[OYAN] Sensory kits at your library

Sat May 18 15:45:59 PDT 2024

Hey all! A couple of years ago, our fabulous teen summer intern created Project Heart Hug for our library, a set of resources that support youth mental health and aims to lift the taboo on talking about mental illness. Project Heart Hug is multifaceted, including displays, a comment box, a website<https://www.tigard-or.gov/your-government/departments/library/programs-events/teens/project-heart-hug#ad-image-0>, and sensory kits for both the teen and children's room. These kits are the best!    They're so popular, we recently expended them with a little help from our Friends. We have a box of sensory toys and tools in the Teen Scene, two in the kids room, and two bags we pull out for programs and outreach. Patrons are free to use the items within. I know some of y'all out there also offer sensory kits. What do you have in yours? Where do you get the supplies? Any other tips to share? Here are mine:

  *   Offer a handout that explains how sensory toys and tools can help. I've attached the one we developed.
  *   Be prepared to refresh the collection of sensory toys every few months. They break and walk away!
  *   There's lots of cheap, bulk fidgets out there, but they break easily and can create choking hazards. Invest a little more for high quality, or keep it simple with toys that don't have a lot of moving parts.
  *   Put a container of wipes out with your kits with instructions for folks to clean the toys when they return them.
  *   Our sensory kits contain:
     *   Noise canceling headphones<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0892JP37H?psc=1&ref=product_details>
     *   Wonder wands<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08234NPJV?ref=product_details&th=1>
     *   Slug toys<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5615DXF?psc=1&ref=product_details> (These make the best sound!)
     *   Stacking stones<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GFP7PSK?psc=1&ref=product_details>
     *   Squeezy things<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2HX72RC?psc=1&ref=product_details> (Stress balls break easily and fill every crevasse with white powder. Squeezy, stretchy things like these noodles tend to last longer. The silicon gets yucky, but they're easy to wash.)
     *   Popping things<https://www.amazon.com/Inflatable-Stuffers-Fidgets-Poppers-Keychain/dp/B0BQQNF43M/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=3EZP0M97VTVCS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SrJ7O7exxlkLpNyamcH73xOn0tgAlmILWpVjHtrunzXV8EAeb4qN3RRyhfLecemDZ7WRpnHepQ94XkOofddCf-W4IfQE7danxZNkpYJmxb_fz8MbiLSVFZkHcnoi0m2t0zbyQN9JbTjs1BvI4vHEs0wua4Ydii5CMRx49WTaCCcDN59ulBsGYpMniYdN6xdJP3lxG19IGb-BdvMS10DSiGtbnnz0ll0rl7Lp_Y0pVUY.FJQAqc1U85DJ0zVFxUVsPH74KrMo2f7wt_bGs6lm8jI&dib_tag=se&keywords=pop%2Bballs&qid=1716071160&sprefix=pop%2Bballs%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1>
     *   Weighted stuffies<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CF9X3XGM?psc=1&ref=product_details> (Friends, don't sleep on the stuffies. Kids and teens (and staff) love them. They are in constant use! They do need stitches and baths occasionally, so expect a little maintenance.)
     *   Random fidgets (These<https://www.amazon.com/Sensory-UrChoice-Learning-Toddlers-Activities/dp/B0B53GQF5Y/ref=sr_1_13?crid=3MHHCE9ZXO96C&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Z3sP6Qav0Em2DnoE4F68DA4dp4l6VvmA3N4E0NGZbbOeIJ-InJGa_sKHOlRzw18facvdkkljt-T2yb4QXknNAZ6sV6vvo_7ZdXps8OcEJswuPcfU-7fURoVQCSuXUCqsfmgg9iX90BMNfRE58OCyNawAVSOPKFH4w1I0eiDiG-3GcLNp9WRgrBJMLBC3wWZBevMdjIHvptrPGora8WbRyCp-n0pDRCY4BL2ZRyLwtCo._KkhsUa0Q1ZTA7vCxbp9WbZ0nHln82XgaW9qfLIdWnk&dib_tag=se&keywords=fidget+tube&qid=1716071438&sprefix=fidget+tub%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-13> are cheap and popular. So are these<https://www.amazon.com/Sensory-Toys-For-Ages-5-7-Stocking-Stuffers/dp/B082D7WVT8/ref=sr_1_9?crid=33IEXHG3CRQGK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jU-N52Fo8E2jdUGgte1Uay3-OHTRxKk9jW8ZssMmjE5Aiau5annSzmoP9E8DPuHlm20iCK9ke7fr45pvriBUjxJd23bVLAell22kdyaj83Smd7QVsx46y1-VLwY9ogjz4gpNhogibm66N3ig1ieI-EhZQQH834nsgCvgh7Y8MLqWNPfTiBDWlMKVDI1KZHWkIlrGYQ3PJPe4jWEoQz2_w0pQ8m3TwwNBsy5c9T9bNjk.0jNwIYX2L_5CZDred65Kqdnd_RRLi6vN6DuX2HJDcPw&dib_tag=se&keywords=fidget+rubber+tube&qid=1716071512&sprefix=fidget+rubber+tube%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-9>.)
  *   Our sensory bags are intended for use during programs like storytimes and outreach events. One of my teammates says she pulls the items out of the bags before storytime to make it easier for kids to make their selections. She said before she did that they would have a time-consuming unboxing discovering all the goodies inside the bags. Who can blame them? Our bags contain:
     *   Noise canceling headphones<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0892JP37H?psc=1&ref=product_details>
     *   Wonder wands<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08234NPJV?ref=product_details&th=1>
     *   Tinted glasses<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XNNTG83?psc=1&ref=product_details>
     *   Soft marble mazes<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1GZ6FRM?psc=1&ref=product_details>
     *   Weighted lap blankets<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X7GLS3M?psc=1&ref=product_details>
     *   Sensory shapes<https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/infants-toddlers/sensory-development/soft-safe-sensory-shapes/p/TS749/>

Lisa N Elliott
Young Adult Librarian
Tigard Public Library
(503) 718-2654
lisae at tigard-or.gov<mailto:lisae at tigard-or.gov>
she|her|hers

Work Schedule
Tuesdays-Saturdays

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