Simple Sensory Room at Home on a Budget

Thinking about creating a sensory room at home for your child with autism? Having a sensory room at home has so many benefits including promoting self-regulation, reducing sensory overload and teaching new skills to name a few. In this post, learn how to create a simple sensory room at home on a budget. You will love the sensory activities included in the Autism Activities Workbook Bundle.

Sensory Room at Home girl with sensory lights

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What is a sensory room at home?

A sensory room is a dedicated space at home that you will use to support your child’s specific sensory needs.

Click here to get your copy of the Autism Activities Workbook Bundle!

Benefits of having a sensory room at home

There are many benefits to having a sensory room for your child at home.

Promote self-regulation
Create space for rest
Provide sensory stimulation
Reduce sensory overload
Teach new skills
Provide sensory breaks
Set up games kids can play alone
Have a dedicated space for sensory activities for kids with autism

How to make a sensory room at home

Choose a space

You’ll want to carefully consider where you choose to put the sensory room in your home. Will the space be an entire room? Will it be a closet that is converted into a mini sensory room? Will it be a corner of the living room?

You can make a sensory space work in a variety of places at home, but you want to make sure there is enough space to include a selection of adapted sensory materials. It’s also best if you can close the space to separate it from other living spaces at home.

If you don’t have an extra room and need to use part of the living room or other busy space, separate the sensory corner with a standing screen.

Consider your child’s specific needs

What is the goal of the space? Will you spend time in the sensory room with your little one? Is the goal to provide a space that your child can use on her own?

If you will both be in the space, include two bean bag chairs and enough sensory tools for two people to enjoy the space together. If it will be a more solitary space that will encourage independent play skills, include one bean bag chair and the sensory tools necessary for your child.

Some questions to explore

Will the sensory room be for my child alone or for two or more people?
When will she use this space? Throughout the day? In the morning before school? In the afternoon after school? In the evening before bed?
What are my child’s preferred interests? (These could be trains, maps, the alphabet or any other them. Include these interests in the space.)

What to include in your sensory room

I am often asked what materials to include in a sensory room at home. It will depend on your child’s specific interests, but the following sensory materials are a great place to start.

Noise-cancelling headphones
Pillows and blankets
Bean bags
Lava lamps
DIY fidgets
Music (& headphones)
Sensory bottles (I love this DIY ocean in a bottle)
Sensory boxes (these are my 25+ favorite sensory box ideas)
Best Sensory Toys for Kids with Autism
Autism Chew Toys (my 5 favorites)

How to organize sensory toys in a sensory room at home

Depending on the amount of sensory toys and tools you will include the space. You may want to have everything out at the same time or have 2 or 3 boxes that are put away and rotate the materials.

Learn how to rotate toys step by step.

Bring it all together

Once you have determined the function of the space, selected your space, chosen furniture, selected sensory toys and materials to include in the space, you will be ready to bring it all togeher!

More Autism Resources

The Successful Interaction with a Child with Autism Course – learn to better understand your autistic child or students with this complete course.
Autism Activities Workbook Bundle – build communication skills, fine motor skills, sensory play skills and daily living skills, while helping your child or students to successfully manage any difficult behaviors, with these fun, educational, printable activities.
Autism Activities Vault – your collection of 420+ autism activities for the entire school year.
Sensory Communication Workbook – Build communication skills with simple sensory activities.
How to Make a Communication Binder Guide & Workbook – Learn how to create a Communication Binder for your child or student with autism using real photos. Follow my expert guide to learn how to use it to increase communication skills.
Autism Adapted Books Bundle – build communication skills with my collection of printable adapted books for autistic learners. Autism Social Stories Bundle – a collection of printable social stories to help your little learners work on their social skills.
Zoo Animals Play Dough Mats Bundle – use these printable play dough mat to work on the names of the animals, build language skills, and increase fine motor strength and precision in a fun, sensory way!

Sensory Room at Home

There are many benefits to having a sensory room at home to help your child with autism rest, self-regulate and recharge in a fun and supportive sensory environment.