A sensory bag is really an umbrella term that means a collection of items that children can either use to stimulate their senses, isolate them orsoothe children in distress,and within this article we have used the term ‘bag’ to encompass other objects such as jars, bins, or even whole rooms. You couldusea cardboard/plasticbox that is full ofitems that children can touch or play with; it could be things that make different noises at different levels, or it could be ways that children can learn how to manage their balance and motor skills such as objects to climb or crawl under.
All children need sensory input to develop fully, but for some, these objects can be a lifeline.
In recent years, you may have noticed a burgeoning of information about sensory play, sensory issues and the importance of meeting thechallengesof children who have sensory needs.There is no doubt that there is more awareness of the issues such as sensoryprocessing disorder,whichaccording toThe Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation, affects at least 1 in 20 children’s daily livesin the US1. There is little incidence data and research in the UK but another population-based study2suggests that 1 in 6 children experiences sensory challenges sufficient to disrupt their academic, social, and/or emotional development.
The concept ofSensory Processing Disorder (SPD)has beentalked about in clinical circles sinceit was first described in the 1960s by occupational therapist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, although it took until the late 1990s and the publication ofCarol StockKranowitz’s“The Out-of-Sync Child” before clinicians really started to diagnose the condition.
What is sensory processing?
Sensory processing is how we all make sense of the world – oursenses take in information from the world around us and our brains then translate the data allowing us to respond and react accordingly. It is a “subconscious and automatic neurological process that occurs in every person at all stages of life”. If you touch somethinghotfor example, your sense of touch will relay this, along with a pain signal to your brain, which will then respond tellingyou to pull your hand away quickly. It usually happens in milliseconds and for most people, this process works well, keeping them protected and feeding them the information they need to move on and process other more intellectual or conceptualideas.
People with sensory processing impairment/disorder, mayhavedifficultywithoneor more of these,andtheirsensoryprocessingmaynot develop as efficiently as it should. The child can then develop behavioural and social difficulties thatcan affectmany daily activities such as getting dressed or walking down a street, which can then affect their experiences at nursery, school andtheiracademic achievement.
For sensory modulation disorders, childrenstruggle totoleratethe level of sensory input that others do, sotheymay be oversensitive to some things, or actively seek out other sensory feelingsto fulfil a sensory need.Many people who have normal sensory processing often find it hard to understand or empathise with people whohave disorders, dismissing their distress as them being ‘fussy’ or unreasonable. However, most of us can understand the distress of hearing nailsscrapingdown a blackboard, or having an itch which we just can’t scratch. Everything else seems to take second place, and if we wanted to focus on other things (like learning or schoolwork), we would have to eitherstopthe input(i.e.thenailson theblackboard), orbe soothedand satisfied(like the itch). Now imagine your world was full of things you either couldn’t stand or couldn’t be satiated by, and you will go some way to understanding the problems that children with sensory disorders face every day.
This is where sensory bags, bottles, jars and bins can helpas they can provide stimulation orbesoothing to the child. The important thing to remember here is that the individual needs of the child should always be taken into account and practitioners must have a good understanding of each child’s particular needs in order to meet them. That said, children with sensory needs may not have all received a full diagnosis orhave asensory activityprofile/plan in nursery,so there is something to be said for experimenting and seeing what works best with each child.
Remember that sensory stimulation is not just for the children with sensory disorders too. All children need sensory inputs from a variety of differentitemsand they will need you, the practitioner, to help them understand them.
Benefits of sensorybags
Using sensory items, children can:
- Build neural connectionswithin the brain
- Develop fine motor skills handling and manipulating objects
- Learn social skills by sharing or playing
- Be calmed and soothed
- Fulfil sensory needs
- Maintain their focus and attention
- Practise skills (mark-makinge.g. in sand, paint)
- Develop language skills and vocabulary – especially if they receive input from early years practitioners who can label objects, adjectives and feelings
- Develop maths/science skills by manipulating objects, measuring or counting for example
Sensory play
Sensory play is any activity that also stimulates a child’s senses, andcanhelp them findtheir own sensory regulation levelsbut itdoesn’t need to be limited to items you can put in bag.Playing music counts too, as would messy play or playing in the sandpit, and an all-time favourite of jumping in muddy puddles alsoengages many senses.
Makeyour ownsensory bags
We have run different articles over the years thatgive you advice on how to make sensory bags, bottles, pathways and even sensory corners, rooms, and outdoor areas, some of which are relatively expensive and some of which are very cheap or can be made from recycled materials.They can be anything that is filled with items that stimulate any of the 8 senses.What’s important is that the children in your care have access to a range of sensory things to ensure that they develop their senses wellor have therapies and interventions that can address any needsthat they have, andit is often the practitioners interacting with the child that has the most benefit.
