Sensory Room on a budget

I have created a Sensory Room for Owen.  I home-school him so a place he can chill out and experience different sensations is a wonderful resource.  A sensory room does not need to be expensive, in fact many of the things I used in ours were gifts Owen had received and other items I already had.  It was (like all my projects) a gradual process.  If you are planning one, with Christmas coming, put the word out for some of the cheaper items below as potential gifts.  I have put links for some of the items (so you see what they look like and where to get them from).  I can't promise these places are the cheapest though and they may not be where Owen's came from.  It is purely a guide for you.

Here are the items in the room:

• Old coffee table with old child gates attached with zip ties to it (so Owen can't get to the cords or power points).
• Old queen sized mattress with mattress protector an quilt and a nice fluffy blanket he had already been given.
• Old bean bag.
• I got an hanging egg chair  and frame from Aldi last year when they sold them.  It was less than $200.00.  
• Bubble tube from Sensamart (I got it when it was on special for $99.00 but they are around $145 now). They are lightweight and easy to tip so you have to create some sort of  plinth to stop a child knocking it over.  I used a old sturdy drawer that I sat upside down, with the drawer front cut shorter to make it even and a hole drilled for the bubble tube and power cord (see photo).  I then put some old pillows around it and an old satin sheet.  You will see from the picture collage I used some mirrors I picked up from Spotlight for $5 to accentuate the effect.UPDATE 25/02/2016. the cheaper tubes are getting harder to get but try searching for "novelty bubble fish lamp" and the cheaper style come up.

• Various lights (heaps of people buy these as gifts for Owen).  Here are some ideas.
• Kaleidoscope (small battery operated), you can get them from ebay, smiggle ($25) and Aust Geographic ($20.00)
• Aurora projector light - $20 to $30 on Ebay.
• Disco lights and plasma balls (cheap at Kmart)
• Water speakers ($30ish at shops such as Big W)
• Battery operated Christmas lights.
• Battery operated vibrating cushions.  I got some vibrating neck massagers from Big W once when they were a clearance item for $5.
• Little hand held massagers (The Good Guys have a light up $10 one at the moment that I want to get)
• Keep your eye out for light up toys, blankets and cushions.  They usually have light up led lights and turn themselves off after 20 minutes.  You will see some in the top right of the picture collage.  I got them for $20 each but they were not permanent items at the stores I got them from. E-bay is a good place to start.
• Get some light up balls (Kmart, Big W, Cheap shops etc), light up tambourines (e-bay or Fishpond), Mini swirl LED light (national geographic, Smiggle, ebay $12- $15). They are plastic and glow when you shake them. They are a bit light a snow globe but with led lights.
• Massage back mat/cushion to put under the quilt on the bed.  We were given one (about 5 years ago) that could also go in the car and you can pick one up for $70 or less on ebay they tend to have them around xmas time in lots of shops.
• Make some of these sensory toys and fabric circles and sensory boards.
• Pool hoses.  They are fun to talk through and feel.
• If you can afford it some light up switch toys.
• Add a ball pit (use a blow up pool and add some light up balls)
• Add a mini trampoline.

Good luck and happy creating.