Tour: Soft Play

Did you know that heavy work calms and organizes the body? Crawling, pushing, pulling, lifting, climbing and crashing all provide input to receptors deep in the muscles and joints that provide calming input to the body. By providing this type of regular input throughout the day is vital in maintaining a child’s sensory needs. Working with a good early intervention team to develop a sensory diet is important.

Our large soft playroom can be considered an inside playground. It is a system of foam and air structures for children of all abilities. Children experiment with energetic play and discover untapped abilities in a safe, non-threatening setting

Equipment currently in the soft playroom and their benefits:

• Steamroller: For those children who require deep pressure, the steamroller can provide. Children crawl between the rollers to be flattened. Some children will hang out for a while the rollers provide the input they need to calm their bodies.


• Donut: Helps with climbing, rolling, tossing, and balancing skills.


• Air walker: is a cocoon shaped bag of spandex that gives the children the feeling that they are walking on air. The weight and stretch of the air walker helps the child’s vertical stability while creating a motor planning challenge as he or she travels across the cloth to the opposite side. Add a seating frame for a child with seating difficulties or a turtle shell filled with balls for a different tactile experience.


• Ball Pits: The deep pressure sensation of brightly colored balls massaging your whole body is all-absorbing.


• Forest: For hiding and adventure.


• Slides


• Steps


• Tunnels/Caves:


• Swings/Ropes/Trapeze: Help with fine motor weakness. A few minutes a day improves grip strength.


• Spinners: improves balance, coordination, and sensory awareness.


• Rockers: are great for introducing the stimulating effects of motion.


• Turtle


• Tactile/Sound Walls


• Light Sensations


• Scarves: Are the easiest object to grasp and visually track and they are useful in teaching eye-hand coordination.


• Body Sox: are designed for spatial awareness through balance and resistance.


• Balance balls/beams: Are used to encourage balance and coordination.

Below are photos showing the children having fun in the softplay room: