're all hunting for. And our favorite moment? Watching your little jumping bean bounce from tile to tile, creating waves of color - while being sturdy enough that you can join in on the fun too (yes, these tiles can handle everything from toddler stomps to adult dance moves!) |
☕ Sip & Support: While "A Cuppa Momsense" is our gift to you, some product links may be affiliates. If you treat yourself or your child, we might get a little something too – at no extra cost to you. It's how we keep the coffee flowing! 💖

Just for Moms
TREAT YOURSELF

Done Shopping for the Kids? This One's Just For YOU (and less than $20)
Remember those luxurious skincare moments you used to have B.K. (before kids)? We found your new secret weapon, and it's under $20! This heavenly face mist feels like a spa day in a bottle, but takes literally seconds to use (because let's be real, that's all the time we have).
Know what makes this really special? It's not just another face spray. This Italian white truffle serum delivers that dewy, "I actually got 8 hours of sleep" glow (even if you definitely didn't). You can spritz it on before makeup, after makeup, or just whenever you need a little refresh - like after that 3 PM carpool run when you catch your reflection and think "oh boy."
Our entire team is obsessed with this little luxury - it hydrates like a dream, smells amazing, and somehow makes us look more pulled together even on those "mom bun and hoping no one notices this is yesterday's mascara" days. Plus, it's the kind of multitasker we love: toner, serum, and setting spray all in one.
So go ahead, treat yourself to this little bottle of glow. Because sometimes being the best mom means taking 30 seconds to feel like your pre-mom self again!

We hope you enjoyed this email from a cuppa momsense.