5 Must-Have Items for a Sensory Room
Setting up a sensory room is essential to aid in the developmental skills of children, regardless of whether they have special needs or not.
15/06/2021
A sensory room is essential to greatly aid in the developmental skills of children regardless of whether they have special needs or not. This is because a sensory room provides the child with an environment where he can freely explore and learn about the things around him using his senses. If you are planning to have a sensory room in your home, here are some of the must-have items you must not forget to include.
Swing
Not only are swings fun to play with, swings are also effective in providing gentle rocking motions that can calm a child. Thus, a swing can be the centerpiece of your sensory room. You can choose from a wide variety of swings that serve different purposes. For instance, a Lycra swing can provide deep pressure or a cocoon feel, while a platform swing allows for bigger movement sensations.
Climbers and Slides
More often than not, children love climbing and many of them find this act calming and soothing. Thus, allot an area in your sensory room for climbers and slides where your kids will be able to freely move. There are several climbers and slides in different shapes and sizes that will suit the capacity of your room.
Therapy Ball or Trampoline
It is also noteworthy to add a therapy ball or a trampoline in the sensory room that you are creating, especially if your child is a fan of bouncing or moving around a lot. Jumping can be very regulating and stimulating at the same time for kids of various ages. While adult trampolines are generally big, there are smaller versions that perfectly fit the size of a room.
Soothing Light
There are different types of light that you can install in your sensory room such as lava lamps or bubble lights. These lights can either calm your child or stimulate them, such that the lights you need to install would heavily depend on the characteristics of the children who will be using the sensory room. For instance, if your child is very sensitive to bright and harsh lights, you may want to install a string of holiday lights instead.
Calming Music
Finally, ensure that your sensory room is equipped with calming music. This is because music is known to help with anxiety by encouraging feelings of calmness. Nevertheless, different people have different preferences when it comes to the music that they love to listen to, which is why it is important to heavily consider the preferences of the people who will use the sensory room. You may even use a white noise machine near the door of your room to ensure that outside noise sources will be cancelled out.
A sensory room greatly helps children in learning through their sensory perceptions. This is because this room is often designed to provide a calm and focused environment for a child, or an individual with sensory processing problems. Nevertheless, sensory rooms need not be complex as the simplest and most practical sensory rooms already provide a great advantage in a child’s learning.