Play by the Book – Sensory Spark Play Kits

Hands-on, literacy-rich play experiences that bring books to life through sensory exploration, shared texts, and joyful discovery.​

What Are Sensory Spark Play Kits?

Sensory Spark Play Kits are curated, literacy-rich play experiences designed to support early language and pre-literacy development through sensory exploration, story connections, and open-ended play. Each kit invites children to explore books not just by listening or looking, but by touching, moving, investigating, and creating.​

Why “Spark”? Because every kit is built to help children find their play spark—a small moment of curiosity that grows into big play, rich talk, and deep thinking. Inside every kit are little sparks that prompt big play, inviting children to explore at their own pace and in their own way.

What’s Inside Each Kit

Use this section as a grid or icon row on your webpage.

• Sensory base
  A tactile base such as play dough, rice, beans, pasta, or other materials that invite scooping, pouring, molding, pressing, and exploration to support fine motor skills and sensory engagement.​

• Mixed materials and loose parts
  Open-ended toys, manipulatives, and natural or thematic objects chosen to connect directly to the featured book or concept, supporting imaginative play, retelling, and hands-on investigation.​

• Book connection
  Each kit is anchored in high-quality children’s literature, including narrative stories, informational texts, or original WonderStories, so children can bring characters, vocabulary, and real-world ideas to life through play.​

• Songs and finger plays
  Simple, engaging songs and finger plays that support rhythm, vocabulary, memory, and oral language development while reinforcing key ideas from the text.​

• Facilitator guide
  A clear, supportive guide for caregivers and educators, featuring:

  • Play invitations and provocations

  • Conversation starters and language modeling tips

  • Literacy and concept connections

  • Guidance for following the child’s lead and extending play naturally​

How Sensory Spark Play Kits Support Early Literacy

Sensory-rich, play-based experiences help build the neural connections and language skills children need for later reading and writing. As children scoop, build, sort, pretend, and talk about what they are doing, they are actively developing:​

• Oral language and vocabulary

• Concept knowledge and background understanding

• Narrative and informational comprehension

• Symbolic and pretend play skills

• Fine motor strength and coordination

• Curiosity, focus, and persistence​

Through these playful experiences, children make meaningful connections between stories, ideas, and the world around them.​

Play, Not Pressure

Sensory Spark Play Kits are not scripted lesson plans—they are play invitations. Children lead the way while adults play alongside, modeling rich language, asking open-ended questions, and noticing the learning that emerges through hands-on exploration.​

The emphasis is on curiosity, connection, and joy, not performance or perfection, honoring what research shows about the power of play-based learning in early childhood.​

Perfect for Homes and Learning Communities

Sensory Spark Play Kits are designed to fit a variety of spaces and programs, including:

• Homes

• Classrooms

• Libraries

• Community programs

• Family engagement and literacy events​

Kits can be used independently, in small groups, or as part of facilitated Play by the Book experiences, making them a flexible option for both families and educators.

At their heart, Sensory Spark Play Kits reflect a simple belief:

Books hold stories and wonders. Play brings them to life. ✨