Kat Holloway may never crawl out from under the excessive amount of squishy play dough that has quickly taken over her Flower Mound home these past few years. And by the looks of it, she doesn’t seem to mind.
Holloway, an energetic and fun-loving wife and mother to imaginative boys who love creating their little dough worlds — sometimes in the kitchen and all over the living room — started a popular new business venture in June called Mix It Up Dough. With her new company, she and her mom, Emily, create and sell themed play dough kits for toddlers and kids. They even make colorful dough themselves, ensuring that even the tiniest hands can manipulate it.
The idea started innocently enough when Holloway set out to organize her kids’ toys and play dough by genres and themes.
“Even my husband said, ‘Make boxes and have them ready to go each day.’ So, for example, there may be a monster-themed one with eyeballs, hands, and various creature features, and you put it all in one kit,” Kat said with a laugh. She has three boys (Cole, 4; Reid, 6 months; Henry, 18 months). “The next thing I know, my friends are telling me it’s a great idea, and I should sell it.”
She added, “It’s fun for kids because it fosters creativity and independent play. All parents have to do is grab the kit and set it out.”
If you thought play dough’s popularity was a thing of the past, you’re mistaken. Kids love it, and a growing number of creative and resourceful moms across the state and beyond are quickly building a play dough renaissance of sorts as they look for new ways to keep their children captivated for hours on end without resorting to yet another electronic device.
Many of these moms have profitable businesses exceeding expectations — and two are in Flower Mound.
One, of course, is Mix It Up Dough. The other is Imagine Dough, started by long-time resident, April Bailey.
Holloway and Bailey started their similar ventures within the past year — though they had no idea the other existed until recently. They’ve developed quite the following as they preach the seemingly endless benefits of play dough, which they say encourages independent play, fosters creativity and imagination, and improves fine motor skills in children.
“Moms want the best for their children, and sensory play is a huge buzz word these days that I think has reinvigorated play dough’s popularity,” Holloway said. She and her husband moved here from North Carolina in 2019. “There are other companies out there, and it goes to show that people want this. We’re providing a service and giving kids something fun to do. There is power in numbers.”
Bailey, whose 4-year-old son, Reece, can’t get enough of play dough, echoed Holloway’s sentiments.
“Kids are on electronics so much these days. They aren’t playing with toys like we used to, and their imaginations aren’t being exercised,” Bailey said. She, too, started her business with help from her mom, Susan. “I wanted to ensure my child could sit down and play with his toys by himself, come up with his own stories, and entertain himself. Flower Mound is such a growing area that there is definitely room for the both of us. We have different things to offer — maybe I have something that she doesn’t, or she has something that I don’t.”
With Bailey’s Imagine Dough, interested parents can find homemade scented and colored play dough with themed trinkets and rainbow rice sensory kits — all in easy-to-use jars. Jars are customized to each order, and Bailey said there is currently no limit to what she can create with a little inspiration and guidance from each parent. Her website features mermaid, sports, and pirate themes, though some of her additional work includes Rock and Roll Elvis, the Land Before Time, and Minecraft.
Incorporating rice is a relatively new addition to her product list, and Bailey says it’s perfect for teaching kids how to pour and handle smaller objects. They come in various colors such as Tropical Fun, Fruity Tutti, Green Leaves, Pink Sparkles, and Unicorn Love.
“I can do any theme; it just depends on what the customer wants,” said Bailey, who grew up in Flower Mound and graduated from Marcus High School. She started after becoming one of the go-to moms locally for party favors and gifts for her son’s classes. She also put her unique twist on other popular sensory activities and progressed from there. “It’s something I enjoy, and I know it helps Reece.”
Meanwhile, Mix It Up Dough offers theme-oriented rectangular kits, each complete with homemade dough that’s super squishy, sprinkles, glitter, and anywhere between 20 and 60 theme-specific accessories depending on the size of the kit. Those themes include princesses, monsters, construction, pets, and more. Customers can buy custom favors, gift bags, and soft dough and tools separately.
Imagine Dough and Mix It Up Dough each offer local delivery, pickup, and shipping. Mix It Up also has a regular blog on its website and attends local artisan markets. Holloway said she plans to be available at various holiday markets throughout the year, too.
“My four-year-old could sit and play for an hour or more with these kits,” Holloway said. “He will make a little world, redo the world, tear it down and start all over, and more. My 18-month-old could be busy for 20 or 40 minutes, too. I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I love it, and I’ve also always been into arts and crafts. This was something I could do that would also help my kids.”
She added, “I think we all want nothing more than to serve our community in a way that supports what they want, so we love it when people ask for specific kits. The way I see it, we work for them and their kids. I want to give them a say in what we do.”
Bailey agreed, saying she has built relationships with local charities and stores — proving there’s no limit to where things go from here.
“We each bring something to the table that meets kids’ needs,” she said. “There’s a real need for that.”
To learn more, visit Mix It Up Dough at mixitupdough.com and Imagine Dough at imagine-dough.com.
