In a city of distractions, Austin’s 90-minute Superminds Academy sensory workshop replaces screens with blindfolds so families can focus on communication

Some family plans ask very little of you beyond showing up. Superminds Academy in Austin works differently. Once the blindfolds go on, parents and children have to pay attention to each other — properly.

You might be describing a color card, guiding your child through a sorting exercise, or trying to explain an object they can touch but can’t see. There’s no quick glance at a screen for the answer. Instead, each task depends on listening, patience, and the kind of clear communication that becomes surprisingly important when problem-solving together.

What is Superminds Academy Austin?

Created by neuropsychologist Dr. Ann DeSollar and educator Elena Restrepo, Superminds Academy is a 90-minute sensory workshop where children complete a progression of guided activities without relying on sight.

The session begins with 2D exercises using colors and number cards, then moves into tactile challenges involving cups, sorting games, and smaller three-dimensional objects. Children may also encounter fine-motor activities and exercises where they recreate drawings using verbal instructions.

How are parents involved at Superminds?

The workshop is designed around children, but parents are part of the experience from beginning to end. That makes it less like an activity you take your child to and more like something the two of you actually do together.

Parents participate alongside trained facilitators, offering spoken guidance, handing over materials, and helping their child navigate unfamiliar tasks.

The workshop isn’t a race through a set of exercises, and there’s no pressure for every child to arrive at an answer in exactly the same way. The emphasis is on staying engaged with the task and working through it together.

For parents, that can be just as interesting to experience. You’re close enough to notice how your child reacts when something is unfamiliar, how they respond to your instructions, and how quickly a small challenge can become a shared problem to solve.

So while focus and sensory play provide the structure, the experience also creates something harder to schedule into everyday family life: a stretch of time when you’re both present, participating, and paying attention to the same thing.

In a city with plenty of ways to keep a family busy, Superminds Academy offers a slightly different proposition. For 90 minutes, set the usual distractions aside and see what the two of you can figure out together.