In a world that can often feel overwhelming, especially for individuals with neuro-diversities associated with ADHD SPD Autism and Cerebral Palsy, finding tools and calming spaces that cater to their unique sensory needs can be life-changing and liberating.
With so many sensory resources and solutions available, where do you even start to find them, what are they and will they work?
Here are 3 effective and beautiful sensory resources that use a combination of light, touch and interactivity to create a magic mood enhancing space where open creative play can be unleashed.
1. LED Bubble Tubes: Bubbles of Tranquility
LED bubble tubes are captivating and mesmerizing columns filled with water and colorful bubbles illuminated by LED lights. They offer a calming visual experience, can significantly contribute to relieving anxiety and promoting calm.
The gentle sound of flowing water, and subtle hum of the bubbles adds to the audial visual experience, while changing color and luminosity creates a soothing environment allowing individuals to ‘de-compress’ and serve as a perfect tool to create safe sensory spaces to withdraw to after a meltdown, or seek calm after experiencing positive or negative sensory overload.
Adding bubble tube accessories like colourful beads transform the tubes into a cascading candy waterfall, or a school of (lifelike) fish into an aquarium, endlessly swimming around.
Bubble tubes quiet hum can promote falling to sleep, and by turning down the luminosity, they act as excellent night lights.
2. Messy Play Lightboxes: Illuminating Learning and Growth
Messy Play lightboxes combine the joy of sensory play with the illuminating effects of selected light colours.
These lightboxes feature a strong see through perspex flat removable tray with LED lights underneath, and have super satisfying buttons to select your favourite colour.
When paired with tactile materials like orbies, rice, water beads, or kinetic sand, and geometric shapes. They create a dynamic and enjoyable sensory experience in the tray.
Messy play on lightboxes can be a powerful tool to improve fine and gross motor skills, while the boxes glow offers a pleasant and engaging platform for messy play. The tactile nature of sensory materials encourages exploration and manipulation, promoting hand-eye coordination, finger strength, and dexterity.
The combination of light and sensory play can stimulate cognitive development by engaging multiple senses, enhancing problem-solving skills, creativity, and spatial awareness. Its also a great platform and leveler for encouraging social inclusivity and open play between individuals.
3. LED Light Walls: Shaping Creativity and Focus
LED Acrylic Light Walls are versatile learning tools that consist of a board with Colourful transparent Acrylic pegs and LED lights in the holes of the base. They are particularly beneficial in offering a structured and engaging activity to focus attention, and encourage the use of fine motor skills.
These LED Light Walls allow individuals to explore patterns, colors, and spatial arrangements, fostering creativity and imagination. For those with ADHD, the focused and repetitive nature of arranging the pegs can act as a meditative activity, enhancing concentration and mindfulness.
LED Acrylic Light Walls are another great sensory resource that encourages social inclusivity and play, and provide a stunning visual light art piece to a room.
Inclusivity and Empowerment through Sensory Tools
The merits of sensory lighting resources like LED bubble tubes, Messy Play lightboxes, and LED Light Walls go far beyond just entertainment and audial visual artform.
For individuals with neurodiversities, these tools have the power to promote emotional well-being, cognitive growth, inspire confidence, self-expression and encourage social engagement.
Sensory resources like LED bubble tubes, Messy Play lightboxes, and LED light walls offer a world of sensory magic for individuals with ADHD, SPD, Autism, and Cerebral Palsy, whether it's the calming influence of lights and bubbles, the creative play of the lightboxes, or the focused dexterity of inserting coloured pegs; these tools enrich and provide safe spaces to explore, learn, and thrive.