Sensory Room

shawmor

Hi Folks,

We are going to build on a sensory room for our son. I'm looking for any ideas of equipment/toys to get for it. Trampoline is a must anyway!!

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks in advance!

January

Have a look at the packages here, you might get some ideas.

http://www.sensationalkids.ie/index.php/online-store

Mr. Muddle

Home store and more often have big bean bags and novelty lights, battery operated fairy lights placed in different colour plastic lunch/storage boxes can look great in a darkened room.

Lidl often get lights in, like rope lights. It depends on the child what will work for them. Exercise balls are also good, you can get different sizes and colours in argos, tesco, home store and lidl/aldi.

I would also second http://www.sensationalkids.ie/index.php/online-store, you could use a mixture of stuff from them and cheap stuff from high street stores.

My nephew loves things to flap, like ties, skipping ropes(with plastic handles), Christmas tree strings of beads with balloons tied to the ends, lots of stuff in the €2 shops.

Lucyfur

I *love* sensational kids.

Visual timer - an absolute godsend for anyone who works well with visual aids.

Thera-putty - brilliant stuff. Great for kids with sensory issues and great for building up strength for writing/using cutlery.

Boogie boards!! So much fun! Great for co-ordination and gross motor.

Big mats for playing hotdog! (roll child in mat, jump on top of them. Great before bed. Takes my lads stress and tension away)

Weighted ball blankets are the best invention ever, but very expensive

What areas does your son have difficulty with? I have a bajillion-and-one things I did with my lad for gross and fine motor. Shout if you want some ideas!

January

Lucyfur wrote: »

I *love* sensational kids.

Visual timer - an absolute godsend for anyone who works well with visual aids.

Thera-putty - brilliant stuff. Great for kids with sensory issues and great for building up strength for writing/using cutlery.

Boogie boards!! So much fun! Great for co-ordination and gross motor.

Big mats for playing hotdog! (roll child in mat, jump on top of them. Great before bed. Takes my lads stress and tension away)

Weighted ball blankets are the best invention ever, but very expensive

What areas does your son have difficulty with? I have a bajillion-and-one things I did with my lad for gross and fine motor. Shout if you want some ideas!

That book you gave me (The Out of Sync Child Has Fun) is a god send here!

Lucyfur

January wrote: »

That book you gave me (The Out of Sync Child Has Fun) is a god send here!

Glad it's helpful! It's just a pity it has such a god-awful title :P

shawmor

Lucyfur wrote: »

I *love* sensational kids.

Visual timer - an absolute godsend for anyone who works well with visual aids.

Thera-putty - brilliant stuff. Great for kids with sensory issues and great for building up strength for writing/using cutlery.

Boogie boards!! So much fun! Great for co-ordination and gross motor.

Big mats for playing hotdog! (roll child in mat, jump on top of them. Great before bed. Takes my lads stress and tension away)

Weighted ball blankets are the best invention ever, but very expensive

What areas does your son have difficulty with? I have a bajillion-and-one things I did with my lad for gross and fine motor. Shout if you want some ideas!

It's more a case of what hasn't he got difficulty with!

Jumping(we already have an indoor and outdoor trampoline) running into walls.
We tried weighted blankets and toys, but he didn't like them at all. So he is still wearing tight clothing and a hood constantly for pressure on his head.
I tried the hot dog and he hated that also!
He likes it when I massage his whole body at the joints like we were shown in OT. He uses a spikey(can't think of proper name!) cushion during school to help him.

unless its super Mario I'm having no luck with him at the moment!

Lucyfur

shawmor wrote: »

It's more a case of what hasn't he got difficulty with!

Jumping(we already have an indoor and outdoor trampoline) running into walls.
We tried weighted blankets and toys, but he didn't like them at all. So he is still wearing tight clothing and a hood constantly for pressure on his head.
I tried the hot dog and he hated that also!
He likes it when I massage his whole body at the joints like we were shown in OT. He uses a spikey(can't think of proper name!) cushion during school to help him.

unless its super Mario I'm having no luck with him at the moment!

Ohh sensational kids have loads of fidget toys! All shapes and sizes

Maybe some dress up gear with different hats? And clothes of different textures?

Does he like jumping? Space balls/exercise balls are brilliant and really strengthen the core.

Massage is brilliant. Touch is SO important

shawmor

He loves jumping and running into walls! I will have a look at the websites and see what I think he might like!

seriously people outside do not understand how important all these things are

Thanks for the advice!!

Lucyfur

Have you tried therapeutic listening? It. Is. AMAZING. Again, it's not the cheapest as good headphones are a must. It's sooooo good for calming a child. Mine lad didn't like running into walls but he LOVED driving into them in his little red car. Sitting room wall was re-plastered 3 times Therapeutic listening stopped all that. Again, there's a link to it on sensational kids, which I think might be new, as I had to go to Galway for the program when my maggot did it.

shawmor

I have never heard of that before, thanks so much! I will look that up now. I'd give anything a try at this stage

aknitter

Mini panic attack after reading the posts....my assessments start on tuesday and everyone we've spoken to think its more a case of where on the spectrum he sits rather than 'if'. Just feeling a little overwhelmed I suppose....

I did look at the sensational site and the toys look really good, but unless it has wheels our fella doesn't want to know! We are moving house so we can give him a bedroom to himself (and by extension our other boy too!) and I'm insisting on a second living room/lounge whatever you want to call it so we can have the space for a sensory room if we need it.....any tips on how to survive the next few weeks (for me!)

Lucyfur

aknitter wrote: »

Mini panic attack after reading the posts....my assessments start on tuesday and everyone we've spoken to think its more a case of where on the spectrum he sits rather than 'if'. Just feeling a little overwhelmed I suppose....

I did look at the sensational site and the toys look really good, but unless it has wheels our fella doesn't want to know! We are moving house so we can give him a bedroom to himself (and by extension our other boy too!) and I'm insisting on a second living room/lounge whatever you want to call it so we can have the space for a sensory room if we need it.....any tips on how to survive the next few weeks (for me!)

Don't be worrying at all If he's diagnosed and is behind with his gross and fine motor skills, he'll be assigned an Occupational therapist and s/he will be able to suggest what's right for your boy My lad was obsessed, actually still is obsessed with cars and by 6 he could name the make and model of every car just by looking at the grid

Having extra space will be amazzzzzing tho. It was myself and my son in a tiny little cottage that you couldn't swing a cat in. Having the extra sitting room will be fantastic. Even if it's just for throwing all the toys into. It's very nice to sit in a toy free room in the evenings

shawmor

Have to agree with everything Lucyfur has said. My DS was into cars but from bout 2/3 we are stuck in the land of super Mario brothers, only the last few weeks minecraft is getting a look in