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Tag: bubble tube

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

 

kids inside the rhino sensory trailer interacting with a sensory wall panel

 

More Information

Cleaning Your Sensory Room

Posted on 2 June 2020 by jess

 

Welcoming kids back to school after an extended break is always a little manic, and everything is more manic at the moment as we need to follow social distancing measures.

Neurodiverse children might find their change of environment stressful, and falling back into a routine that they’ve not been in for a while could prove difficult.

Your Sensory Room might be more important now than it ever has been. So, it is important that you keep it safe and clean for everyone to use whenever they need it.

We’ve put together a handy guide to help you figure out where to start when it comes to preparing your Sensory Room for sanitary use.

 

General Room Cleaning

  • Sanitise all touchpoints with disposable disinfectant wipes.
  • Vacuum carpeted floors regularly, not forgetting the space underneath Floor Padding.
  • Mop hard floors and floor padding with soapy water between play sessions.
  • Wash and sanitise any material-based product (e.g. weighted blankets, fidget toys) after each individual play. Find tips on how you can do this here.

 

How To Clean Your Bubble Tube

Bubble Tubes are typically a shining landmark of a Sensory Room, creating endless hours of bubbly sensory fun. Make sure that they are taken care of properly so that they can carry on being a shining landmark for sensory sessions to come!

What You’ll Need

  • Your Bubble Tube
  • Distilled Water or Regular Tap Water (approximately 40l for a 1.75m Tube)
  • Bubble Column Additive
  • Watering Can or Water Jug
  • Soft Cloth
  • Plastic Brush Handle (or Soft Cleaning Brush)
  • Anti-Bacterial Spray
  • Anti-Bacterial Washing up Liquid
  • An extra pair of hands

Here’s How To Do It

  1. Disconnect the Bubble Tube from its power, by unplugging all controllers and switches.
  2. Empty the Bubble Tube. You’ll need two people to do this safely. Firstly, remove the top plug and slide the Bubble Tube forward. Use a sieve to catch the balls or fish that you might have inside, allowing the water to drain away.
    Please Note: When tilting the tube be careful. Gravity and weight will force it to move quite suddenly. Helping you stay safe and make minimal mess!
  3. Then clean the interior of the column with warm soapy water. Use a soft cloth or a soft cleaning brush to thoroughly clean the inside of the tube, making sure you get right to the bottom.
    *Stick to soft cleaning tools, as hard or metallic objects will scratch the inside of the tube.
  4. Thoroughly rinse out the tube with clean water, making sure you remove all leftover soap residue.
  5. Now the inside is clean, we can move onto the outside of the tube. Which can be wiped down and cleaned with anti-bacterial spray and a microfibre cloth. Once that has been done, carefully place the tube back into position on its podium.
  6. Reconnect the tube to your power supply, and switch it on, so that its pump can run.
  7. Whilst the pump is running, use a watering can or similar device to refill the tube with water. Then add the Bubble Column Additive.
  8. Place your ball or fish inserts back into the tube. And securely fix the tube’s lid back on top.
  9. Your Bubble Tube should now be ready to go – sparkling like it’s brand new!

 

How To Clean Your Fibre Optics

Fibre Optics are a great sensory stimulator, especially for those who react best to hands-on sensory activities. Even though the concept of touch been altered dramatically over the past couple of months, there are a few steps that can be taken to make sure that touch can be done hygienically and safely.

Here’s how you can make your Fibre Optics safe for hands-on tactile play.

What You’ll Need

  • Your Fibre Optics
  • Warm Soapy Water (made with anti-bacterial washing up liquid)
  • A Towel

Here’s How To Do It

  1. Remove the Fibre Optic Tails from their Lightsource. You can do this by unscrewing the core plug from the light source housing.
  2. Carefully wash the tails in warm soapy water, making sure that you do not get the core plug wet.
  3. Thoroughly dry off the tails with a towel, then reattach the plug to the Lightsource, and you will be good to go!

Or for a quick clean after each use, use anti-bacterial wipes to sanitise each Fibre Optic Tail.

 

Keeping up a regular sensory room cleaning schedule is a great way to ensure that your room will always be safe and sanitary to play in. Click here to download our Cleaning Schedule Template, which also includes some handy cleaning tips!

And if you are in need of any more sensory cleaning advice, then please get in touch!