SENDsational Sensory Explorer Bags

Open black record bag showing blue ear defenders, a guide to the location, a multicoloured fidget toy and lanyard on a wooden table

Showing contents of red record bag including blue ear defenders, toys and a book with a child wearing a dinosaur outfit

Visiting a public space with a child or young person with additional needs can sometimes be challenging, whether it is for a quick task or a longer recreational visit. Having opened simple sensory spaces across our three core libraries over the last 18 months, we recognised that we could also do more to help a child or young person with additional needs when using our open spaces, so we have introduced our Sensory Explorer Bags.

These bags can be borrowed for use in Bath Central Library, Bath Housing, Welfare and Advice Services, Keynsham and Midsomer Norton Library and Information Services and on the Mobile Library.

What is an explorer bag?

Many UK museums or galleries offer explorer bags for young children, or children with additional needs to use as they roam around the space – this helps the parent or carer enjoy the experience but the child too.

Though there’s less to explore and see in our spaces – no dinosaur bones or priceless works of art – we wanted to offer something that can be used to engage or entertain a child or young person who may otherwise find it challenging coming to browse books or use our spaces in other ways.

The bags might:

entertain or focus a child, so an adult can concentrate on receiving important welfare advice, to find a book or use a public network computer

help a child or young adult to get excited about their visit – showing the wooden worm or sea creature from the bag their favourite book for example

the guide might help them to plan their visit and better understand the space

The bags are a free, borrowable resource to use when visiting us and you can also look at the guides to our locations online before you visit.

What is in a bag?

The children’s bags contain:

a guide to the library or other space
a wiggly worm and some sea creatures
a fidget toy and sensory scarf
ear defenders

The young/older person’s bags contain:

a guide to the library or other space
a fidget toy
ear defenders

We also have a borrowable Please give me space lanyard available at each location.

What other resources do you have?

As well as our bags and sensory spaces in Bath, Midsomer Norton and Keynsham, we have other offers.

Find out about Bag Books and Story Sacks which are borrowable for Rainbow Resource Card holders.

If your child is aged 0-5, don’t forget to ask us about Book Trust’s free packs for additional needs. We have a small supply of Bookstart Shine for children who are deaf, Bookstart Touch for children with a visual impairment and Bookstart Star for children with conditions affecting their fine motor skills.

Find out more about our accessible facilities and content.

If you haven’t used our sensory spaces in Bath, Midsomer Norton and Keynsham yet, book online or drop in and speak to a member of staff. See Eventbrite for booking information.