Written by Neurodiversity Author and Speaker, Pete Wharmby
Sometimes life is all about having experiences, and exploring a sensory landscape to find excitement, fun and joy. When the mood takes, it is important to have somewhere to find as much sensory input as you can, and that is where our Sensory Seeking Room concept stems from.
Based originally on the sensory needs of neurodivergent children, these rooms are designed to be exploratory, busy, noisy, multi-layered and enormous fun for all children. With a huge range of flexible and customisable options, together we can create a space that will provide freedom for children seeking out new sensory experiences.
Typically, these rooms will offer multiple routes of exploration, with exciting verticality and a range of textures on the walls and floors. They can feature interesting and unusual interactive light displays that can be played with for as long as a child wants to, and tactile experiences that can provide excellent physical feedback, weight and pressure.
Play Equipment
Everything can be provided for:
Need some vestibular or proprioceptive excitement? These rooms can feature spinning activities, turntables and balance bars, along with climbing nets. They can engage in the natural risk-taking behaviours that all children like to explore, in total safety.
Eager for some auditory stimulation? There are a huge number of options for noise-making, from clangs to hoots and everything in between. These can be electronic, with atmospheric soundscapes and instrument panels, or mechanical – surfaces to beat like a drum, or chimes to run their hands along.
The big, underlying concept behind these rooms is derived from our understanding that all children, of all neurotypes, sometimes need spaces for calm, and sometimes need spaces for excitement and play. It is very difficult to make a single space fulfil this dual need, as they tend to clash with one another, so at Tigerplay we like to create dedicated spaces where children can get exactly what they need.
Creating Enjoyable Sensory Play Environments
Sensory seeking behaviours are a big part of the exciting spaces, where children will try to find ways to stimulate their senses and find enjoyment in their surroundings. Any parent or teacher who has had to prevent a children from falling off their precariously-balanced chair will have seen this drive in action! That need for their vestibular (balance) sense to be stimulated in some way has led to that very natural action, even if it is rather dangerous!
Tigerplay’s sensory seeking rooms allow children to seek these experiences in safety, using equipment in the way it was designed to be used. Every sense can be accounted for (well, other than taste – we will have to leave that to lunchtime!) with our range of activities and equipment, so that whatever particular mood a child is in, they will find something to make them happy.
These are spaces that are perfect for those energised, hyper-focused times, where our children are desperate to run around, jump and play, and there are almost no limits to the design language of the space. From natural, jungle or forest settings, to underwater labyrinths, to futuristic space bases, there is something for everyone.
You can book a free consultation with us or contact us for more information on our sensory room design services. You can also learn more about our inclusive design approach, Tigersense, here.
