Table of Contents
When you're ready to create a sensory room, start with the essentials and include at least one item that focuses on each of the senses: touch, smell, taste, sound, and sight. If you're trying to come up with sensory room ideas, there are a lot of options to consider. The best thing you can do is create one that meets the needs of your child and provide a space equipped with tools to help regulate their sensory system.
Create a space that allows your child to feel safe, secure, and regulated; ensure you have the best sensory room equipment that offers:
Vestibular Input
The best toys for vestibular input provide kids with information on how they're moving and how gravity is affecting them. Overhead suspension swings are great for vestibular sensory input. They require proper safety precautions to boost parents' and caregivers' peace of mind. Plus, they're available in various styles and prices, so you may choose the one that best fits your budget and your child's needs.
Additionally, rocking chairs can provide vestibular input and are the perfect place for kids to unwind, do home work, or read books. Other adaptive seating solutions that provide vestibular input include spinning chairs and wobble cushions. Wobble cushions are a great place to start if you're brainstorming vestibular ideas. Specialized cushions are also a great way to save money and build your room on a budget since you can place most of them on top of any chair you already have. Sensory integration therapy equipment like swings and adaptive seating are excellent items for at home and school.
Proprioceptive Input
Proprioception tells the brain where our body is in space. Weighted stuffed animals, lap pads, or blankets are great options for proprioceptive input. Purchasing a padded mat can be used for safety under a swing and can be good for kids who like to crash or jump onto objects. Large crash pads are filled with foam or another soft material. They're fun and safe to jump onto, plus comfy and soft, making them a great place to calm down.
Auditory Input
To reduce the amount of noise in a space use noise cancelling headphones. To add some auditory input play soft, ambient music from a sound machine or other device. The sound of rain sounds, crashing waves, or just white noise are all great options to start with. You may consider where you create your calming room and the noise you can hear from surrounding rooms or outside. Keep in mind, it may be best to choose an area with minimal distractions.
Olfactory Input (sense of smell)
Certain scents are proven to calm the nerves and aid in deep breathing and mindfulness practices. Lavender is a common scent that evokes a sense of peace and relaxation, and can even improve sleep. Find what scents calm your child and pour them in an essential oil diffuser. Alternatively, you can use sprays and air fresheners with calming scents as well.
Tactile Input
Tactile input creates various sensations through touch. Wall panels can add tactile input to your sensory rooms. There are heat sensitive drawing pads, LED marble sensory panels, and panels with locks, gears, zippers, and other fine motor activities. Include a variety of fabrics and textures in the room with different blankets. Additionally, you can create a low-cost wall panel that features many textures by stapling fabric to foam board. Play-Dough or therapy putty are great options that are also portable. Small fidget toys are another low-cost option to help with tactile input.
Visual Input
Bubble tubes are great for all sensory rooms - they're illuminated with pretty colors and form mesmerizing patterns that evoke a sense of calm. If you choose to dim the lights in your sensory room, the brightness of the bubble tube is a fascinating focal point.
Another visual input option is fiber optics. These strands of plastic light up when they're plugged in, creating an ethereal glow around the room. The fiber optic strands come in different colors, and some slowly transition from one hue to the next. If you are having a hard time finding one in your budget, you can create your own using a jar, food coloring, and glitter. Give it a good shake and your child can use for visual stimulation.
Oral Input
There are endless options for adding oral input into a sensory room. You can keep chewing devices like Chewy Tubes in the room, and give each child his or her own. There are many versions of these chewy devices and they come in a variety of textures. Some chewy or oral devices have vibration settings for added oral input. You can also find a chewy necklace for your child to wear which is perfect for outings, keeping them calm and occupied. Another option is to provide crunchy snacks like pretzels, chips, or crackers in the sensory room to eat with adult supervision.
Additional Sensory Room Must-Haves
Including books that help kids learn how to understand their feelings and learn to regulate their emotions is a great addition to any sensory room. If your child uses social stories or communication devices, keep those handy so they can practice them in a supported environment.
Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of how to create a calming environment for your child with these ideas. It's important to remember that different children have different needs and it's not always necessary for them all to be met in the same space. If any of these items feel overwhelming, then think about what would work best for your child. The point is just to give them a calm space where they can feel safe and happy while still learning new things!
Explore Sensory Room Solutions
Calming Sensory Room Bundle
$9,244.75
$9,575.00
The Calming Sensory Room Bundle is a complete sensory room package designed to support relaxation, de-escalation, and calming sensory input. Built for schools, therapy spaces, care facilities, and sensory rooms, this bundle includes soothing visual, tactile, auditory, and fiber optic… read more
Rectangle Budget Ball Pit
$1,696.88
The Rectangle Budget Ball Pit is a durable, lower-cost ball pit designed for sensory play, therapy activities, and active movement in homes, schools, clinics, and care settings. It offers the function and durability of larger recreational ball pits while providing… read more
