Help Learners Regulate with Calming Sensory Space Activities
Calm moments matter. For learners with special educational needs, regulation can be the difference between feeling overwhelmed and ready to learn. Discover how Sensory Space activities create personalised calming experiences that help every learner refocus, relax, and thrive.
Why Regulation Matters in Sensory Learning
For many learners with special educational needs, the school day can feel overwhelming. Supporting regulation is about helping students manage emotions, focus, and re-engage, which is essential for learning and wellbeing. Calming sensory input gives learners the tools they need to: 💜 Reduce anxiety and stress 💜 Transition smoothly between activities 💜 Build focus for learning tasks 💜 Develop independence and self-regulation strategies Sensory Space makes this support easy to provide, with activities designed specifically for calming and regulation.
Jordan’s story: calm, accessible sessions for every learner
SEND teacher Jordan, known for her Sensory Class channels, has been using Sensory Space in PSHE to help her learners explore regulation. In this short video, Jordan shows how she uses Sensory Space to create calm, personalised sensory sessions that every student in her class can access - no matter their needs or input method.
How Sensory Space helps learners regulate
Calm doesn’t need to be complicated. With Sensory Space, educators can: 💜 Provide predictable, soothing activities that reduce overstimulation. 💜 Use custom playlists to guide learners from alerting activities into calming ones. 💜 Personalise colours and music to match each learner’s needs. 💜 Offer regulation opportunities on any device - from an interactive board to an iPad in a quiet corner. 💜 And with any access method of their choice, whether that’s switches, eye gaze, touch, mouse or keyboard.
Best Calming Sensory Activities in Sensory Space
Sensory Space offers a range of different activities to suit skills and mood. Each activity can be customised with different colour palettes and soundscapes to make calming sessions even more effective. Several Sensory Space activities are especially effective for regulation:
Aquarium
Filled with aquatic creatures that glide calmly through water
Bubble Tube
Gentle light and rising bubbles for relaxation
Jelly Fish
Jellyfish pulse and drift gently, evoking calm and beauty
Lava Lamp
Slow-moving shapes that hold attention and soothe
Leaves
Leaves drift gently in the soft breeze
Where to Create a Calming Sensory Space
Sensory Space can create calming environments wherever you need them: 💜 Calm corners – give learners a safe space to regulate and reset 💜 Dark dens – pair high-contrast visuals with reduced distractions 💜 Sensory rooms and immersive rooms – extend calming activities into immersive environments 💜 One-to-one support – use an iPad or laptop for personalised calming sessions
