Multisensory Pouf
A spatial form supporting the OT & SI, it’s a furniture project inspired by nature, having both aesthetic and sensory qualities.
Two poufes, filled with elements of nature, serve a person with sensory disorders to better stimulate her senses whilst being pleasant to touch and friendly in appearance. Furniture dedicated to all people who have problems with properly receiving external stimuli and to everyone who appreciates environmentally friendly design.
Looking for equipment for SI and Snoezelen therapy rooms, I did not find one that would meet the needs of the market in the Eco and Bio era. Most of the equipment and toys are made of polyester blends, it is difficult to find application of natural materials in the therapeutic design. This research inspired me to create a child-friendly and environmentally friendly form.
“It is what we experience through the senses that makes life meaningful. In fact, it can be said that what is experienced through the senses is life itself.”
Emotional Education & The Inspiration
The first outlines of The Pouf can be found in the illustrations below. The illustrations show couples of cuddling forms, shaped like worms, fingers or whales. These undefined forms are very subtle, they can represent different kinds of emotions.
Children’s responses to the different feelings they experience every day have a major impact on their choices, their behaviour, and on how well they cope and enjoy life. Emotional development involves learning what feelings and emotions are, understanding how and why they happen, recognising one’s own feelings and those of others, and developing effective ways of managing them. Developing skills for managing a range of emotions is therefore very important for their emotional wellbeing. Parents and carers have an important role to play in supporting children’s emotional development. Very young children’s emotions are mainly made up of physical reactions (eg heart racing, butterflies in stomach) and behaviours. As they grow, children develop the ability to recognise feelings.¹
¹ https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/mental-health-matters/social-and-emotional-learning/emotional-development
Materials
I decided to create two large multisensory poufs for hugging. The forms will be hugged by the user, and the forms themselves will be able to cuddle together, presenting different emotions. When playing with The Pouf, user will be able to explore it in terms of multisensory, because it will be filled with natural materials that provide many types of stimuli.
The materials I was looking for were to be safe for the child, light, have health properties, were to perform multisensory functions, and thus stimulate the senses. I was looking for elements of nature that are used in the furniture industry, medicine - unconventional medicine and I advised people with knowledge about "home methods".
Buckwheat husks
have many very interesting properties. They are hard, but at the same time flexible and light, thanks to which they perfectly adapt to the shape of the body. contains compounds that protect against the development of mites and bacterial flora. The buckwheat husk facilitates muscle relaxation and proper support, therefore the pads with the refill are useful in rehabilitation. The natural property of the buckwheat is the biofield protection, which provides the user with a safe rest.
Emmer husks
have a number of valuable health-promoting properties. It is above all soft and light, which makes it the perfect filling of pillows. Elements of equipment filled with this kind of grain act on many senses at the same time. Not only do they have a beneficial effect on nerve endings, but they also delight with a subtle, honey aroma, secreted by the grain. The delicate rustle of sliding scales can also be as relaxing.
Cherry seeds
have an amazing feature for storing and retaining heat. Natural hot water bottles filled with cherry seeds have been an effective way of relieving many ailments for many years. Among other things, muscle pain, menstrual pain, rheumatic ailments, make it easier to fall asleep. In addition, the seed movement provides a gentle massage.
Hay
is a natural, beautifully fragrant material. Well-protected will perfectly stimulate the senses of touch and smell. Hay is used, among others in the treatment of soft tissue rheumatism, arthritis, bronchitis, back pain, diseases of the upper respiratory tract, neuralgia, depression and fatigue, because it has a calming and relaxing effect.
Amber
creates negative loads that are friendly to the body and has a positive effect on the body's electromagnetic balance. In addition, it has antibacterial and anti allergic properties. Putting pieces of amber under the pillow or placing it on the bedside table near the head, it will protect us from the action of electromagnetic fields, water veins and favorably influence the mental balance.
The cover
Is made of the materials used is of natural origin and is safe for the child. One form is made of a clearly yellow and soft to the touch Cottonino, i.e. 100% cotton, while the other is made of a smooth and slightly rough 100% woolen felt with a dark gray color. Inside the forms are linen bags, which separate from each other bulk materials.
Values
Multisensory — The Pouf contains several different materials which combined with the shape and the structure are stimulating a big number of senses.
Emotional Education — Accompanying promotional materials with The Pouf will be devoted to general emotional education for adults and children.
Deep Touch Pressure — Pleasant to touch and friendly in appearance, The Pouf will be the “toy” that can help children who have problems with being hugged by another person. The weight of The Pouf is safe for the child but also creates the deep touch pressure while laying underneath.