Essential Sensory Resources

Why is sensory play important?

Effective sensory play needs high-quality sensory resources and well-planned learning sessions. Here are five reasons to include sensory play in your lessons:

Effective sensory play needs high-quality sensory resources and well-planned learning sessions. Click To Tweet

Resources.

We can create Sensory resources from free or existing material, bubble wrap, packaging foam, a little dot of oil on a radiator. Food is easy and usually cheap, for example, rainbow rice or spaghetti. I am a fan of getting outside, feel the breeze, listen to the waves (my school is just above the beach). Sometimes you want something a bit different. These can be used in a sensory room or individually to encourage calming or even concentration. I would love to hear your ideas as well.

These are all objects and resources I have found useful and engaging for my students. There are more games, work and play resources here and here.

White Noise Machine.

Not just white noise this machine plays a range of soothing sounds. Use with caution as sometimes adding additional sound to a room can cause overstimulation. It can help concentration in lessons using the headphone Jack, not just for chill out spaces. This white noise machine is USB or Battery powered (Buy Here)

Portable Oil Diffuser.

Awesome for aromatherapy sessions. you can power by battery or USB which means its safer and doesn’t rely on being near a power socket. (buy here)

Sensory Resources: Light Pillow

This is calming and adds ambience to any room. My daughter loves this and the battery lasts for ages.(Buy Here)

The Tuff Spot (Tough Tray)

I am a big fan of using the tough tray to support learning. These are cheap, very sturdy and now available in a whole range of colours (although the black is cheapest) (Buy Here)

Water beads.

So versatile and fun. Squash them, bounce them or roll them down a marble run. (Buy Here)

Giant water beads.

Like above but bigger (and more expensive per bead) but good fun, roll them down drain pipes and if the child throws them, they will not hurt. (Buy here)

Gelli Baff

This is awesome for when you want water (for boats etc) but when you don’t want water on the carpet. (Buy Here)

LED Light Gloves

These are cool for sensory/dark rooms. or put a up a tent or den. (Buy Here)

Two tone Sensory “mermaid” fabric

Just awesome for writing letters, numbers and shapes. (buy by the metre)

Stretchy Fidget String.

A Pack of 7 multicolored strings, great for PECS stage 4 attributes. Fine Motor Skills etc. You can poke these through holes in cardboard and have the child pull them out, as they stretch this task gets more challneging. (Buy here)

Disclaimer – If you buy from these links some money (about 1%) will go towards the running of inclusiveteach.com