Sensory Room
Suggestions for Your Home
We built an SI/Gross Motor Room in our basement a couple of years ago, and it is a big hit -- especially in the winter time.
We strategically mounted 4 eye-rings in the joists from which we can suspend a platform swing (plywood covered in carpet suspended with rope/chain), a net swing (found cheap in one of the OT catalogs), a bolster swing (plastic sewer pipe with end caps covered in a velcroed padded denim fabric suspended from covered chains), a "t-swing" (round platform with sewer pipe vertical up the center on a spinning hook -- a FAVORITE for kids who love to spin), a trapeze bar, and earlier, baby swings and regular swingset swings. Most of our stuff is home-made because it is very pricey to use the catalog stuff.
We have a square inflatable pool (now is the time to get them cheap--end of summer) filled with balls for a ball pit. We have a Hedstrom small square trampoline with a bar to hold on to. My guys also love the Hedstrom spring rocking horse (Wind Dancer) which can hold fairly heavy kids (my 4yo is 46 pounds!). We got that used at a children's store as it runs about $96 new.
We also have a crash pad I made out of a huge piece of denim fabric and filled with chunks of foam from the fabric store (THAT stuff is expensive!!) and floor mats made from a cordura fabric with 4 layers of carpet padding that can velcro to one another and cover a fairly wide area if needed.
We have some play stuff in there as well like an easal and shelves with toys. Although this sounds like a huge room, it's not. We have a closet to keep the swinging stuff in so it is out of the way of the floor area. My kids don't use it without supervision from someone who knows how to use it [me :o) ].
For upper body work, we mount boards (magnet board, chalk board, felt board) to the walls at their level. The magnet board is a piece of cold air return ducting that we cut to 2 feet by 3 feet and crimped the edges. It's big enough for 2 four-year olds to play at. Besides the usual letters and numbers, we have made loads of magnetic things by drawing and cutting out craft foam into shapes (e.g. food, plates, dinosaurs, etc) and sticking store-bought stickers on magnetic sheets (sold to cover heating registers in the winter) and cutting out the shapes (this is great if you want some favorites like Blues Clues, Franklin, Sesame Street, etc. which all have various stickers in the stores).
The felt board is homemade and chalk boards are fortunately inexpensive -- all about the same size as the magnet board.
Sorry this is so long, but we've done lots in this area for our two...
The above information was provided by Lyn. If you have questions about any of the information provide Lyn would be happy to help if she can.