Why Every School Should Have a Comfortable Sensory Room
Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to visit many different schools while working as a part time Teaching Assistant. Every school is unique, every classroom is different, and every child brings their own personality, strengths and challenges. One thing that has stayed with me throughout these experiences is the incredible effort teachers and support staff make every day to help children feel safe, calm and ready to learn.
As I move between classrooms, corridors, libraries and playgrounds, I often find myself imagining something more. What if every child who needed a quiet moment could step into a space designed specifically to help them feel comfortable and supported? Not a room filled with bright plastic equipment or clinical furniture, but a space that feels warm, welcoming and almost storybook-like. A place filled with soft textures, gentle lighting, calming colours and carefully considered details. Somewhere a child could read quietly, regulate their emotions, take a sensory break or simply sit and breathe.
As a freelance interior designer, I naturally see spaces through a different lens. While walking through schools, my mind often begins sketching ideas. What if a reading room felt like a peaceful ocean cove? What if soft pebble cushions created a calming place to sit with a book? What if fibre optic lights became stars above a child's head? What if sensory spaces could feel beautiful as well as functional?
These thoughts are still ideas for now, but many of the concepts that appear in my sketchbooks and design boards begin with real experiences in schools. They come from observing how children learn, communicate, regulate emotions and interact with their environment. The more time I spend supporting children, the more I realise how important the spaces around them can be.
Poodles & Friends started as a creative project inspired by communication, wellbeing and learning. Over time, I have found myself wondering whether those same values could one day extend beyond digital tools and music into physical environments as well. For now, I continue collecting ideas, learning from the children I support and imagining what future learning spaces might look like. Sometimes the most meaningful ideas begin with a simple question: what if we could create something even more comforting?
Sometimes I wonder where this unusual journey of work, creativity and education might lead me next.
— L C
Creator of Poodles & Friends
Concept visual exploring sensory room design ideas for schools, nurseries and SEND settings. Inspired by my experiences working in education and my ongoing interest in creating calm, supportive environments for learning, wellbeing and emotional regulation. Further concept work and design explorations will be shared through here.
