Reasons for using a Sensory Tent for Sensory Regulation

This article provides helpful information about how sensory tents can help kids regulate and avoid sensory overload. Affiliate links are included for your convenience. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider and none of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. If you seek a diagnosis or treatment for your child or student, please contact a trained professional who can provide an evaluation of the child.

No matter if your child has a Sensory Processing Disorder or struggles with certain sensory sensitivities, sensory tents can provide a great retreat for kids who need a safe space when they experience sensory overload.

If your child has a hard time with sensory stimuli within their environment, they may frequently have trouble with the following:

• Sensory meltdowns
• Sensory triggers
• Sensory seeking behavior
• Oral sensory stimulation
• Emotional outbursts

Any number of these triggers can send a child spiraling without a moment’s notice.

Sensory Tent Benefits

Providing a sensory tent for kids who are prone to sensory triggers, is one of the best ways to give your child a place of comfort and safety. Kids who may need a sensory tent to calm and self-regulate their bodies often experience the following:

• Fight or flight
• Sensitivity to bright lights
• Eats 10 foods or less
• Sensitivities to textures of clothing or touch
• Hates certain smells
• Crashes into furniture
• Enjoys rough play
• Doesn’t understand personal boundaries

Many of these emotions and behaviors begin to build-up within the child without you even knowing it. Sometimes you can spot a meltdown before it happens, but many times you never know when it’s coming before it’s too late.

Sensory tents can help kids stay regulated and give them a private area of their own when they feel anxious or out-of-control. Outtree provides one of our favorite sensory tents because it specifically targets specific areas of sensory sensitivities. Some of the benefits include the following:

• Blackout interior to avoid bright lights
• Flexible and easy to transport or fold-up
• Small enclosed space when the child is too overwhelmed by large areas or crowds
• Rollup windows and doors to allow light and air inside if needed
• Safe space for the child to hide or hangout when needing to be away from people
• Area to crash and play when seeking more proprioceptive input

Depending on your child or students, they may require sensory input throughout the day. A child who uses sensory tents can build neural connections in the brain as they participate in activities that give them additional sensory integration.

To get your own Outree sensory tent, click here. Make sure to add our special reader code “ILSLEARNING” to get a 20% discount.

Sensory Tent Safety and Recommendations

Children can play or relax in sensory tents throughout the day. You can also engage them in a number of different activities that cater to their sensory needs and emotions. Research shows kids who participate in sensory activities throughout the day stay emotionally grounded and calm as the body and the brain gets what it needs.

Safety Tips

Before your child begins playing in their sensory tent, there are a few things to keep in mind. To ensure your child plays in a sensory tent safely, make sure to do the following before setting it up:

• Place the tent in a safe area away from sharp edges or stairs
• Ensure the tent is on a soft or smooth surface (carpet, mats)
• If needed, put a mattress or blankets on the bottom of the tent
• Make sure the tent is setup properly so it doesn’t collapse on the child
• Keep at least one of the windows cracked to provide air flow
• Check on the child periodically or monitor them regularly depending on their age, safety and needs
• Avoid overcrowding the sensory tent with too many toys or sensory tools
• Provide safe foods and snacks if the child takes food into the tent

Timing and Duration

A child may not have the luxury of spending all day in their sensory tent. However, they may need to use the tent multiple times during the day if their body craves and needs more sensory integration. To get you started, here are a few recommendations on timing and duration:

• 15-30 minutes a day is recommended for those who need additional sensory stimulation or calming.
• Give the child a few minutes before or after school to play in the tent.
• If you have the sensory tent at school, create a sensory corner for kids who may need sensory breaks throughout the day.
• Encourage the child to come out of the tent after 30 minutes to participate in other activities.
• Have the option available if you see the child getting frustrated, emotional or scared
• Allow them to use the tent before bed for better sleep and regulation

Ways to use a Sensory Tent

There are a number of sensory activities the child can do in a sensory tent depending on their needs. Some kids are more prone to sensory dysregulation than others, or they may have differing sensitivities. You may have a child or student who seeks sensory and proprioceptive input, while others may experience too much sensory stimulation.

The wonderful thing about sensory tents is you can customize the space and items that go inside to fit the child and their individual situation.

To give you some helpful ways kids can utilize sensory tents, try a few of the following:

Blackout Mode

If your child is overly sensitive to bright lights and is often triggered by lights in stores, school, or while sleeping, a sensory tent with blackout sides and windows can allow them a place to avoid light altogether.

Mealtime

Kids with extreme picky eating habits and oral sensory sensitivities may need an alternative place to eat snacks and foods. A sensory tent is a good place to provide the child with an area where they can eat and stay calm during mealtime.

Playtime

Some kids need a more confined space to play. Children with sensory sensitivities may find large play areas too overwhelming or triggering. Allow them to play in the tent with a few items at a time without overcrowding the space with too much stimulation. Playing with small toys and objects gives them an opportunity to be creative while regulating their bodies.

Stuffed Animals and Furniture

Adding plush toys and kids’ furniture to the sensory tent helps kids when they feel scared or out-of-control. Let the child choose a few favorite stuffed animals and furniture pieces they’d like to add to make it their own.

Aromatic Smells

Many sensory kids have trouble with certain smells. In a sensory tent, you can add different aromas and scents the child may find calming and helpful when it comes to smell. Some kids may enjoy air fresheners while others prefer essential oils that may target different emotions. As a reminder, avoid any candles, incense or other plugin scents that may harm the child.

Music and Noise-canceling Headphones

Kids who are sensitive to loud noises or background noise can use noise-canceling headphones within their sensory tent to drown out the noise. Headphones can help kids focus on homework or calm them down if they are overloaded by noises or loud sounds. In addition, music is a great way to calm kids down and recharge the brain. Classical music or acoustically modified music with high and low frequencies can help reduce sensory sensitivities and provides calming properties to ground big emotions.

Chew Toys and Oral Sensory Items

If your child needs more oral sensory stimulation, add chewable toys or items to the sensory tent they can chew to support the muscles in the jaw, lips, tongue and teeth.

Night Lights or Night Lamps

If the child likes to read or wants more calming light, you can add night lights or night lamps to the tent to help the child when napping, sleeping or relaxing.

Deep Breathing

Children who are prone to sensory meltdowns often benefit from deep breathing exercises. You can add a deep breathing toy to the sensory tent so the child can use it’s light and rhythm to do deep breathing exercises for better emotional regulation.

Homework and Creative Projects

Sensory tents provide kids with a safe space to do homework, coloring, arts and crafts. Use the tent when the child needs to be alone or has to avoid outside distractions for homework and other creative projects.

Reading

A sensory tent is a great place for kids to read picture books or chapter books to refocus their energy.

Weighted Lap Pads

Kids who are prone to sensory seeking behavior need additional support to their joints and muscles for calming. Adding weighted lap pads, compression vests or other items to the tent can help a child’s body and brain regulate better.

Weighted Blankets

Adding a weighted blanket to your sensory tent can provide the child with the same benefits as a weighted lap pad. You can also use the weighted blanket to put under the child for more comfort. In addition, the weighted blanket can alternatively be used as a crash pad for those kids who need more proprioceptive input.

Spatial Awareness

Sensory tents give kids a smaller place to play if they struggle with spatial awareness. Large areas and crowds can overwhelm certain children and they may need a smaller area to play and relax. This can help the child if they are feeling anxious or dysregulated after having to be in large areas or at big events.

Fight or Flight

There are kids who are in constant fight or flight mode when it comes to sensory sensitivities. Sensory tents give kids a place to run and hide when they need to retreat to a safe space. If the child appears to be overwhelmed or dysregulated, you can help them get comfortable in the sensory tent before the child goes into full fight or flight mode.

Textures and Tactile

Add a few items with different textures to your sensory tent if your child needs more tactile stimulation. Textured balls, bean bags, sand paper, rocks, stepping stones, gloves and other items can provide the child with the tactile input they need.

Stretchy Bands

Adding stretchy bands to a sensory tent is another way to help kids get proprioceptive input into their joints and muscles. The child can use stretchy bands with their feet, legs, arms and hands multiple ways to provide heavy input to their joints while calming the body.

Jumping and Bouncing

If you have exercise balls or bouncy items the child can use, adding them to your sensory tent is a fun way to provide them with sensory integration techniques. Doing activities that encourage core strength, midline crossing, reflex integration and balance reorganizes the brain for better regulation and sensory input.

Sensory Lights

Adding bubble lamps, sensory lights or glow-in-the-dark items, can regulate a child’s heartbeat and lower their blood pressure when they feel dysregulated and anxious. Add a few of these items for calming and emotional grounding in your sensory tent when kids experience sensory meltdowns.

To get your own Outree sensory tent, click here. Remember to add our special reader code “ILSLEARNING” to get a 20% discount.

Sensory Equipment List

For all the items you can add to your sensory tent or sensory room, complete the form below and we’ll send some of our favorites to your email inbox.

References

Oh, S., Jang, J.-S., Jeon, A.-R., Kim, G., Kwon, M., Cho, B., & Lee, N. (2024). Effectiveness of sensory integration therapy in children, focusing on Korean children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World Journal of Clinical Cases, 12(7), 1260-1271. https://doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v12.i7.1260

Miller, L. J., Coll, J. R., & Schoen, S. A. (Year unknown) A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of the Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy for Children with Sensory Modulation Disorder. (Pilot RCT) https://sensoryhealth.org/sites/default/files/publications/ARandomizedControlledPilotStudyoftheEffectivenessofOT.pdf

Omairi, C., Mailloux, Z., Antoniuk, S. A., & Schaaf, R. (2022). Occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration®: A randomized controlled trial in Brazil. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(4), 7604205160. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2022.048249

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Integrated Learning Strategies is a Utah-based center dedicated to helping mainstream children and children with learning challenges achieve academic success. Our services provide kids with non-traditional tutoring programs within the Davis County, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse, Farmington, and Centerville areas. Areas to find Integrated Learning Strategies include: Reading tutors in Kaysville, Math tutors in Kaysville, Common Core Tutors in Kaysville, Tutors in Utah, Utah Tutoring Programs