Our Ten Favourite Sensory Room Items

Posted on 2 August 2024 by jess

There’s lots to love about sensory rooms. If it’s not their dreamy mood lighting, soothing soundscapes, or stimulating textures, it’s probably the fact that each one is unique.

Sensory rooms are typically designed around the needs and abilities of the people using them. For example, people with visual impairments have better experiences in high-contrast ‘dark rooms’ that make good use of glowing UV reactive resources. Whereas, adventurous soft play rooms suit active sensory needs, where users need space to release pent-up energy.

Choosing the right resources for your sensory room can be a tricky task. And with over 800 multisensory items in our shop, it can be difficult to know where to start. To help you out, we’ve asked our expert sensory team to share their favourite sensory resources.

Whether they’re in the studio designing or out on the road installing, our team are always testing and exploring the latest and best sensory products. So, they’re the best people to look for inspiration.

Continue reading to discover our top ten favourite sensory room items, or contact our friendly team directly for personalised advice.

Our Top Ten Favourite Sensory Room Items

1. omiVista Interactive Projector

“My favourite sensory product so far is definitely the omiVista Projector. It’s interactive, fun, engaging, accessible and inclusive for all children and adults. There are over 300+ games that users can interact with; I also like the fact the games are linked to the curriculum so users can learn phonics and numbers as they play.” – Natalie, Senior Project Consultant

2. UV Carpet

“I love the radiant retro sensory glow of our UV Carpets 🤩 They’re simple and effective at transforming simple floors into immersive sensory features. They also look great in room pictures!” – Jess, Content Executive

3. Hurricane Tubes

“I really like the Hurricane Tubes! They are versatile (suiting homes and hospitals alike), easy to maintain and provide an amazing visual effect.” – Kathryn, Sales Administrator

4. Fibre Optics

“Fibre Optics! They offer a beautiful multi-sensory experience. The twinkling lights are so calming, and it’s nice to hold and touch the fibre optic tails as they change colour. They’re easy to clean too, which is handy for hospitals and schools.” – Sarah, Sensory Specialist

5. Large Sound & Light Panel

“I love the Large Sound and Light Panel. It’s fresh, modern looking, robust and provides big visuals. It’s quite a unique item, and it isn’t found in many sensory rooms, but it’s a great therapeutic resource. The panel is also very robust and can be adapted to accommodate a reduced ligature design, so it works in a range of settings 😊” – Lauren, Sensory Specialist

6. Bubble Tubes

“They’re a classic for a reason. Offering bright and bubbly visual effects, Bubble Tubes are calming, stimulating and perfect for therapeutic sensory sessions. They never fail to bring a smile to my face 🙂” – Linten, Sensory Specialist

7. Vibrating Wall Bumpers

“I’m a fan of the Vibrating Wall Bumpers. They always add a nice splash of colour to a sensory space. They’re handmade by our upholstery team, so they are top quality and easy to install.” – Mike, Sensory Room Fitter

8. LED Wall Wash

“I’d have to say the LED Wall Wash. They’re very aesthetic and add a colourful glow to sensory rooms. Who’d have thought something so simple could create such an immersive sensory effect?” – Beth, Fulfilment Manager

9. Large Infinity Tunnel with Buttons

“I like it because it’s robust, large and has a good sensory effect.” – Howard, Pre-Contracts Manager

10. Safety Padding

“Our safety padding is practical and fun. Not only does it make sensory spaces safe for play and exploration. But it also comes in a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes so that you can easily create a sensory space that matches your style.” – Cheryl, Upholsterer Assistant

More Information

Read: How to make the perfect sensory bedroom for Autism
Explore: Our sensory room gallery for inspiration for your project
Book: A free sensory room design appointment

How To Make A Sensory Room On A Budget

Posted on 23 February 2024 by jess

How To Make A Sensory Room On A Budget

Sensory rooms are developmental spaces that provide a calming and controlled environment for people to therapeutically regulate their senses and emotions. They’re typically used by people with autism and special needs, although their calming and relaxing nature makes them helpful for everyone!

Multisensory rooms are a valuable resource for schools, homes or social centres, but they’re often seen as a luxury due to their high price tags. Well, our sensory experts are here to tell you otherwise!

This blog will help you to build a sensory room on a budget. We’ll share our favourite budget-friendly resources alongside lots of creative and charitable ways of turning your sensory room dreams into a reality.

Why Are Sensory Rooms So Expensive?

Sensory room resources usually have a high price point because of the high-quality materials used to make them. Our sensory experts make sure that we only source the best products that create the best sensory effects, last a long time, and are, most importantly, safe.

Buying more expensive products usually means they’ll last a long time, too, reducing your need to repair or replace them, which might save you money in the long run.

For more information about the quality of our sensory products, get in touch with a member of our friendly sensory team.

Building A Budget Sensory Room

The best way to create a sensory room on a budget, without losing any of its magic, is to go back to the fundamentals of what a sensory room is. We need to make a space that caters to three key senses: touch, sight, and sound.

Touch: You want something soft to sit on and something to interest your tactile senses.

Sight: Sensory works best in darker environments (blackout curtains & blinds are really useful!), so you’ll want to add some colourful resources that glow, stimulating visual senses.

Sound: It’s best to make sure your sensory space is located somewhere quiet, where it won’t affected by outside noises. Although the space inside doesn’t have to be quiet, we’d recommend adding a sensory soundtrack to create a personal ambience.

Choosing The Right Space

You don’t need a big empty room to create a new sensory space. Sometimes, the smallest spaces can have the biggest sensory effect (have you seen our pop-up dark dens?).

So, whether it’s a spare room, storage closet or corner – all you really need is a partition curtain and some cosy cushions to get started.

(Don’t have a spare corner to spare? Have you considered a sensory box?)

What Should I Put In My Budget Sensory Room?

You should always design a sensory room around the person who’s going to be using it. Consider their sensory needs and preferences. If they’re sensory seeking, you’ll want to make a space that’s highly stimulating – filled with lights, sounds and tactile resources. But if they’re sensory avoidant, they’ll need a minimally stimulating space.

What Our Sensory Specialists Recommend

To complement the three key senses, our sensory specialists would recommend four key features for your budget sensory room.

A Bubble Tube: Bubble Tubes are a sensory room staple for a reason. Not only do they brighten up a room, but their endlessly dynamic dancing bubbles are distracting, calming and ideal for softly developing visual senses.
- Bubble Tubes can come with a bigger price tag, but we offer cheaper Table Top and Budget Bubble Tube Options.
A Sensory Projector: Sensory projectors magically create bright worlds along walls and ceilings, decorating them in colourfully relaxing light. There are lots of sensory projectors to choose from; some create rainbows, others create constellations – we’re sure you’ll be able to find the right one for you.
- Our Opti Aura Projector is our best-quality budget projector for larger environments. But the Laser Stars and Ocean Wave projectors are just as good at lighting up sensory spaces in a magically immersive glow.
Fibre Optics: With a tactile twinkle and a gorgeous glow, Fibre Optics are a magical multisensory resource. With long tactile ‘tails’ and interactive colour options, Fibre Optics offer users an intimately personal sensory session where they can develop tactile and visual senses.
- Check out our budget-friendly Essential Fibre Optics. They come complete with their own light source and colour controller so that you can play straight away.
Safety Padding: Safety padding is an important sensory room resource. Not only does padding help to make a space safe, but it also adds a cosy layer that’s soft to sit on or lean against. Having soft, stable layers in your sensory room can help users develop proprioceptive skills as they comfortably position themselves.
- We make most of our bespoke padding in-house – perfectly made to measure to fit your space. However, our Colourful Pencil Padding Set is a quick, easy-to-install, budget-friendly alternative.

Our Budget Sensory Range

We know that everyone might not have the budget or space for a big sensory room. So, we’ve assembled a collection of our favourite budget-friendly sensory products so you can create an immersive sensory space with any budget.

Our discount sensory collection includes Bubble Tubes, Fibre Optics, and everything else you’ll need to create an interactive sensory room.

Products in our budget sensory collection are not the same quality as our main sensory collection, which is why we’re able to set lower prices. For more information, get in touch.

Further Information

Download: Our our free funding guides
Explore: Use our cost calculator to build your dream sensory room and see how much it might cost
Book: A free sensory room design appointment

If you have a question or a query, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our friendly sensory team – they’ll be more than happy to help 😊

A Guide To Sensory Room Flooring

Posted on 2 November 2023 by jess

A Guide To Sensory Room Flooring

When it comes to designing a sensory room, thinking about what’s on the floor will probably not be at the top of your priority list. But our sensory experts are here to tell you that it should be.

Carry on reading to learn more about different sensory room flooring options, why choosing the right flooring matters and our top sensory floor resources.

Base Flooring

Every sensory room needs base flooring. Base flooring sets the scene for your sensory space, like a blank canvas for your design. Because of this, it’s best for base flooring to be plain and practical. We’d recommend using vinyl or carpeted flooring.

Vinyl flooring is great for messy and active sensory rooms. It’s easy to clean and doesn’t absorb water, mess or smells. It also creates space for interactive projection and is more accessible for wheelchair users.

Benefits: Easier to clean, better for infection control environments.

Carpet is better suited for calming and quiet sensory spaces. Its soft tactile texture is easier on hands and feet – reducing the impacts of falls or trips. It’s warmer, too, adding a cosier atmosphere to a space.

Benefits: Adds a softer, cosier layer to a room.

Why Can’t I Use Safety Padding As A Base Layer?

We’d consider padding a sensory layer as it works best when it sits flush against vinyl or carpet, helping it stay safely in place.

For a classic sensory room, we wouldn’t recommend a completely padded floor. Padding works best when it’s placed in a focused play/calming area in a room, i.e., around the base of a bubble tube podium, so users have a cosy spot to sit and are protected from bumps/bruises while they play.

Using a mixture of textures on your floor is a great way to divide a sensory room. For example, using a carpeted/vinyl flooring area near the door encourages users to remove their shoes and keep play away from a potentially dangerous area.

Although, if you’re looking to create a safe de-escalation space, we recommend a fully padded floor.

Top Sensory Layers & Sensory Floor Resources

Now for the fun part – turning an ordinary floor into something extraordinary! Here are our top sensory flooring elements. Which one is your favourite?

UV Carpet

Looking for a relaxing retro look? Our funky UV Carpet adds a stimulating glow to sensory areas. Transforming floors into visually stimulating areas for play and relaxation. They’re ideal for playful sensory rooms, calming sensory rooms (where users can passively explore the visual stimulation) and social spaces.

Benefits: Visual stimulation, great at covering large surfaces, easy to clean.

Liquid Floor Tiles

Filled with luscious liquid, glittery goo, or out-of-this-world UV slime – our liquid floor tiles provide a perfectly squishy interactive surface to encourage visual, tactile and motor stimulation. Specially designed for active sensory play, liquid floor tiles are wheelchair friendly and ideal for accessible sensory rooms.

Benefits: Wheelchair friendly, interactive, available in different colours and styles.

Touch Sensitive LED Carpet

Our magical Touch Sensitive LED Carpet is a multi-sensory treat. Feel the soft tactile material on your fingertips and watch the twinkling LED lights glimmer. The sensory carpet is a great place for users to lay back, explore their senses and relax.

Benefits: Interactive, calming, soft.

Floor Padding

You can make any space safe with our bespoke, made-to-measure safety floor padding. Available in a range of colours, thicknesses and sizes, you’ll easily be able to remove the worry of nasty bumps and bruises, creating a safe environment for users to release energy and explore their senses.

Benefits: Made to measure, safety-focused, easy to clean.

Fibre Optic Carpet

Create a twinkling galaxy of stars at your very feet. Our soft-to-the-touch, velvety Fibre Optic Carpet is embroidered with hundreds of fibre optic lights that sparkle and shine, creating a beautifully stimulating visual effect. Note: We’d only recommend Fibre Optic Carpet in small sections as it isn’t as robust as some of our other carpets and can wear easily. Because of this, we’d actually suggest you use Fibre Optic Carpets to decorate walls! Get in touch for more information.

Benefits: Accessible for wheelchair users, easy to wipe/vacuum clean, available in a range of sizes.

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of what flooring you should use in your sensory room. Ultimately, the right flooring can transform your sensory area into a cosy and welcoming space for everyone to explore their senses and thrive.

Our expert sensory team are always on hand to help you plan and design sensory rooms – get in touch for more information.

Our Favourite Vibrating Sensory Toys

Posted on 15 March 2023 by jess

Understanding Sensory Vibrations

Vibrations are a key part of our sensory diet. They provide calming massaging stimulations that are effective in helping us feel more centred and comfortable in our bodies.

Although it can be hard to find vibrations naturally, it’s not every day that we have access to a stimulating sensory room or a luxury spa. So, our sensory team has put together their favourite budget-friendly vibrating sensory toys so that you can access their therapeutic benefits at home or school.

Vibration Therapy

There are two main sensory functions of vibration therapy:

Calming Vibrations for people who are sensory seeking or hypersensitive to their sensory environment. The gentle rumbles create a sensory focus, which distracts the brain’s sensory need for attention, so you can instead concentrate on other things like listening in school, sitting still when eating dinner, or calming an emotional outburst.

Calming vibrations are key for people who seek movement, pressure and touch.

Invigorating Vibrations for those who are hyposensitive and don’t usually get the chance to get active. Vibrations create therapeutic deep proprioceptive stimulation that strengthens muscles, wakes sensory systems, and energises bodies.

This type of massage therapy is vital for older people and those with physical disabilities.

Who Are Sensory Vibration Activities For?

Sensory vibration activities are therapeutically beneficial for most people. Although they’re especially great for:

People with Disabilities
People with Sensory Processing Disorders
Children & Adults with Autism
Babies

Our Favourite Vibrating Sensory Toys

Best All-Rounder: Vibrating Snake

Our best-selling Vibrating Snake sensory toy is one of our favourite products for helping kids and adults relax.

The snake’s therapeutic vibrations relax muscles and stimulate proprioceptive senses (which is particularly useful for those who are sensory seeking). Vibrating Snake is colourful, flexible, battery-operated and portable, so you can take it wherever you go! Whilst two-speed choices mean you can create a sensory experience that perfectly suits your needs.

Best Budget-Friendly: Vibrating Pillow

Our super comfy Vibrating Pillow is perfect for quiet moments and therapeutic sensory sessions. Filled with tactile microbeads and equipped with a built-in vibrating massage unit, the vibrating pillow is an all-in-one therapeutic aid.

Best Multi-Sensory: Massager With Lights

Our Vibrating Body Massager has three special pads that vibrate, soothing muscles and relaxing minds. The ends of the pads illuminate in soft-coloured lighting, calmly stimulating visual senses – perfect for therapeutic multi-sensory sessions.

Best Experience: Resonance Beanbag

Part speaker, part beanbag, and a whole sensory treat. Sit back and focus on the soothing vibrations and stimulating sounds emanating from the beanbag, creating a personal and immersive sensory session. Discover an awareness of your body through the vibrations and the physical sensation of the music.

Best for Sensory Rooms: Vibrating Wall Bumper

A soft padded bumpy wall that vibrates when touched. They’re a great, fun and interactive piece of soft play equipment to add to any sensory environment.

Best Full Body Vibrations: Vibrating Floor Pad

Our cosy vinyl-covered foam pad has five vibrating discs embedded in its material. Users can lie on the pad and use the handheld controller to match the vibration effects to their mood and comfort levels.

More Information

Explore our full Massage & Vibration Collection.
Discover the benefits of Sensory Rocking.
Get in touch if you’d like any help or sensory advice.

What Can You Do With Sensory Projectors?

Posted on 11 August 2022 by jess

Projectors are a simple and effective way of transforming sensory rooms. They paint giant works of art on walls, create starry night skies on bedroom ceilings, and make portals to colourful, imaginative worlds in play spaces.

You might already have one in your room or house, which is fab! But did you know that there are ways for you to upgrade your projector experience?

We have a collection of stimulating, exciting and magnificent add-on projector effects so that you can transform your experience and enjoy even more magic from your sensory projectors.

Take a read below and find out how you can enjoy a brand new experience from an old sensory projector.

Clip-on Prisms

Clip-on prisms easily attach to the front lens of your sensory projector; they are available in two or four facet lenses that warp and distort the projected images, heightening their visual effect.

Take a look at the Galaxy Stars Effect Wheel through the Four Facet Prism lens. Watch as the stars whoosh and dance across the screen, creating a dynamic 3D effect. It presents the optical illusion of a deeper image that will fascinate minds.

For a less intense effect, try using the Two Facet Prism. It creates less of a blur and is easier for users to track and follow, developing their visual skills.

Best effect wheels for the Clip-on Prism: Snowflake, Falling Leaves, Bubbles, Galaxy Stars, Floating Blossom, and Papillon.

Kaleidoscope Lens

The Kaleidoscope Lens reflects and multiplies the projected image, creating a dreamy, ever-changing visual effect.

It works best with our liquid effect wheels, as their dynamic patterns flow beautifully through the lens, creating a vivid visual effect that’s not too overstimulating.

Liquid Effect Wheels: Mystical Nights, Tutti Frutti, Jungle Jive, Pink Lady.

Magnetic Mild Distortion Kit

The Magnetic Mild Distortion Wheel is a special type of effect wheel that creates stimulating visual effects.

The wheel itself is clear, but it has a bumpy textured surface that warps the light that passes through it, creating an underwater-like effect.

Because of this, the distortion wheel creates particularly immersive experiences when you use it alongside our sea-themed wheels, including the Whales, Deep and Tropical Fish wheels.

Panoramic Rotator

The Panoramic Rotator is a motorised two-facet prism that splits and scans the projected light creating an endless and stimulating visual effect.

The optical illusion is best experienced with our Flying Ghosts Effect Wheel, as the rotator makes it seem like the ghosts are flying across your wall!

Although they also work great with our simple graphic wheels (leaves, butterflies, bubbles) or our liquid effect wheels.

Solar Multi Facet Mirror

Our Solar Multi Facet Mirror splits, multiplies and expands projected images creating a stimulating shower effect.

The mirror is best used with simple and abstract effect wheels, as they create the best visual effect – whether that’s a flurry of snowflakes, a beautiful bunch of butterflies, or a psychedelic liquid dance party.

Wide Angle Lens

Our Wide Angle Lens is great for making a big projection experience in smaller sensory rooms.

Typically, sensory projectors sit in the far corners of rooms, giving them ample space to project a large image on your walls. If you don’t have a large space, your projector might have to sit closer to the wall, creating a less impressive visual effect – which is where our Wide Angle Lens comes in.

At 60mm, compared to the standard 85mm, the Wide Angle Lens gives a wider projection area at a shorter distance so that you can make the most of your projector experience.

Solar Deflector Mirror

The Solar Deflector Mirror can be used alongside Solar Projectors to deflect images onto different surfaces, creating interesting visual distractions. We’d typically recommend them for when your projector is installed on a wall, so you can deflect and project images onto ceilings and floors!

It’s great for sensory spaces with limited space, as it gives you the flexibility to project anywhere.

More Information

Explore our full projection and light effects collection
Get in touch for personal advice, suggestions and product information

A Guide To Sensory Swings

Posted on 22 July 2022 by jess

Is there anything better than swinging in the sunny summer sunshine? Legs swinging, hair blowing in the wind, with a big smile on your face as you woosh forwards and backwards.

Swinging is a great way for us to have fun, get active, and develop our senses. Introducing a swing into your sensory garden, room, or home is a great way to actively develop motor, vestibular and proprioceptive senses that will help you feel more comfortable and confident in your body.

There are lots of different types of swings and swing frames on the market, and it can be a little bit difficult to know where to start. To help you out, our Sensory Experts have put together this handy guide to help you learn more about swings, their benefits and which one might be best for you and your sensory environment. Keep scrolling to find out more 😊

Benefits of Sensory Swings

Vestibular Input: The therapeutic motion of swings helps to stimulate and develop our vestibular systems – which help our balance!
- The simple swinging motion is a passive way of developing vestibular skills. Because of this, swinging is particularly beneficial for people with physical disabilities, as they wouldn’t usually be able to create or experience vestibular stimulation.
Therapeutic Relaxation: Calming swinging back and forth can help your body relax.
- It’s a pleasant way of calming down, relaxing, and feeling more connected to our senses and bodies.
Spending Time in Nature: Most of our swings can be used outside so that you can swing and connect with nature.
- It’s a great excuse to get some fresh air and swing in the sun. Perfect for sunny summer days.
Sensory Integration: Swings are an important part of sensory integration rooms as they help you to connect your senses and feel more like one in your body.
- Swings can be used alongside other sensory resources to develop skills in Sensory Integration rooms.
  - Lay down on a platform swing and try to grab objects from underneath you.
  - Coordinate your movements to catch a ball whilst swinging.
  - Try to throw a ball at a target whilst swinging.
Sensory Exercise: Some of our more active swings are great for helping you achieve a fun dose of daily exercise.
- - Moving your legs and bodies in sync to get the swing moving, and tensing your core muscles to stay firmly on the swing seat, is a simple and effective way of getting active.

The Key Skills You Develop While Swinging

Proprioceptive – Feeling comfortable and in control of how your body moves.
Vestibular – Sense of balance, movement and position.
Gross Motor – Development of larger muscle systems that help your body move.
Spatial Awareness – Knowing where your body is in space in relation to other people and objects.
Sensory Integration – How your body processes, integrates and organises information from your senses.

Which Swing is Best for Me?

Swings come in all shapes and sizes – alongside traditional swing seats, you can also swing on platforms, nets and in cosy cocoons.

Each swing type brings its own benefits; some are better suited for certain sensory preferences, disabilities, or spaces.

Our sensory experts have come together to discuss their swing recommendations so that you can find the best one for you!

Swing Seats

The Best Swing for Your Sensory Garden

Belizze Hanging Chair: Our colourful Belizze Chair is perfect for sunny summer days and relaxing sensory swinging. It has a cosy cushioned support that provides comforting proprioceptive feedback, helping users to feel comfortable and confident while they sit and swing.

Best Swing for Sensory Rooms

Sling Swing: Part sensory den, part weighted blanket, part swing – the soft and stretchy Sling Swing moulds around your body, creating a calming hug-like effect and a personal space for you to explore your senses. Climb inside to read a book, have a quick nap, or go for a relaxing swing session; it’s a useful resource for bedrooms or calming rooms.

The Best Swing for Sensory Integration Rooms

Swing Platform: Their simplicity and adaptability made our Swing Platforms perfect for Sensory Integration Rooms. The large platform gives users a stable place to sit, lie down or stand on top – from which they can develop vestibular, proprioceptive and motor skills.
- See the swing platform in action in our case study video at More Rehab.

Best Swings for Adults

Swinger: Sit back and unwind in our cosy Swinger. Its adjustable neck pillow, footrest and armrests provide comforting proprioceptive stimulation. The swing’s shape and design are made for adults who’d like to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of swinging.

The Best Swings for Kids

Taco Swing: The Taco Swing is great for kids. Its strong and stretchy material lets them explore their senses whilst they let their imagination run wild. Kids can actively jump up and down and use the swing as a trampoline; lie down and let the material wrap around them, creating a calming proprioceptive pressure, before they swing back and forth like they’re flying; or they can simply stand and put their core motor skills to the test to swing the swing.

Best Swing Seats

Full Support Seat: If you’re looking for a classic swing seat, then we’d recommend our Full Support Seats. They come in three sizes and are made for people of all ages to enjoy safe sensory swinging. The seat has a harness vest attached to it to provide support for people with disabilities so they feel safe and secure whilst swinging.
- We’d recommend our Full Support Swing Seats for sensory integration rooms and sensory gardens, as you need a nice open space to swing safely.

Swing Frames

Swing Frames for Sensory Gardens

Single Swing Frame: The single swing frame is an easy-to-install versatile swing. It’s just the right size for most back gardens and has a weight limit of 200kg, so it can safely swing adults and children.
- The swing frame is compatible with most of our swing seat range so that you can always swing in style.

Best Swing Frames for Sensory Rooms

C Frame: The C Frame comes as an all-in-one ready-to-use swing frame, complete with a triple-point suspension bracket and safety mats – all you need is to choose which swing you’d like to swing from.
- Its curved shape means it can easily fit into the corners of rooms, taking up less space and giving you more room to explore your senses.
- The triple suspension point gives you full swinging freedom. Swing back and forth, side to side, or round and round – developing your vestibular senses!
- The frame is protected and padded with safety foam so that it’s safe for sensory play environments.

Swing Frames for Sensory Integration Rooms

Custom Free Standing Beam Frame: For its strength, number of suspension points, and adaptability, we’d recommend our bespoke free-standing beam frames for Sensory Integration spaces.
- You can comfortably hang almost all of our sensory swings from the beams, using the different suspension points to create unique ways of swinging.
- The legs of the frame keep to the walls of the room, giving you lots of space underneath the frame for sensory integration activities.
- It’s ideal for rooms with walls and ceilings that aren’t suitable for suspension.
- Each beam is made to measure and designed so that you can make the most of your sensory space.

More Information

Get in touch: Find out more about our swings and receive personal advice from our sensory team.
Explore the full collection: Our swings collection is filled with even more swings, frames and resources designed to stimulate and develop your vestibular senses.

The Sensory Benefits of Rocking

Posted on 29 June 2021 by jess

Rocking is a simple movement, but did you know that it is full of sensory benefits? Benefits that all stem from our Vestibular System.

The Vestibular System

The Vestibular System is linked to our balance and movement. It’s the secret sense that helps us understand how to move through the world.

Because of this, our vestibular system is really important for our physical and mental development – as the more confidently we can move, the more confident we can be in ourselves.

Rocking & The Vestibular System

Rocking is an excellent way of stimulating our vestibular system. Physically we can feel our body move whilst our visual senses adapt to the changing perspectives – paired together, our body starts to recognise and adjust to the rhythmic motion, and we begin to develop our sense of balance.

Stimulating our vestibular system is incredibly important during our early years and is one of the reasons why rocking seems to be entwined with our childhoods; whether that’s being carefully rocked to sleep in a crib by our parents as a baby or the warm summer days spent joyfully rocking back and forth on a springy horse at the local park.

After we’ve outgrown cribs and playgrounds, the opportunities to stimulate our vestibular system are much harder to find, although the need to stimulate our vestibular system doesn’t change.

Because of this, it’s common for people, especially those with additional sensory needs, e.g. autism, to seek vestibular stimulation, which they may do through ‘stimming’ – when the body moves to seek the stimulation it’s missing.

Luckily, our team of sensory experts have put together a collection of our top rocking resources so that you can find the vestibular stimulation you are seeking. Scroll to the end of this blog to find out more.

Sensory Benefits of Rocking

Relaxing Rocking: The movement of rocking your body in a chair releases endorphins, which help to boost your mood and reduce stress.
Sleep Well: Scientists have discovered that rocking boosts sleep-related brainwaves, helping you to sleep deeper in your deep NHR3 stage of the sleep cycle.
Building Balance: Rocking and developing your vestibular system is a great way to feel more comfortable in your body and how it moves, in turn helping you to feel more self-confident.
Easy Exercise: Rocking in a chair is a simple and gentle movement that’s also a practical way of exercising. Whether you’re stuck at a desk all day or aren’t as mobile, rocking in a chair could be a great way for you to get more active.
Find Focus: Anxiety and stress can cause us to move or ‘stim’. Rocking is an effective way of stimming, helping you reduce your anxiety and focus on things that are important.

Sensory Benefits of Rocking for Babies

Vestibular Development: Babies don’t have the means to stimulate their vestibular senses by themselves, so it’s important that a parent or carer regularly rocks them to build their vestibular foundations.
Sleep Routines: Just like adults, the soothing effect of rocking can help babies sleep easier and deeper. Integrating rocking into your child’s napping or sleeping schedule is a great way to make sure they rest well.
Relationship Building: Rocking your child close in your arms or against your shoulder is an excellent way of developing a close bond with them.

Sensory Benefits of Rocking for Elderly Folk

Helping Dementia: Rocking helps boost emotional and physical wellbeing by releasing endorphins through stimulating the vestibular system. Endorphins help to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, providing comfort for those with dementia.
Gentle Exercise: Gently rocking in a chair is ideal for those who aren’t very mobile. Rocking can also steadily build flexibility and strength in knee joints.
Ease Arthritis and Back Pain: Gentle rocking helps to increase blood flow around the body, sending more oxygen to joints, which helps ease arthritis symptoms.
Moving Independently: Maintaining vestibular senses is essential for those in their later years. A strong vestibular system helps keep you balanced and in control of how your body moves, helping maintain independence and mobility.

Our Top Rocking Resources

Therapy Chair: Our colourful vinyl-covered foam Therapy Chairs are the perfect seating alternative for users seeking proprioceptive, vestibular, or motion-based stimulation.
Rocker Seat: A smaller, budget-friendly version of our popular Therapy Rocker that effectively provides therapeutic proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation.
Bodyrocker: Shaped like a great big smile, the Bodyrocker is a therapeutic piece of soft play furniture that stimulates and develops proprioceptive, vestibular, and motor systems.

Sensory Projectors

Posted on 28 May 2021 by jess

Sensory Projectors come in all shapes and sizes.

Some shoot stars around the room, others get rid of bathroom gloom, whilst our special collection of interactive projectors transform areas into immersive interactive playgrounds, where senses can bloom.

There’s a reason why we’re dedicating a whole blog to projectors, and that’s because they’re one of the most versatile devices to support your senses. Sensory Projectors are fantastic for encouraging communication, developing key skills, and providing relaxing visual stimulation.

Carry on reading to learn more about projectors in sensory settings, their sensory benefits, fun sensory projector activities, and our top projector picks.

Sensory Benefits of Projectors:

Inspire Creativity: There’s something inspiring about watching larger than life images dance upon a wall, whether that’s in a planetarium, cinema or classroom. Projectors take fantastical ideas and project them into reality; because of this, they are great for inspiring imaginations and minds.
Distracting & Calming: Effect wheels can quickly transport you away from stressful environments into visually tranquil spaces, like the beach or countryside, helping you to relax. The effect wheels also provide constantly changing images that are great for users to focus on and track, distracting them from their worries.
Mood-Boosting: Bright, warm and colourful visual effects are widely known for their mood-boosting properties, especially for those on the autism spectrum. Projectors can paint walls with cheerful colours to inspire happiness in people’s days.
Skill Development: Projectors are great for developing core skills, such as tracking, cause and effect, and colour recognition, making them a perfect device for both formal and informal learning spaces. Sensory projectors are also great for building memory and conversation skills in Reminiscence sessions.

Sensory Activities for Projectors:

Interesting Art

Stick large pieces of white paper onto the walls of your room, making sure they’re sturdy enough not to rip and not too thin, letting your art seep through onto the walls beneath. Angle the projector, so it’s shining on top of the paper. Turn off or dim the lights in the room, and then get to work tracing, painting and colouring over the projectors patterns onto the paper. Let the pictures inspire your creativity; when you’ve finished, you’ll be left with a brilliant arty masterpiece.

Skills Developed: Fine Motor, Visual, Tactile.

Project a Story

As the effect wheel is spinning around, why don’t you develop a story based on the images you’re seeing? For example, take the Balloon Festival wheel and imagine your exciting Hot Air Balloon ride; all the different colours in your balloon, how small the houses and people looked from way up high, how the wind was gently blowing through your hair, and how you felt like you could almost touch the clouds.

Projector stories are easy to create and are perfect for developing creativity and imaginations. They can also be used in a wide range of environments, from Sensory Bedrooms for immersive bedtime stories to schools, helping pupils develop their creative writing skills.

Skills Developed: Storytelling, Imagination, Visual.

Interactive Games

Projectors don’t always have to shine upon walls. Simply changing the angle of your projector opens up a new world of sensory possibilities. We’d recommend directing your projector onto a floor or table for more exciting sensory fun: Can you jump on the fish swimming around on the floor (movement)? Try to only step on the clouds (balance). Follow the birds flying through the sky (tracking).

Our special Omi Interactive Projectors include special technology that tracks and reacts to your movements, and they come pre-loaded with over 300 interactive games for hours of immersive interactive sensory fun!

Skills Developed: Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Tracking, Visual.

Immersive Umbrella

Umbrellas keep us dry in the rain, but did you know that they also make perfect projection surfaces? Our White Umbrella is great for creating personal immersive sensory experiences; sit underneath the umbrella and shine the projector on top of it; both distracting and stimulating, you’ll quickly find yourself relaxing underneath the immersive sensory glow.

White sheets, white tents and clear play tunnels are also great alternatives to create similar immersive experiences.

Skills Developed: Tactile, Visual.

Space Blankets

It may be simple, but shining a projector onto a space blanket can create wonderfully distracting visual stimulation. This activity is perfect for those who are disabled or have restricted movement as the blankets can be wrapped around users or placed over their laps, where they can enjoy an immersive sensory experience in a space that suits them best. The up-close and personal stimulation is a perfect distraction and doesn’t require much concentration.

Skills Developed: Tactile, Visual, Proprioceptive.

Sensory Projectors recommended by our Sensory Experts:

Best All-Rounder: Solar 250 LED Projector – Project your brightest dreams across rooms and onto walls with the Solar 250 LED Projector. Not only is it our brightest projector, but it’s also energy-saving and easy to set up.

Affordable & Powerful: Aura LED Projector – An affordable projector that’s perfect for stimulating dreams, imaginations and visual senses in a wide variety of sensory settings.

For Dreamers: Laser Stars Projector – Transform ceilings and walls into bright galaxies filled with stimulatingly relaxing glowing stars.

Interactive Classrooms: Hydro-Solar Projector – Make a splash with a sensory experience that’s perfect for underwater environments. Our Hydro-Solar Projector has been specifically designed for use in wet and humid spaces, perfect for making Bathrooms and Hydropool environments even more special.

For Watery Environments: Omi Vista Mobii – Create inclusive, immersive & interactive worlds with our unique omiVista Projector technology. It’s great for group activities and creating interactive and educational games.

Our Top 5 Fidgets: Autism Awareness Week 2021

Posted on 1 April 2021 by jess

It’s World Autism Awareness Week, and to celebrate, we’re sharing our sensory experts’ Top 5 Fidget Picks!

Fidgeting or ‘stimming’ is a coping mechanism lots of people in the autistic community use to channel their twitches, anxiety and extra energy to help them feel calm and focused in a wide range of environments.

Like we’ve mentioned before in our ‘Wonderful World of Fidgets’ blog, fidgets have become a bit of a mainstream phenomenon over the past couple of years that kids (and adults) use to keep their focus. Although in this blog, we’re going to share our top picks for fidgets perfect for those on the autism spectrum.

Our Top Five Sensory Fidgets:

1. Glow in the Dark Push Pop Fidget

Like an endless roll of bubble wrap, our Glow in the Dark Push Pop Fidget provides terrific tactile and sound stimulation. Use your fingertips to ‘pop’ the soft silicone domes, build your fine motor skills, and listen out for the rewarding ‘popping’ sound each dome makes.

What’s best is the visual stimulation that comes with this fidget; bring it into a dark room, under your duvet, or into your secret den, and watch as the fidget glows in an otherworldly green colour.

2. Rainbow Push Pop Fidget

This fidget is just like the above but better suited for dreamers, escapists and lovers of colour. It might not glow in the dark, but it sure will bring a rainbow’s inspirational magic wherever you go.

3. Tricky Fingers

For hours of fun and fine motor development, our tactile tricky fingers fidget might be just what you’re looking for.

Use the tips of your fingers to push the coloured balls into the right position to match the card’s pattern. It’s a fiddly process and takes some time to figure out which is the best way to move the balls – but once you’ve cracked it, you’ll soon be making quick time of all the sensory puzzles!

4. Fidget Cube

Flick, twist, press, slide and push – this fidget cube may be pocket-sized, but it’s filled to the brim with fidgeting potential. Take it wherever you go, build your fine motor skills, and enjoy the calming tactile stimulation.

5. Tangle Therapy

Twist, turn and tangle anxious times away with our fun therapy fidget. Bright, colourful, tactile, and easy to use, Tangle Therapy is great for building fine motor skills and relieving stress.

We wish you all a wonderful World Autism Awareness week – make sure you celebrate your uniqueness loudly and proudly!

Not found the right fidget for you? Explore our full range of sensory fidgets.

The Wonderful World Of Fidgets

Posted on 9 September 2020 by jess

Why you might have heard of fidgets

Fidgeting is a physical effect of our brain’s natural reaction to the world around us.

We might feel our feet unconsciously drumming along to the beat of our favourite song, a rush of unwelcome anxiety when navigating a new place, or spiking nerves when we are under pressure to meet a tight deadline.

Fidgety moments are a feature of our daily lives. They can happen at different times and can affect us in lots of different ways. Some can be seen as positive (jumping up and down with excitement), whilst others are perceived more negatively (ants in your pants wriggling about on your seat).

Finding ways to channel our fidgeting has become a subject of exploration for many ingenious minds. Rooted in sensory, it’s a topic of discussion that has even recently broken into mainstream focus (see the 2017 fidget spinner frenzy!), which is why we thought that it’d be a good idea to dig into the wonderful world of fidgets and why they’re an ingenious force for good.

Continue reading “The Wonderful World Of Fidgets”