Robin Imholte would rather make a mess than a spreadsheet.
She's run Messy Play Kits since 2014, shipping sensory activities to families across the country. Getting them out the door was most of the job.
"Running a product-based business also comes with a lot of behind-the-scenes work: manufacturing, inventory, packing, shipping, and all those spreadsheets!" she says. "I'm ready to spend less time managing products and more time doing what I love: creating fun, memorable experiences for kids and families."
On October 27, she launched Messy Play Parties, a new name and website for the work she's choosing to focus on. The kits wind down at the end of 2026. The parties, library events and community programming continue.
Back to the play
Before the kits, Robin was a preschool teacher. She studied human development and psychology at UC Davis and was a head teacher at the university's Early Childhood Laboratory. The first box began with her grandmother asking for toddler activity ideas. Robin packed up some activities, and the idea grew into a business.
Twelve years in, the part she wants to keep is the in-person work.
"Over the years, I've realized that my favorite part of the business has always been the in-person experiences," she says. "And now that I'm a mom myself, I appreciate that kind of play even more."
"It feels less like closing a business and more like coming full circle, back to what made me fall in love with messy play in the first place."
The new site introduces her as The Messy Play Lady and makes a plain promise: we set up, they mess up, we clean up. A party is about an hour of activity at three to five stations, with the sensory bins set inside small foldable pools so the mess stays where it belongs. Robin or one of her team runs the stations and handles the cleanup.
At a slime party, guests pick their colors, glitter and charms, make their own batches and take them home in jars. Tie-dye parties send everyone home with what they dyed. Sensory parties come with themes, from mermaids and dinosaurs to construction and Under the Sea.
Adults get their own version, for milestone birthdays, retirement parties, bachelorette weekends and team-building days. As the Messy Play team says, you're never too old to get your hands dirty.
Here in the mountains, Robin gets to see familiar families return. Children run into friends at events, and parents catch up while they play.
"I especially love seeing the same families come back again and again, and getting to watch their kids grow up!"
Finding Messy Play Parties
Visit Messy Play Parties for party options and the booking form. The business is based in the Santa Cruz Mountains and serves Santa Cruz County and the San Francisco Bay Area. Have your date, city, approximate guest count and ages ready; Robin answers inquiries within two or three business days.
Remaining kits are available through Messy Play Kits during the rest of 2026, while supplies last. Robin's own advice: "grab those products now before they're gone forever!"
Know a Boulder Creek business we should spotlight, or a neighbor who makes this valley what it is? Tell us. Details change over time; if something here is out of date, let us know.
The Boulder Creek Questions
A perfect day in Boulder Creek: "Spending the day outside among the redwoods, ideally in my own backyard or neighborhood"
Favorite hidden gem: "Treehouse Cafe! Their breakfast burritos are delicious, and having a kids' play area makes it even better."
Advice for a new neighbor: "Get out and come to the local events! We have SO many wonderful community activities, from First Friday to Rec Center events and everything in between."
