FRANKTON, Ind. - Cami Riedel used to be a teacher, but she wanted to spend more time with her own kids. Looking for a different way of learning, Riedel began assembling sensory kits and baking her own Play-Doh. Before long, other moms in the community began to seek Riedel’s methods, turning her ideas into a small business.
“I wanted to connect with other moms. I wanted to have a place where we could get our kids together, and they could play safely and learn together,” Riedel said.
Although Riedel wasn’t expecting it, she’s very happy that she gets to create kits for other children. To assemble her kits, Riedel dyes chickpeas, beans, and rice. She then adds them all to boxes and includes tiny toys for play. Each month, Riedel picks a theme for the boxes. This month, the theme was ice cream. As a stay-at-home mom, Riedel is always busy, but she uses that as inspiration instead of an obstacle.
“I wouldn’t say that starting a small business is easy. It’s a lot of late nights, working while they’re napping, you know, just here and there, but it’s definitely worth it. It’s been a lot of fun so far,” Riedel said.
Riedel says that one of her favorite parts of running her business is that her daughter gets to see her success as well. She also hopes to pave the way for others who may be considering starting their own business. She encourages people to take the leap of faith and do it scared, because the outcome is often very rewarding. If you’re interested in one of Riedel’s sensory kits, you can learn more about her through her Facebook group, Out of the Box Thinking with Ms. Cami.
Contact Addison Hampshire with comments at addison.hampshire@bsu.edu
