Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruby Orwenyo.
Ruby, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We started as two sisters raising children with special needs. One summer, my sister Caroline placed her son in summer camp, one that advertised inclusivity and acceptance. However, not even halfway through the first day, they called her to pick up her son and decided he was not allowed back. This and other experiences showed us the major need for truly inclusive, kind, and welcoming spaces for all children, especially neurodivergent kids, the ones that are often pushed to the side or labeled as “problem children”. We decided we would bridge the gap for not only our kids, but so many others who share our experience. We consulted with professionals all around the field of child development to ensure we encourage all kids to grow, learn, and have the best time possible. We dedicated the name of our gym to my daughter Bella and my sister’s son Zack. And that is how BeeZee Sensory Gym came to life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We know there are so many parents and caretakers who would benefit from our sensory gym. However, we opened in mid-April, so we struggle with spreading our word out to those who need our services. By working with a variety of news outlets, such as WMAR-2 and WBAL-TV, local news outlets such as Macaroni Kid, and collaborating with other local businesses who share our values, and expanding our social media influence, we continue to see the gradual growth of our community. We hope one day for everyone who needs a safe, inclusive gym to know about who we are and what we do.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about BeeZee Sensory Gym?
Our facility is fully indoors. We have a spacious gym with different equipment perfect for various ages; from tactile walls for young toddlers to climbing walls and trampolines for older children. We have a regular slide and a padded roller slide. There are various swings as well: t-bar swing, platform swing, kiddie swing, log swing, box swings, and an accessibility swing for wheelchairs. We also have a rope ladder, parallel bars with a hanging balance beam, a ball pit, and a foam train that leads children to wherever their imagination takes them to. All the equipment in the gym stimulates various sensory systems. Near the front entrance of our facility, we have what we call the Calm Room. This Calm is filled with sensory tactile tiles, a soft rug, huggable stuffed toys, a light-up rocking chair, an interactive color-changing bubble tower, and two interactive color-changing bubble wall panels. The lights are kept off, which, with the lights emitting from the bubble tower and wall panels, helps calm the body, whether it be from all the fun play in the gym or from feeling overwhelmed. There is another small room which we offer as a space for licensed professionals such as Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Therapists to rent for their sessions with full access to the gym and quiet room. If not rented out, the space is accessible for moms who need privacy with little ones for nursing or for children who need to calm down without others around. We are the only sensory gym in this area (Northern Baltimore) so it’s very exciting to hear from families around the community how much they appreciate the location, convenience, and more fun activities for their children. We even have families visiting our sensory gym from Pennsylvania! As two sisters building this business, we are most proud of how much joy our gym has brought into every family that has walked through our doors. It’s good to see that our research on the proper equipment and deciding to create the gym is paying off, as it’s not only benefiting our own children but also those in Maryland. The gym also offers a safe space, allowing children to befriend one another and play together. Our gym is open every day, and over the summer, we will have structured programming 3 times a week, full of fun activities. Readers can check out our social medias and website for more information and to stay updated.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success means being able to offer our safe space for as long and as many people as possible. We know how hard it is to see your child discouraged by ignorant people or people unwilling to accommodate them, and if we can help ensure children in our community have a space dedicated to accessibility and their happiness, we know we’ve accomplished our goals and reached our definition of success.
Pricing:
- Pricing: $20 for 2 hours for the first kid
- Pricing: $16 for 2 hours for the siblings
- Kids Grip socks: $5
- Adult Socks, non-grippy: $3
- Monthly Membership: $120
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beezeesensory.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beezeesensory/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeeZeeSensory/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beezee-sensory-835908363/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeeZeeSensoryGym
- Other: https://linktr.ee/beezeesensory
