Sensory story: Ben and Betty visit the circus
Introduction
Sensory stories are a great way to provide sensory stimulation and develop communication in a fun way.
This is one of the stories we have written that you might like to use, or you can use as inspiration to write your own!
Telling the story the same way many times helps learning. Hearing it again helps the brain grow and improves understanding. It also helps with guessing what comes next and showing likes and dislikes.
How to prepare for a sensory story
- Choose a quiet and comfortable place for your sensory story. Consider lighting noise and the physical environment.
- Choose a time when the person you are supporting can relax and engage with the story.
- Think about your persons experiences in relation to the story. What objects and movements will be most meaningful? We have made some suggestions, but you can change these to make them more motivating, accessible and fun!
- Where movements are included, you can use support and hand under hand guidance where needed to ensure the person you are supporting is co-actively engaging in these elements.
- Where there are visual or auditory resources, think of appropriate ways of making these accessible if the person taking part has a vision or hearing impairment.
- Make sure you have all your equipment ready to go.
Resources needed for this story
| Resource | Alternatives |
| Sound effects: • Outdoors • Circus music • Fire sounds • Laughing | You can find different sound effects on websites such as YouTube or you could make them yourself. For those people who are deaf/hearing impaired consider a more kinaesthetic approach or visual alternatives |
| Fan | Create a fan with a folded piece of paper |
| Parachute or sheet of material | Blanket or bed sheet |
| Circus costume/top hat | Hat, sparkly outfit |
| Ribbons | Thin strips of paper, material or a scarf |
| Hoop | Scarf tied so it creates a circle |
| Something warm e.g. hot water bottle or wheat bag | Warm water |
| Fire streamer (piece of coloured acetate to wave) | Tinsel or tin foil |
| Toffee flavouring (be mindful of allergies) | Something sugary-scented like a vanilla tealight |
| Cotton wool balls | Kitchen towel |
| Empty plastic bottle or sandwich bag | Tupperware container |
| Item to balance on someone e.g. bean bag | Small cushion |
| Water spray | Flick water from a bowl |
| Squirty cream | Foam soap |
| Pom-pom balls or different size/textured balls | Scrunched up socks or paper |
| Tray | Anything hard and flat |
Accessibility top tip
Think about your the person you’re supporting’s experiences and what resources would bring them most meaning. Any of these resources can be substituted so that they are accessible and relate to your their experience. For instance, fire sounds could be replaced with something that glows or that is warm.
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Ben and Betty went outside.
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Use: Fan, outdoor sound effects and objects
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Action: Create a movement that means you are going somewhere (this could be stomping, or an on body sign for ‘move’).
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Action: Use a fan to blow wind across your body (this could be your hands, arms face, wherever feels most comfortable for you).
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Action: Play some outdoor sound effects (you could use a vibrating speaker and a resonance board to make this accessible for people who are hearing impaired, or explore something from outside such as crunchy leaves).
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Over in the field, they could see a huge red and white tent.
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Use: Sheet of material
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Action: Hold onto the material, explore the silky texture and wrap it around your arms and legs.
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Action: Push and pull the material with a partner (hand under hand support can be used).
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As they got closer, they could hear music. They peeped inside…
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Use: Sheet of material, circus music
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Action: Raise your arms and lift the material above everyone’s heads.
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Action: Play circus music (you could use a vibrating speaker and a resonance board or use a visual resource).
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They heard someone shout: “Roll up, roll up! Come and see the greatest show on earth!”
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Use: Circus costume/top hat, circus music
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Action: Play circus music.
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Action: Feel the texture and shape of the hat and costume.
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Action: Rotate your forearms around each other in a circular motion to “Roll up, roll up!” (this could be done hand under hand).
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Ben and Betty went inside.
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Use a movement that is appropriate for you to mean ‘move’ (E.g. stamp your feet, move your torso forward and back or use an on-body sign for go).
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First came the acrobats twirling their ribbons. They threw them high into the air.
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Use: Ribbons, fan
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Action: Twirl ribbons in the air (or watch or feel the ribbons moving side to side).
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Action: Use the fan to feel the wind as the ribbons move.
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The acrobats came past twirling hoops around their arms and legs.
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Use: Hoops
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Action: Move the hoops around, twirl them or rotate them through your hand. (use hand under hand exploration to feel how big the hoop is).
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Next, Ben and Betty could feel the heat! It was the dangerous fire breathers!
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Use: Warm object, fire sound effect, fire streamer
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Action: Grip, hold or touch a warm object for the heat sensation.
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Action: Play fire sound effect.
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Action: Use the fire streamer and wave it in the air.
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Time for a break. Betty chose candy floss and Ben chose popcorn!
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Use: Pom-pom balls, parachute, sheet, toffee flavouring, cotton wool balls, empty plastic bottle or sandwich bag
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Action: (Pom-pom balls and cotton wool balls should be used with caution and only if safe to do so, as these can be a choking hazard).
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Action: Place several balls onto a parachute or sheet and shake it so that the balls pop into the air like popcorn popping in a pan.
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Action: Add a small amount of toffee flavouring to some wet cotton wool balls and place them inside an empty plastic bottle or sandwich bag. Try smelling the sweet scent (be mindful of allergies, and keep the cotton wool balls away from mouths).
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Action: Explore the pom-pom balls. Do they feel like candy floss?
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“Look up in the sky!” Tightrope walkers were wobbling this way and that way.
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Use: Any items that you can use to balance on someone
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Action: Balance items on one another with your partner. Try your shoulder, or a knee! (Ensure you have given the individual time to process what the item is or model balancing on yourself first).
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Action: Create a wobbling sensation with your body.
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Two clowns ran by throwing cream pies! One clown slipped and fell into a bucket of water. Splash!
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Use: Water spray, squirty cream or foam soap
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Action: Reach up high and side to side before falling down low. (you could use different parts of your body to move up and down).
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Action: Splash water using different parts of your body.
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Action: Explore the squirty cream or foam soap using different parts of your body.
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The clowns juggled with three balls. They threw them forwards, sideways, backwards and high up in the air before catching them all in their trousers!
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Use: Different size/textured balls, tray
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Action: Explore the different kinds of balls, explore the texture, shape and size.
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Action: Put the balls in a tray and watch them roll from side to side.
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Action: Try to throw or catch the balls (or try to track balls being thrown. You can use a ball with a bell in for those with a visual impairment and encourage them to follow the sound).
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Everyone cheered as the music and the acts took a bow. Betty and Ben thought maybe it was the greatest show on earth!
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Use: Circus music
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Action: Play circus music.
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Action: Join in with clapping.
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Action: Bend to take a bow.
The end.
Ready for your next adventure? Find more sensory stories here.
This resource was created by the Sense Active team and Sense Children and Young People Services.
We’d love to hear from you
We’d love to hear what you think of these stories. Have you adapted them in any way to meet the needs of your participants, or have you come up with any new stories?
Maybe some of the participants you work with have seen improvements in their health, skills or confidence levels too?
Please let us know by emailing [email protected], and we’ll be in touch to find out more.
