Sensory Spaces on the Cheap

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A commenter let me know that my 2007 and 2008 Sensory Room on the Cheap posts were out of date, so I thought I would give it another go.

Before you go crazy buying or making things for a sensory space please consider carefully things like how much space you have, how sturdy/unbreakable things need to be for your students and what will the purpose of your sensory space be?  If your students need help being alert and interactive a soothing white room with soft glowing lights may not be the best idea and a room with expensive lights and decor may not be a great idea for a student who needs to "get his wiggles out".  Think about your purpose before you purchase!  Consider a theme to unify the room or space so it doesn't look thrown together - "The Ocean", "Beach" and "Space" might all work well!

 I should also mention that the American Academy of Pediatrics and others have warned that Sensory Integration Therapy does not (yet) have a research base behind it.  Multisensory Enviroments (aka Snozelen Spaces) also do not have a preponderance of evidence behind them (this is because most of the research is done by those who create and sell the systems).  That being said creating an engaging, soothing or otherwise specialized space for your students at school or your child at home can be rewarding.  It is up to the teacher (or parent or therapist) to collect baseline and intervention related data to determine if the space is helpful.

Ideas for a Your Purpose

Soothing Space

• soft, body conforming seating
• white or pastel walls, seating and decor
• soft music
• gentle, glowing lights
• swings
• rocking chairs
• calming scents

 tulle with white string lights down the middle

Heavy Work and Vestibular Stimulation

• ball/crash pits
• lycra heavy work tubes
• mini-trampolines and other bouncing toys
• spinning toys
• adjustable lighting
• diffented music

For Increasing Use of Functional Vision

• dark walls
• black lights
• bright glowing lights
• things which move for using visual tracking
• projectors

For Increasing Alertness/Movement

• bright colors
• things which move and draw attention
• moving seating
• switch activated/interactive toys
• alerting music
• stimulating scents

Products Under $150

Lights

• rotating fiber optic lamp
• star light fiber optic lamp
• electric color wheel
• white umbrellas (project onto them - beautiful!)
• oil light projector (Mathmos)
• serene jellyfish aquarium
• rope lights
• raindrop glow lights
• Colorlight DVD (turns your flatscreen into a glowing light)
• glow blocks
• IKEA dioder glow lights
• star projector
• mini wave projector
• bubble wall (ok, it is a little over $200, but these usually run into the thousands)

Decorations

• reflective wall decals
• shatter proof mirrors

Equipment and Seating

• bounce safe mini tramp
• sit and spin
• IKEA children's swivel chair
• IKEA suspended chair
• bean bag chairs (including white)
• hammock chair

DIY - Do It Yourself Ideas

• Make a Light-up Bubble Tube
• Hula-Hoop and Icicle Lights Chandelier
• Make an Infinity Mirror
• Print Picture Symbols 
• Bottle Caps Wall Hanging
• Platform Swing

How Others Have Made Sensory Spaces

• Growing a Jeweled Rose's Blacklight Sensory Room
• Cup of Autism's Sensory Stuff
• Red Letter Living's Sensory Therapy Room
• Freddy's Sensory Room

Inexpensive Companies Worth a Try

• Cheap Novelty
• Plasma LED
• Novelty Lights
• Jumping Balls
• IKEA