Button & Bug's Story

Who we are

I'm Ashley, a certified Prediatric Occupational Therapist (MS, OTR/L) with two kids of my own. My clinical experience interacting with kids for over a decade has given me insight on how to engage children in meaningful play.

I have found a true passion for creating educational toys that are fun while building on key developemental skills for parents and kids everywhere!

 

We chose the name Button and Bug after our daughters nicknames, Peanut Button and Love Bug. Being home with them during a pandemic, I realized just how hard it can be to find engaging activities. This is what led us to start looking for ideas. We got our Flisat table, and the Occupational Therapist in me realized that many of the activities I was doing in the clinic could be done using our table if I were to create custom inserts.

 

The rest, as they say, is history!

The Button & Bug Approach

 

Play, Fun, Grow

To enhance your child's play experience, our Button & Bug branded inserts come with tips from me to you. This will help you and your child explore and make connections, while saving you a lot of time and research to make it happen.

We are excited to help your child to develop new skills through play and can't wait to see how you use our boards!

 

 

Button & Bug is a true family owned business.

Our inserts are created in our home. I develop all of our own branded inserts.

We do not incorporate any copyrighted or trademarked designs in our products without the written consent of the creators.

That said, we love to collab with other creators! Reach out to us on Instagram to collab!

 

 

We have loved hearing all of the amazing feedback from families and therapists regarding our inserts! It truly means the world to me that you bring our products into your homes & schools. Please reach out to me with any product ideas or feedback. I truly enjoy hearing all of the amazing ideas this community has to offer!


Types of Sensory Processing

In school, we are typically taught about our 5 senses but in reality we have 8!

Touch (Tactile)

Hearing (Auditory)

Sight (Visual)

Smell (Olfactory)

Taste (Gustatory)

Movement (Vestibular - our body in relation to position and movement in relation to gravity)

Pressure (Proprioception - The feeling to our joints and muscles to know where our body is in space)

Internal State & Emotional Senses (Interception - such as pain, hunger, thirst)


What is Sensory Play
&
What are the benefits?

 

Sensory Play is an incredibly powerful tool you can use to assist your child's development while they are engaged in fun activities. Put simply, it is a type of play that activates and stimulates a child's senses. As an Occupational Therapist & Mom, I incorporate sensory play into all of our activities to help our children develop all 8 senses!

 

Our products are not intended to replace traditional Occupational Therapy services, but instead bring the educational fun home for kids of all developmental stages and styles!



Some specific examples of what Sensory Play can impact are:

  • Emotional Regulation (your child’s ability to be calm, to work through their emotions, to demonstrate their emotions based on the size of the problem) - This is closely related to interception.

 

  • Tactile Input - Much of what we see on social media as sensory play focuses on the tactile systems and involves using different textures in play to help expand your child’s ability to interpret and process new and unexpected textures.

 

  • Imagination - through sensory play kids are able to expand their imagination and process the world around them.

 

  • Language - Sensory Play can help to improve language development

 

  • Problem Solving skills - children practice new skills and use trial and error to build problem solving and critical thinking skills.

 

  • Fine Motor skills - Children will build their fine motor skills through play and develop hand strength.

 

  • Gross Motor Skills - Children will build their strength and gross motor skills by standing at their mud kitchen, reaching for items, squatting and bending to grab items.

 

  • Social Skills - Sensory Play is a great way to build social interactions with other working on sharing the space and items as well as engaging in the play together.

 

  • Exploration - Sensory play is a great way for children to explore and experiment in new ways!

 

  • Following Directions - Use recipe cards or verbal directions of how to make flower soup or brew potions.