Make Sense will see your teams create valuable sensory story bags for children and adults with learning disabilities, autism or dementia. A Sensory Story is a valuable tool which can be used to engage and communicate with the recipient and promote learning. It can become a stepping stone to overcoming anxiety and sensory overload when facing a new or even repetitive experience.
Sensory storyboards are incredibly effective yet can be massively expensive to purchase. By creating them yourselves using recycled materials you will be making them accessible to a wider audience. The Children’s Trust, who support children with brain injuries, are just one of our charities, who cannot wait for their play therapists to start working with these story bags.
During the story creating, teams will have the opportunity to take part in sensory challenges to build up their understanding of the sensory journey. This is the most important aspect, an opportunity to change lives and contribute to the stories that are already out there.
We are proud to say that we have created this challenge with the help of Joanna Grace, a leading expert in the effectiveness of sensory integration and sensory stories, founder of The Sensory Projects and author of several sensory story books.
Here are a few examples of the sensory challenges you could be engaging with whilst you build your story:
Resonance: Name the popular songs, should be straight forward except that you cannot hear it you can only feel it!
Feel Good: Can you identify items just by touching them, up to 10 items are in a space just big enough to get a hand in, identify the object!
Colour Blind: Without the use of their sight, teams will need to identify the missing puzzle pieces, working as a team they will work out the colour and shape of the missing pieces.
The Word is Not Enough: Non-verbal communication is the key ingredient here, communicating with the rest of the team a message without speaking or writing anything down.
I love using sensory stories as they involve the children as part of the storytelling experience. Encouraging listening and responding skills as well as providing a safe space for children who are nervous about unfamiliar situations to experience new sensory stimuli in a safe and supported environment.
- Children's Trust
In order to complete your story bags, each team will be provided with a starter pack, which will include lots of items, pens, pencils, paints, and glue. Many of the items will be dual use and some are recycled.
You will also be given a scenario or theme upon which to base your story, for example, a trip to the local swimming pool. Depending on which charity you work with, the type of story you create will change.
You will then create a storyboard that includes the sensory experiences one might encounter in this scenario, allowing the recipient to familiarise themselves with the journey and reducing the chances of sensory overload when they take the trip for themselves.
Put one of your team in the hot seat whilst the rest of the team narrate the story. Does anything need to be changed? Can you utilise more materials? There are multiple opportunities to get all the senses engaged.