Create Sensory Spaces to Support Student Mental Health

Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism!

A Journey to Support Student Social-Emotional Well-Being

Recently, our elementary school went on an amazing journey to help find innovative ways to support the daily mental health of our students. The process was an exciting adventure! As a school counselor, I loved using my creativity and passion for social-emotional well-being to help support students at my school.  

By creating new interactive opportunities for students to engage in, we were able to give students tools to help them self-regulate independently. With faculty, staff, and student feedback, we created spaces throughout the school to support all students within the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (a framework that targets interventions according to students’ needs). What made it even more impactful was the fact that our principal was on board and agreed that students first must feel safe and happy to learn effectively. So, with admin support and a personal passion, we created practical, interactive, and impactful spaces for students at our school. 

Setting Up Calm-Down Spaces

The first spaces we created were calm-down spaces in each classroom: Using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) funds, we created four classroom options for homeroom teachers to pick from. Each option cost around $125 per classroom and contained seating options (a mini tent, large tent, bean bag chairs, or pop-up castles), social-emotional learning books and resources, sensory toys, and creative outlets. We wanted teachers to have options but not feel overwhelmed in the process of selecting their spaces. With our help and guidance, teachers picked their options based on the age and interests of the students.  

Within their classroom expectations, students could use the space to self-regulate in the classroom as needed. We added a timer and suggested a 20-minute limit for each visit so that students were able to use the space but not use it as an avoidance tactic. It was wonderful to be able to create an outlet for all students to feel supported. While all students on Tier 1 had access to the space, as a counselor, it also helped me use the class sensory spaces to create interventions for students on Tier 2 and Tier 3 who might need extra sensory breaks. 

Creating Our Interactive Sensory Wall

One sensory intervention we created was an interactive sensory wall. It was so much fun to design and create! While planning this, I realized how vital grants can be to social-emotional programs. With the award of a local grant, we collaborated with a local woodworking company to create an ocean-themed sensory wall. We live near the ocean, so this theme is tied to our community and student surroundings. It turned out beautifully! 

The sensory wall has interactive lights, ship wheels, nautical knots, a wooden treasure chest with sensory toys, and light-up floor mats. It is gorgeous and has already become an important part of our school! I loved that we were able to collaborate locally with artists. We are an arts-integrated school, and it was wonderful to show students what careers in the arts can look like! Students in primary grades (Pre-K- 2) especially loved using this space. We used it primarily for primary grade students on MTSS tier 2 or 3. We scheduled sensory breaks for our Tier 2 and Tier 3 students, helped them regulate during a crisis, or brought them there as a reward incentive. The wall was such an engaging sensory experience that students wanted to spend time in, and because of this, we could utilize the space as a reward for students that had behavior goals they were working on. 

A Sensory Space for Upper Grade Students

Students in upper grades in our Tier 2 or Tier 3 groups also needed a space to self-regulate, so we created a creative sensory room. It was a small room (only 2-3 students at a time) with so much potential! We used more ESSER funds to turn this small, abandoned room into a room for creative exploration and self-regulation. We placed an inviting swing in the ceiling that felt like a suspended floating hug. The ceiling lights were covered with a nighttime star filter, providing calm and inviting lighting.

Creating an opportunity for students to reflect on their creativity was also an important part of this room. Our small table and chair, combined with a three-sided storage cabinet, was a place for reflection and creation. Playdough, coloring paper, paint, sensory items, and coloring paper filled the bins, providing many options for students visiting. After using the space, teachers reported that students came back calmer and more engaged in instruction. Students also shared that they were able to go to class feeling less angry or frustrated after engaging with the creative and sensory activities of the room.   

Sensory Spaces Help Students Thrive

It is really an authentic and creative way to help students. All schools should consider putting sensory options in place for students. Starting small, with something like a sensory bin (a bin that has a few fidget toys in it), is a great way to get feedback and generate ideas with coworkers and students on how to make the most impact for your students. Being able to create these impactful spaces has been such a wonderful experience. We use these spaces with fidelity at this point, especially within our classrooms. This has led us to a decrease in office referrals and empowered students to self-regulate and advocate for their emotional needs.

Sheila Garth is an elementary school counselor in Charleston, South Carolina. With a master’s degree in school counseling education and a passion for childhood development, she became a school counselor after teaching in the classroom for nine years. She currently uses arts-integrated lessons in school counseling to facilitate self-awareness, creativity, social skills, and personal growth in her students. She is an arts integration specialist and has published a resource book for school counselors through Youthlight Inc.

Editor’s Note: If you enjoyed this article, please become a Patreon supporter by clicking here.