By Carrie Morrison, Childcare Practitioner, FCSS Kilmarnock
Over the last couple of months, both rooms within the Kilmarnock setting have been taking trips up to CentreStage to visit Mya’s Sensory Room.
CentreStage has been uniting the local community since 2006, providing inclusive and diverse opportunities for people from all backgrounds, of all ages.
Mya’s sensory room was relocated in January of this year; It is the only community-based sensory facility in East Ayrshire and has been an incredible experience for all of our children.
Mya’s Sensory Room is named after the late daughter of a local mother named Yvonne Chafey who is a founder of the Ayrshire Am-ASN Warriors support group which was established in 2022.
The multi-sensory environment encourages brain development, fine and gross motor skills as well as cognitive growth. The facility is free for anyone to use, located right in the heart of Kilmarnock town centre and features a variety of different sensory experiences such as a bubble lamp, UV lights and a projector.
These help support the natural flow of physical and mental development within children, both with ASN and without. It can also be hugely beneficial in regard to self-regulation within children and can provide a calming, relaxing environment for children to settle and soothe whilst practicing independent regulation skills.
Sensory play can provide so many positive outcomes within Early Years, sensorimotor is the first of the four stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and the theorist suggested that through sensory play, children digest and retain information and knowledge for later experiences.
By incorporating the sensory room into our children’s learning experiences and day to day routines, we can support their development whilst also providing fun, exciting adventures that unite them with their local community.
