Summer Drop Coming 5/15 10am CT! Featured in Glamour & by Katie Couric Media: The very first Emotional Literacy Sensory Kits. Use code SHIP150 for free shipping on orders of $150 or more

Calm Kits

Art + Play for a Calmer Day

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Our new subscription club allows you exclusive acces to BOTH limited edition seasonal kits and comes with more ways to extend the connection, coregulation, and self-compassion.

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  • Picnic Potluck

  • Summer Kits Available Now!
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  • Frogs & Turtles

  • Let's explore Bravery through Play
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Picnic Potluck

Summer Kits Available Now! Shop Now

Frogs & Turtles

Let's explore Bravery through Play Shop Now

  • Our New Container!

  • Better than ever before

  • 9 Year Round Themes

  • choose between sensory sand or dough

  • All Natural Play Dough

  • The softest dough for little hands

  • Sensory Sand

  • Moldable and less messy for soothing play

Our New Container!

Better than ever before

9 Year Round Themes

choose between sensory sand or dough

All Natural Play Dough

The softest dough for little hands

Sensory Sand

Moldable and less messy for soothing play

The Emotional literacy line

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Present Not Perfect: Who We Are

Emily + Abbie

Art Therapist Mama + Special Education Teacher Mama with a passion for normalizing family mental health through intentional art and play. We help you create more present, not perfect moments with your kids.

Hi! We are glad you're here and a part of this community. We are passionate about supporting the emotional wellness of families and empowering the next generation of mindful, creative, and resilient kids.

We provide practical tools families can use to foster social emotional literacy. We work to make these topics accessible through elements of sensory play, metaphor, and hands-on learning.

Be sure to check out the "About Us" page to learn more about our background and experience.

Love,

Emily & Abbie

About Us

Why our Kits are Different

Playful metaphors to teach emotional literacy skills

Created by an Art Therapist + Special Education Teacher

Promotes Self-Compassion for the caregiver

Supports families in talking about emotional wellness

Curated to encourage open-ended play, mindfulness & more!

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Connect

Our main goal is to normalize mental health, provide hands-on strategies and tools to support emotional wellness, and empower families to have more present, not perfect moments together. We shouldn't wait until we are in crisis to prioritize emotional literacy, it should be an essential part of our everyday life.

Create

Children learn through play. Both art and play allow children to CREATE meaning and explore complex topics in ways that make sense to them. Our kits use fun and playful metaphors to assist grown ups to approach topics in nuanced ways and create starting points for future conversations around mental wellness.

Co-Regulate

Research shows us that intentional sensory input can aid in regulation of the central nervous system in both kids and adults. When children and their caregivers dive into our sensory "Calm Kits," they enter into a safe space to practice co-regulation strategies and thrive. The best way to teach emotional regulation is to model it. Our kits can also allow adults to get some much needed breaks in a tough stretch of parenting.

Testimonials

My daughters are 3 years old and 20 months  old. They both enjoy the kits and ask to play with them almost on a daily basis. You cannot find kits like these anywhere else or with the great messages behind them, for parents and children. We try so hard to be perfect as parents and this company reminds me I don't have to be, I have to be present. I love the time with my girls creating. There is a theme for everyone and the kits are easy to take on the go. We love the options of sand or dough.

Whitney

We had the experience of hands on play and a presentation at my sons intermediate school recently. I was very impressed with their business model and creation of using art and manipulatives for calming play. Such a great tool for any parent. 10/10 would recommend trying a calming dough jar. They have the cutest arrangement of themed items that kept my 9year old son occupied and calm for at least 20 minutes. And he’s proud of his work! Great products, great motto, very nice and transparent owners. It’s a YES from me!

Jane

My daughter loves the Present Not Perfect sensory kits! She’s 2.5 and she’s not one to sit in the same place for a long time so I was skeptical at first if the kits would hold her attention, but she sat for 40minutes straight!! I was amazed. I typically like to take then out while I am making breakfast or lunch. A great tool to use instead of putting her in front of the TV. Plus they’re really great to bring on the go too!

Nikki

10 out of 10 recommend! I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how my super energetic, always moving/climbing/running 2.5 year old would do with a calming sensory kit. I was very pleasantly surprised when I put the adorable unicorn kit in front of her and I was able to breastfeed and put my baby down in peace! We love it, use it all the time and have bought for gifts for other kiddos too!

Alli

Wonderful products! Purchased at Lake Mills Fall fest and my kids have been loving them since we got home! They are truly magical and allow for imaginative sensory play!

Julia