PRESS PLAY: Wonder Through the Senses: A Sensory Day

A free, family-friendly sensory day at MAP mima featuring a mobile sensory room and immersive 360-degree artworks.

Join us at MAP mima for Wonder Through the Senses, a sensory-focused day designed to support and celebrate children with diverse sensory needs. A mobile sensory room will be parked outside the MAP mima building, offering a welcoming and carefully designed environment for exploration, play, and calm engagement.

The sensory room features a range of interactive activities and games, including a ball pit and tactile experiences, that provide a gentle introduction to sensory play. These elements are designed to support children with high sensory needs, encouraging proactive engagement with their surroundings and helping them explore different ways interaction can be grounding, supportive, and integrative.

While the mobile sensory room is available free of charge outside, inside MAP mima the 360-degree projection cube will present a curated program of immersive artworks developed with sensory accessibility in mind. These artworks offer calm, engaging visual and auditory experiences that respond to the needs of children who benefit from considered sensory environments.

The mobile sensory room called 'Rocking the Senses' is a portable, purpose-built space that provides sensory input and calming activities for autistic children and children with disability. Equipped with sensory-based elements such as soft lighting, music, swings, and bean bags, it can help reduce anxiety, improve focus, and promote relaxation. Most importantly, it offers a safe and supportive space for children to explore at their own pace, supporting sensory regulation, communication, and social connection.

This event is designed for children with diverse sensory needs, with activities most suitable for children aged 3–12 years. Younger and older children are welcome, with parental or carer discretion.

The event is fully accessible, with step-free entry to MAP mima, accessible toilets on site, and clear pathways between the outdoor sensory room and the indoor projection space. The mobile sensory room and 360-degree artworks have been selected to support calm, regulated sensory engagement. Children must be accompanied by a parent or carer at all times. Quiet spaces and flexible movement between indoor and outdoor areas allow families to participate at their own pace.