When you hear the words sensory room, it's easy to picture an expensive purpose-built space.
A therapy swing hanging from the ceiling. Crash mats. Special lighting. Sensory equipment covering the walls.
That can be wonderful for someone who benefits from it, but a supportive sensory space doesn't have to look anything like that.
It doesn't even need to be a room.
A sensory space could be a corner of a bedroom, a comfortable chair with a basket of sensory supports beside it, a small tent, a space under a desk, part of the lounge room or even a collection of things that can be brought out when they're needed.
And you don't necessarily need to spend much money to create one.
The important part isn't how much sensory equipment you have.
It's whether the space works for the person using it.
Sensory needs can be very different from one person to another. Someone might want less noise and softer lighting when they're overwhelmed. Someone else might seek movement, pressure, texture or sound. The same person may want different things at different times.
So before buying anything, start somewhere else.
Start with the person, not the space
It's tempting to search “sensory room ideas”, see a beautiful setup online and start making a shopping list.
Instead, begin by noticing what the person already seems to seek out, avoid or find helpful.
You might notice that they:
- retreat somewhere quiet when there's too much happening
- cover their ears around certain sounds
- seek movement by rocking, pacing, jumping or bouncing
- enjoy being wrapped tightly in blankets
- push, pull, climb or crash into things
- chew objects or seek crunchy and chewy foods
- constantly touch interesting textures
- prefer dimmer spaces or become uncomfortable around bright lighting
- use repetitive movement or fidgeting
- need somewhere with very little sensory input at all
You don't need to turn those observations into a diagnosis or work out exactly which sensory system is responsible.
You're simply looking for clues.
What does this person seem to seek out? What do they try to get away from? What already seems to make things easier?
And if you're creating the space for someone else, involve them wherever possible.
Ask what they like. Let them choose between options. Notice what they actually use rather than what you expected them to use.
A sensory space should be something that supports the person using it, not somewhere they're sent because somebody else has decided they need to calm down.
You don't need a sensory room
You might not have a spare room.
You might be renting.
You might not be able to attach equipment to walls or ceilings.
You might share a home with several people who have completely different sensory needs.
Or you simply might not have hundreds or thousands of dollars to spend creating a dedicated sensory room.
That's okay.
Think in terms of creating a sensory space, rather than a sensory room.
For someone who seeks quiet and reduced sensory input, that could be a bedroom corner with comfortable cushions, softer lighting and headphones nearby.
For someone who seeks movement, it might be an open patch of floor with enough room to stretch, move or use an exercise ball.
For someone who likes tactile input, it could be a basket containing a few favourite textures and fidgets.
And for someone whose needs change throughout the day, a portable basket of sensory supports may actually be more useful than a permanent space.
What this currently looks like in our house
At the moment, Mikey has a $25 blow-up pool from Kmart in his bedroom.
We've divided it into two sections. One side has blankets, pillows, toys and plushies, while the other side is filled with balls to create a small ball pit.
It isn't purpose-built sensory equipment. It's simply something we've adapted around what works for him.
And right now, he spends a lot of time in there.
We've done something similar with Mikey's bed.
He used to have a large bed tent, which gave him an enclosed space, but it wasn't particularly practical for us.
Now he has a bunk bed. I ran stretchy curtain wire along the frame underneath the top bunk and threaded curtains onto it.
The result is a dark, quiet and enclosed space for him to sleep, using the furniture he already had and a relatively simple adaptation.
Neither setup came from a list of things a sensory room is supposed to contain.
We worked with the space we had and what we knew about Mikey.
Start with what you already have
Before buying anything, look around your home.
If someone enjoys being surrounded by soft things, you might already have pillows, blankets, cushions or plushies.
If they seek movement, there may already be safe ways they like to move around the house or garden.
If they need somewhere darker, you might be able to change a lamp, close curtains or create a partially enclosed space.
If sound is the problem, headphones you already own may be useful.
If they enjoy tactile input, think about the textures they're already drawn to. That might be a particular blanket, soft toy, cushion, fabric or even something from outside.
Start with what you already know about the person's needs and see what you already own that might help.
Then you can identify the actual gaps worth spending money on.
Think about the kind of sensory input the person needs
A sensory space doesn't automatically need to be quiet, dark and calming.
For some people, that's exactly what they want.
For others, it would be incredibly boring.
Movement
Some people actively seek movement.
They might enjoy rocking, bouncing, spinning, swinging, jumping, stretching or regularly changing position.
A movement-friendly space might simply need some clear floor area. Depending on the person, it could also include something they can safely bounce, rock or move on.
Movement can be part of regulation. Regulation doesn't always mean sitting still.
Pressure and resistance
Some people enjoy firm pressure, compression or activities that involve pushing and pulling.
Blankets and cushions may provide some of the sensations a person enjoys. Some people may also choose things such as weighted lap items or compression-style sensory products because they like that sensation.
These products aren't automatically helpful for everyone. Personal preference, comfort and safe use matter.
Sound
Ask whether the person is looking for less sound, different sound or more control over sound.
Someone might want headphones or earplugs and somewhere away from household noise.
Someone else might want music, familiar sounds or the ability to choose what they're listening to.
The goal doesn't have to be silence. It can simply be giving the person more control over their sound environment.
Light and visual input
Some people prefer dimmer lighting and fewer things competing for their attention.
You might experiment with closing curtains, using a lamp instead of the main ceiling light or reducing unnecessary visual clutter.
Others enjoy lights, colour and visual movement.
There isn't one correct sensory-room aesthetic. What matters is how the environment feels to the person using it.
Touch and texture
Think about what the person already enjoys touching.
Soft blankets. Smooth surfaces. Squishy objects. Textured fabrics. Fidgets. Plushies.
You don't need a wall covered in specialist sensory panels to provide interesting tactile experiences.
A small collection of textures someone genuinely likes may be all that's needed.
Oral sensory input
For someone who regularly seeks oral input, it may make sense to have appropriate options easily available.
Depending on the person, that could include a drink bottle, crunchy or chewy foods, gum where appropriate, or purpose-designed chewable products.
You don't need something from every category.
Choose what makes sense for the person using the space.
Sensory support can be built into everyday spaces
Not every sensory need has to be met in a dedicated sensory space.
Sometimes it's more useful to adapt the places where everyday life is already happening.
That's what we've gradually done in our home.
Mikey needs a lot of movement, so our small lounge room reflects that.
We have a fluffy, soft rug on the floor, and his Exercise Ball and Sensory Peanut Ball are kept near the TV unit alongside his Lego.
He'll often sit and bounce on the exercise ball with one of his shows playing on the TV in the background while he builds Lego at the TV unit.
He has movement, something familiar playing in the background, something to do with his hands and a comfortable floor space all available in the same part of the room.
We also have a Sensory Wobble Cushion at the dinner table, so movement is available there too.
Sensory support isn't something Mikey has to stop what he's doing to access. It's already part of the environments where he spends his time.
What works for his older brothers looks different again.
They both use strip lighting in their bedrooms to create ambient lighting, but even something as simple as bedding shows how individual sensory preferences can be.
One prefers fluffy bedding.
The other prefers plain cotton.
Neither is more “sensory-friendly” than the other.
Sensory-friendly means friendly to the sensory needs of the individual person.
Instead of only asking:
“What should a sensory space have?”
it can be useful to also ask:
“How can I make the spaces this person already uses work better for them?”
Remember that sensory needs can conflict
This becomes particularly important when several neurodivergent people live together.
One person might need movement while another finds movement distracting.
One person might regulate with music while someone else desperately needs quiet.
One person may want the curtains closed and the room dark, while another needs plenty of light.
Neither person's need is wrong.
Sometimes the solution isn't creating one environment that works perfectly for everyone. It may be giving people access to different spaces, different tools or different ways of controlling their immediate environment.
Needs can also change within the same person.
Something that feels good one day may feel irritating the next. Someone might seek lots of movement at one point and want to retreat somewhere quiet later.
A sensory space can change with the person using it.
Build it gradually
You don't need to create the finished sensory space in one weekend.
Start small.
Add something you think will meet an actual need and see what happens.
Does it get used?
Does the person seek it out themselves?
Do they use it differently from the way you expected?
Do they avoid it completely?
That information helps you decide what to do next.
We've experienced this ourselves. Mikey's large bed tent gave him the enclosed space we were looking for, but the setup itself wasn't practical for us long term.
So we changed it.
The bunk-bed curtains now meet a similar need in a way that works better in his room.
Something not working doesn't necessarily mean the underlying idea was wrong. Sometimes the setup just needs to change.
This is particularly worth remembering before spending a lot of money on specialist equipment.
Creating a sensory space with different budgets
There isn't a minimum amount you need to spend.
$0 to $25
Start by rearranging what you already have.
You might use blankets, pillows, cushions and plushies to make a comfortable area, create a darker corner, move furniture to provide a little more enclosure, make space for movement or collect favourite sensory objects into one accessible place.
Mikey's blow-up pool is a good example. The pool itself cost us $25 from Kmart, and we've turned it into a space that gives him access to both a cosy area and a ball pit.
If you do spend something, it might be on a simple lamp, storage basket, curtain, second-hand cushions, balls for a small ball pit or another inexpensive item that fills a specific gap.
$25 to $100
With a little more budget, you might add one or two things based on the person's actual preferences.
That could be an exercise ball, wobble cushion, fidgets, chewelry, a weighted lap item, headphones, a beanbag or another support the person is likely to use regularly.
If an enclosed space is something they enjoy, you could also consider a small play tent. We stock a Keezi Kids Play Tent for $99, but you certainly don't need a purpose-bought tent to create that kind of space.
As you've seen from Mikey's setup above, existing furniture, curtains, blankets or other things you already own can sometimes achieve a similar goal.
You still don't need one of everything.
If the person loves movement but couldn't care less about tactile fidgets, spend the money on movement.
$100 and beyond
A larger budget opens up options such as larger movement equipment, higher-quality seating, weighted products or more substantial changes to the environment.
Before buying a major piece of equipment, consider whether you know the person actually enjoys that type of sensory input, whether you have an appropriate place to use it and whether it can be used safely.
Specialist equipment can be fantastic when it's the right fit.
It doesn't become more useful simply because it costs more.
A few words about safety
Sensory equipment still needs to be used appropriately.
Follow the manufacturer's age, weight, installation and supervision requirements.
Equipment that involves climbing, swinging, bouncing or hanging should be used according to the manufacturer's instructions. Ceiling- or wall-mounted equipment needs to be installed into an appropriate structure.
Regularly inspect chewable products and other items that receive heavy use for damage.
Weighted products also need appropriate consideration rather than simply choosing the heaviest option available.
If you're unsure whether a particular type of equipment is appropriate for someone's individual needs, an occupational therapist or other suitably qualified professional may be able to provide individual guidance.
A sensory space doesn't have to look like a sensory room
Your sensory space might be beautiful.
It might also be a blow-up pool full of pillows, plushies and plastic balls sitting in the middle of a bedroom.
It might be curtains underneath a bunk bed.
It might be a beanbag and a pair of headphones.
It might be an exercise ball beside the television.
It might be a wobble cushion at the dinner table.
It might be a basket that gets carried from room to room.
What matters isn't whether someone looking at it immediately recognises it as a “sensory space”.
What matters is whether the person using it actually finds it useful.
Start with the person. Notice what they seek, what they avoid and what seems to help. Use what you already have, add things gradually when there's a genuine need for them, and be willing to change the setup when it stops working.
A sensory space isn't successful because it contains lots of sensory products. It's successful when the person using it has somewhere that makes meeting their sensory needs a little easier.
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