Catherine Contreras’s most precious childhood memories include making tamales with her family.
As a self-proclaimed “autism mom” navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, she tried to bring those special moments to life with her own five children.
“When we were in lockdown, we were having virtual tamaladas with my family. My kids were very little, and they really wanted to do it,” Contreras told San Antonio Magazine.
“I thought we could take some Play-Dough and get a husk and let them play that way.”
It was a revelation.
Alongside her mother, Marie Bauml, a retired school teacher, the duo founded Fresh Masa, a business that sells sensory-friendly toy kits that give kids a hands-on experience with their culture.
“It just made sense to combine my mother’s expertise and passion for pretend-play and sensory, and my desire to create products for kids. A way to connect the next generation with our rich history,” Contreras told Fierce earlier this year.
Each play kit contains Play-Doh and small tools to create a themed activity, like Tiny Tamalada, Teeny Taco, and My Favorite Panadería.
With the colorful dough and easy-to-manage wooden accessories, little ones can spread and shape “masa” to make tamales, tortillas, and pan dulce.
“What began as a simple way to support my daughter’s sensory needs quickly turned into a full-blown love letter to our cultura,” Contreras writes on the business’ website.
The business is still small, selling most of its products on an independent website, as well as popping up in local toy stores and marketplaces in San Antonio.
“Everything we’ve done has been self-funded,” Contreras told Fierce. “That means we have to hustle a little harder, pop-up more often, and push every day to be noticed in a big way.”
Between supporting her family, helping neurodivergent children play with ease, and sharing her culture with others, Contreras has sculpted something beautiful.
“As an autism mom, we do so much that involves sensory things, like Play-Doh,” she told San Antonio Magazine. “I thought, ‘Let’s bring this to everybody.’”
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A version of this article was originally published in The 2025 Food Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
Header images courtesy of Fresh Masa
