After nearly 10 years of serving Long Island families with a safe and inclusive play space for children of all abilities, the Sensory Beans children’s gym in Wantagh will close its doors for good later today.
Founder Rachel Roslow told Greater Long Island the decision was a difficult but necessary one.
“We’ve watched the children who started coming to us grow so much,” Roslow said. “Families would tell us, ‘We loved Sensory Beans and are so sad our children outgrew it. [But] that inspired us to think bigger.”
Rachel and her husband, Brett, first opened Sensory Beans in 2017 after searching for a space for their own son with autism. Now 15, their son has outgrown the play center, and the Roslows say their family’s needs — and those of others — have changed.
“This is very personal to us,” Roslow said. “There are limited programs that meet our son’s social and developmental needs as a teen, and we know so many families feel the same. We’re committed to finding new ways to fill that gap.”
Roslow didn’t share specifics on what’s next but confirmed plans are in the works. In recent years, Sensory Beans expanded to offer programs like Art Social and Teen Beans, geared toward ages 11 to 19.
Roslow said the success of those programs, along with feedback from families, inspired the nonprofit to focus its mission on inclusion, independence and development for teens and young adults with special needs.
Before closing permanently, Sensory Beans will host a liquidation sale on Sept. 7 and 8, giving families a chance to purchase equipment and supplies from the space.
Roslow said many families have already expressed interest in keeping a piece of Sensory Beans in their own homes or classrooms.
Proceeds from the sale will go directly toward supporting the nonprofit’s new direction.
Top: The Sensory Beans children’s gym at 3309 Merrick Road in Wantagh. (Credit: Andrew Rappaport)
