Story resourcing

Birdsong
This could be a soft bird toy that plays birdsong when squeezed, or a sound recorded onto a recordable button which plays when the button is activated. (There are many of these available, not only from specialist communication and technology websites, but also from Amazon and eBay. They record up to 30 seconds of sound, but are easy to record onto so the recorded sound or message can be changed quickly and easily.)

Canal boat engine sounds, and city noises or traffic sounds
The BBC Sound Effects website is perfect for finding any sound clips you need.

Grass, mud & and old takeaway tub or plastic bottle
Alternatively you can also buy smell cubes from specialist companies, search “smell cubes” online to find them.

Breadcrumbs
Have a bowl or bag of breadcrumbs ready to explore and for feeding to those hungry ducks.

Foil discs, needle & thread and a stick
Circles of tin foil, such as those used to wrap chocolate coins, or milk bottle lids if you get milk delivered in glass bottles from the milkman. You could also buy holographic or silver sequins: large ones - 2cm or so - work well.

Torch (optional)

Lapsang Souchong tea
This tea is widely available, and smells very smoky. It is an easy, effective and low-cost way to experience smoke in a sensory story. Keep it in a jar or canister with a lid. 

Feathers
Big, small, colourful.

Straws

A shower curtain
Or a slippery fabric.

A fan
Battery operated, or simply made from paper.

Chopped strawberry or pineapple
Or any juicy fresh fruit.
Or fruit juice/squash and a pipette.

Lemonade (optional)

Sun cream
A cream or spray.

Red Cellophane
To cover a lamp.

Sandpaper
Of varying degrees of roughness.
Or wet sand; or cornflour mixed with water until thick, with added cous- cous, broken pasta or rice, for grit.

A soft sponge (optional)

Party music or crowd noises, and sea noises.
BBC Sound Effects online has a multitude of recordings that you can download for free. Here are their selections for party crowds and sea noises.
Alternatively, make a rain stick from a cardboard tube filled with rice.

Wet sand, or cornflour mixed with water until thick (optional)
In a washing-up tub or bucket.

A UV torch (optional)

A deck of cards
Squares of paper would do as a substitute.

Rabbit ears
Bunny ear headbands are easy to come by. Many have glittery bits and bells making them extra sensory; alternatively, cutting big rabbit ears out of white card would be a great substitute.

Tea
A cup of cool or tepid tea in a big mug.

Grin
Just your biggest cheesiest smile will do fine. If you want something a little more surprising, flashing mouth guards are inexpensive to purchase online and will make your smile quite surprising.

Fish scented letter
The letter part is easy - you can use an envelope and write on a piece of paper to pop inside, you can roll a scroll, or just fold a piece of A4 paper. The fish scenting is where it gets more adventurous: basically, you are going to rub your letter with fish to make it smell of fish! You will probably want to create a fresh letter each time you tell the story, and using cooked fish, or tinned fish such as tuna or sardines, will make it easier to create a consistent scent.

Pipette
Pipettes are inexpensive to purchase online. An alternative is to use a straw; trap water inside by simply holding your finger over the end after plunging it into water, and then releasing your finger when you want the water to drip out.

Fan
You can find a suitably ‘Wonderlandy’ fan, or you can simply fold a sheet of paper concertina style.

Cake
Any sweet taste will work wonderfully as a cake taste. Be aware when you choose your taste that you will want to use the same taste every time you tell the story, so do not use a fantastic slice of a special cake that will have run out by next week.

Drink
As with the cake you are looking for a drink that you can use every time you tell the story. Water is an easy option but something with a little more flavour may get more responses from your story experiencers, so choose something that it is easy to lay your hands on and that you think they will enjoy.
As an extra bonus, hunting in charity shops to find a crystal decanter to pour your drink from will add an extra touch of wonder to your story.

Blanket
Any dark coloured blanket or piece of fabric.

Confetti
Alternatives: Hole punchings, torn tissue.

Bungee cord (with hooks)
Alternatives: Elastic (tie loops to make it easy to grip), stretchy fabric (knot to make it easy to grip).

Spinner
Instructions on how to make this are provided in the story. You will need curling ribbon (preferably iridescent), drinking straws, and a small piece of cardboard.
Alternative: pump action spinning top.

A pebble in a tin
Alternative: Cymbals.

Heat pack
You can often pick these up in outdoor pursuits stores. They have a small metal disc inside which when flexed sets off a chemical reaction which produces heat.
Alternative: Hot water bottle.

2 colours of cellophane
Alternative: Two balls of play dough to merge and form one ball.

LED torch
Alternatives: any other light source. Do not use lasers as these can be dangerous if shone directly into people’s eyes.

Blue tissue paper
Cut a star shape out of the tissue paper. You can make a more detailed star by cutting strips of many colours of tissue paper and sticking them over one another to make a star shape.
Alternatives: coloured cellophane, a metallic star that will reflect torch light.

Two different floral scents
You can use perfume, floral scented toiletries, scent applied to an imitation flower, or even real flowers. My favourite way of providing scents is to put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton pad and seal it in a plastic container. The air inside the container becomes fragranced so when you take the lid off the smell is easy to facilitate, and there is such a range of oils you can choose two contrasting scents easily and a little bottle (costing under £1) will last for ages.

A picnic blanket
Choose a brightly coloured high contrast blanket, or square of fabric. Red and white checked would be ideal.

A small water pistol
Or if you’re feeling brave you can use a big one!

A sweet drink
Sugar or honey diluted in water would be great. For individuals who can’t swallow, use a pipette or straw to drop a little liquid onto the tongue to taste.

A picnic basket
If you cannot get your hands on the traditional wicker picnic basket, any packed lunch box will do.

Sandwiches, or jam
You’re welcome to choose different fillings for your sandwiches. For individuals who cannot swallow, a touch of a sandwich filling on the tongue, for example jam, may be appropriate.

Boris!
Instructions for making Boris are included in the story. You will need black and yellow wool, cardboard (normal and a small piece of corrugated), googly eyes, some clear plastic sheet (e.g. plastic packaging), and an electric toothbrush (optional).

Optional extra: red dot stickers
These are to stick onto people to represent stings.

A thick cooked noodle
Alternatives: Spaghetti, damp string.

Honey solution
Add a few drops of honey to warm water.
Alternatives: Sugar in water, the touch of a lollipop to the tongue.

A fabric wrap
Alternatives: Any length of fabric will do, or simply pulling clothing tight around the body.

A bird whistle
Bird whistles are often sold as party bag favours, they are sometimes called water whistles.
Alternatives: Whistle like a bird, or use a penny whistle or similar instrument to mimic bird song; the RSPB produce cuddly toy birds which sing with the correct song when squeezed.

A disco ball and a torch
Alternative: You can make your own disco ball by covering a normal ball in glue and then rolling it in sequins.

Coffee scent
A cup of hot coffee is often what mornings at home smell like! You can use real coffee to create the smell.
Alternative: A drop of essential oil on a cotton pad kept in a sealed container; you can use a coffee scented oil or choose a different ‘new day’ scent, such as flowers or morning dew.

Butterfly
You will need a thin plastic ring binder to create this stimulus – instructions are provided in the story.
Alternatives: Cut a butterfly shape out of coloured card or fabric, or use a garden decoration in the shape of a butterfly.

A marble
Alternatively: a ball; a tapioca pearl (available in Chinese food stores or online) or a small swollen basil seed; a single chiming musical note from e.g. a small bell, xylophone or triangle.

Soil (optional)

A swanee whistle

Fine thread

Thick coloured ribbon

Large yellow disc of yellow card or fabric
Alternatively: yellow cellophane; yellow screen & projector; heater (not a fan heater).

Some way of blacking out the room
Alternatively, a dark or heavy blanket.

Large colourful blanket or games parachute
Alternatively, any blanket

A real dandelion head (if available)

Paper seeds
White A4 paper needed - instructions for how to make these are given in the story.

Electric fan (optional)
Or any kind of fan

Black umbrella
This becomes the disco environment - instructions for making this are given in the story. You will also need gaffer tape, lanyards or ribbons, fairy lights, and relavant / interesting items to hang (reflective objects are a good idea).

Disco/fairy lights
The spinning ones create a changing environment, which promotes visual tracking, and you can also find ones that respond to the beat of the music. Think about whether battery or mains-powered ones will be most straightforward - both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Torch
Wind-up torches can save battery costs and also mean that the torch will always work.

MP3 player
These can be found cheaply, or you may already have one, but an even cheaper and often easier alternative is to use your phone. Just double-check policies if sharing the story in a school or care environment.

Bluetooth/portable speaker
These can be found cheaply online. A vibrating one is ideal as it provides another stimulus: placed on a wheelchair, these speakers can turn the whole chair into a vibrating speaker. An alternative is a normal speaker placed on a resonance board. If you place a vibrating speaker on a resonance board this can turn the whole resonance board into a speaker. Resonance boards can be expensive but if you are handy with wood, they are quite cheap to make.
If you are unable to use Bluetooth because either the speaker or mp3 player does not support it, you will also need a 3.5mm audio cable to connect the speaker and mp3 player.

Adaptable switches/latch boxes
If you have these available to you already, it can be useful to make your lights/speakers switch enabled so that the experiencer can control the order of the story.

Sequin outfits or accessories (optional)
These can be used as an object of reference to begin the story. They add some visual interest when the lights begin also. You can also use rave accessories such as glow sticks. Jewellery can also be useful.

Ties, bow ties and hats (optional)
These can be more appropriate if sharing the story with a young man although it is important to offer all choices to all learners. Their gender preferences and interests may not be our assumptions!

A colour-changing heart light
Colour changing orbs can be bought for a few pounds online, heart shaped ones are also available. You may wish to choose one that simply glows red, these can be easier to find in heart shapes and are perfect for people newly exploring their vision as in the early stages of development red is one of the first colours we respond to.
An alternative to this stimulus would be any gentle night light. A story experiencer who is visually impaired may find it easier to see a brighter light against a darker background. Story experiencers who are unable to access the visual stimulus can be given a heart shaped item to hold. You can buy heart shaped hand warmers; their warmth would make an interesting and soothing touch experience.

Lavender-scented ribbons
Lavender is a relaxing scent that is easy to come by, but of course there are many alternatives. Vanilla and banana scents are often enjoyed by individuals in the early stages of development so they could be good alternatives. Often the easiest way to buy scent is to purchase essential or fragrance oils, these can be inexpensive with a little bottle providing enough oil to keep you going for a long time.
The scent is carried on a little bundle of ribbons. You can buy all sorts of ribbons from haberdashery shops or make your own from strands of fabric. Choosing soft, feathery ribbons will make a barely-there touch experience and be very gentle on tender skin. Attach the ribbons of your choice to the end of a straw or coloured pencil so that they are easy for you to direct. An alternative to ribbon would be to use a square of fabric.
Use a plastic container with a lid you can seal to keep the ribbons (or fabric) inside. Drop a few drops of oil onto the ribbons. Kept inside the container the scent will infuse the fabric, making a lovely scent experience when you take them out. As there is another scent experience in this story it is also important that you keep the ribbons in a container so that the two experiences do not get mixed up.

A heart chime
I hope that some story sharers will be given this story during pregnancy and may be able to begin to share this sound experience with their baby before they are born. (If you have bought this story for a pregnant woman, then might I suggest that a very good accompanying gift to go with it would be a chiming heart pendant. These can be purchased with pregnant women in mind on chains long enough to allow the heart to lie against the navel so that the growing baby can hear the chimes from within the womb. A continuity of experience between life inside the womb and life outside is very soothing.)
Alternatively, sewing a chiming mediation ball into a heart pouch is a safe way of enabling your baby to hold a chiming ball. Holding the chime they will be able to hear the sound it makes and feel the vibrations of it being made.
Alternative sound experiences could be any gentle sounding instrument, gentle singing, perhaps a lullaby, or other sounds that may have been heard in the womb: white noise sounds, heartbeat sounds. It is possible to access free womb music experiences on YouTube – these have the sound of the mother’s heartbeat and the fluids in the womb set to gentle music and can be very relaxing for anyone.

A soft toy
The exact experience delivered for this stimulus will depend on the toy you choose. You can use something very simple like a small blanket, perhaps with an interesting texture – old fashioned towelling is often great here. If you choose a toy with a soft floppy body, or to use a blanket, then your baby can experience it lying on their arm or across their tummy and through this discover where an area of their body is.
The main focus of this experience is smell. The smell experience for this sentence of the story will be your pheromones! The easiest way to transfer your smell onto the toy or blanket is simply to sleep with it in your bed for a few nights.

Mist
A spray bottle that creates a fine mist, rather than a direct squirt is what you’re aiming for here. Try a few and choose your favourite. Garden centres may have suitable bottles (make sure they are new and haven’t been used, or wash them thoroughly before use). Another good hunting ground for misting bottles is pharmacies who may sell empty spray bottles for people to take toiletries away in when travelling.

Salt
Salt is a strong flavour so you only need a tiny amount. Dissolve it in water to make a solution. You could use this solution as the spray in your misting spray bottle. If you want a longer lasting experience and are willing to be a little more adventurous in your creation of resources then you could make a salty lip balm. To do this you need 4 grams of beeswax and 6 grams of almond oil (if you have a nut allergy substitute another oil). Simply melt the beeswax in the oil and add your flavouring, in this case it will be a teaspoon of salt. Pour the melted liquid into a little pot. It will solidify into a lovely lipsmacking salty lip balm. This can be a good approach for story experiencers who need a little longer to experience and respond to a stimulus. A solution may drip off the lips or be licked off in a single lick, where as a balm has a little more staying power. (Be sure to remove a salty lip balm once the story is done: a make-up removing wipe, or a baby wipe, will work for this.)

Wind
The wind in the story moves around the story experiencer, so however you create the wind in your story think about choosing a portable method. A stiff piece of cardboard used as a fan is just as good as any, but you could use a portable hair dryer set to cold, or a hand-held fan if you wanted to be more gadgety.

Wet earth / fishy smell
Wet earth is a great natural smell – put some in a pot. You will find that warming the earth is a good way to release the scent. If you have a container that can be microwaved or heated on a stove for a little while before the story this can be a great way of increasing the impact of the scent. You do not need to cook the earth or get it super-hot, just warm will do. If you want to add a little fish to your mix for extra authenticity go ahead, but be mindful that this will need to be re-mixed each time you tell the story otherwise you could end up with an unintended unpleasant stink.

Darkness
Technically the required stimulus is more a clouding of the vision than a getting dark but if darkening the room is easiest for you then do this. Alternatively, you could hang a piece of net fabric between you and your story experiencer, or make a pair of vision-obscuring glasses by using tracing paper or baking paper as lenses for homemade glasses. A great option could be to get a mosquito net that hangs from a single point.

Stones
Hunt for some lovely smooth flat pebbles. Finding the resources for this story can be a great activity all by itself. If you are lucky enough to live near a beach and are able to get onto it, spending a few hours finding the best pebbles is a great way to spend your time.

Red blinking light
In the story first these lights faint and far away and then closer and more readily. You can create the faintness of light by obscuring your light with tracing paper or baking paper, or by wrapping a cloth around it. You can create a red light by covering the end of a regular torch with red cellophane. Alternatively try using a red bicycle light. Avoid laser pointers as these can be dangerous if accidentally shone into the eyes.

Grass
Fresh grass is wonderful for its smell, but if you live in a concrete jungle or do not want to be pulling up your garden, then a good piece of synthetic turf would be a suitable substitute.

Sheep
You need the sound of bleating for the story. There are lots of recordings of sheep online; you could find a lamb you like on YouTube. Alternatively, most people can do a good sheep impression, so warm up your bleat and channel your inner sheep.

Water and sand – or sandy gak
Instructions for making sandy gak are given in the story - you will need sand, PVA glue, brown colouring, and a laundry detergent with borax in (or just borax itself, available from chemical suppliers and eBay).
If you are concerned about your story experiencer eating either the sand or the gak another option would be to mix a little water with cornflour to create a mush to trudge through. A little brown paint in the mix will make your mixture look more authentic.
(Borax is also known as sodium tetraborate. Take care when purchasing, as borax substitute - sodium sesquicarbonate – will not work.)

Event items
If the gathering is for a birthday, use a balloon and a small birthday candle and lighter.
If the gathering is for another event (e.g. Christmas), one or two items that represent the holiday (e.g. fairy lights and tinsel).

Photo
A photo of the relative celebrating their birthday, or a photo representing the event you are celebrating (e.g. a Christmas tree).

Toy car
Small enough to ‘ride’ on your story experiencer’s arms and legs.

Doorbell (optional)
Ideally use an actual doorbell. Alternatively, a small bell, or use a doorbell sound effect.

Perfume
A scent that won’t be too overstimulating for your story experiencer, but that may be unfamiliar to them.

Kitchen herbs
A herb that your story experiencer may not have interacted with before (e.g. spring onion, sage).

Favourite smells
One or two items that your story experiencer likes to smell and are commonly found around your home, or that you can find at the place you will be telling the story.

Plate, fork, and knife
A ceramic plate and metal cutlery produce the most realistic sound effects.

Shaker
A shaker egg or a homemade shaker (an empty plastic bottle containing some dry beans or rice).

House keys
More than one key on a keychain to represent home.

Home-related item
An object that you know your story experiencer will associate with home (e.g. a plant, a stuffed toy, a favourite cup).

Blanket
The blanket your story experiencer sleeps with or one that they like to use.

Nighttime cloth
A dark piece of cloth or linen that represents nightfall.

Flashlight
Something not too jarring for the eyes.

In addition to these stimuli, you will need a speaker and access to the YouTube video “Restaurant with Background Music Sound Effect HD”, as well as your story experiencer’s favourite song or sound.
If you cannot access YouTube, then any similar track can be used.

Alarm sound on BIGmack switch or similar recording device
The options are endless with recording devices when it comes to how it is visually presented to the story experiencer. It may be appropriate to print a photo, drawing or symbol of a fire alarm to tape to the surface of the switch as a visual cue. Or it may be appropriate to place a texture on top for the story experiencer to associate the switch with a unique texture. A colour cue could be used; for example, red material attached to the surface may be used to represent a red fire alarm.
When it comes to sourcing the sound to use for the fire alarm, it can be quite difficult to access the fire alarm and set it off and indeed to record the sound of the fire alarm during an actual drill! In this case, there are options of sourcing free sound effects online such as via YouTube. Simple word searches like ‘fire alarm sound effect’ should bring up several different options for sounds; you can choose the sound that is most similar to the fire alarm heard in the setting that your story experiencer will be familiar with when experiencing this story.
If recording devices are not available to you or to the story experiencer, there is always the option of using your voice to create a fire alarm sound if you’re feeling creative enough. You might also be able to find reasonably priced second-hand fire engine toys in charity shops that make the sound of a fire engine.
If your story experiencer has an auditory impairment or sensitivity, a visual representation could be used instead. This could be a flashing light toy – ideally a red light. Story experiencers could be encouraged to turn the light on independently if appropriate, and visually track the light.

Fire alarm meet-up point object of reference
Objects of reference are used to symbolise or represent an object, activity, place or person. You should use the same object of reference every time you tell the story. Because an object of reference will be very personal to the story experiencer or class group, it is impossible to provide a suitable example; the storyteller will have to choose carefully what to use. See here for more details on objects of reference.
Alternative: fire exit sign (actual or printed image)

Classroom / story setting object of reference (optional)

Blanket
Alternative: the story experiencer’s coat
Alternatively, if the story experiencer does not usually put on any coat or blanket when leaving the building during a fire alarm, it will be most appropriate to skip this section of the story.

Mains-powered fan air heater
Alternative: Hot water bottle

Water spray
Water sprays can be purchased in pound shops or online. Most water sprays will have options to alter the pressure of water coming out and can create a ‘spritz’ effect which will give a much better simulation of rain.
If you do not have a water spray, you can always use a cup of water and flick droplets of water over the story experiencer from above.

Battery-operated hand-held fan
Battery-operated fans can be purchased quite easily online or in pound shops. A battery-operated hand-held fan can give the option to some story experiencers to operate it themselves if this is appropriate.
Another option is to use folding fans. You can make your own folding fan with the story experiencers during an arts and craft activity (instructions given in the story - you will need paper/card and art materials). This will give the story experiencer ownership over resources used within the story as well.

Rainbow or school-colour fabrics
You can use a variety of different coloured fabrics to create a ‘busy’ envi- ronment. If you are reading this story in a school setting, you could use the colours of the school uniform (if you have one) to represent the other pupils in the school.
Organza or chiffon materials are great for this as they are slightly translucent and will still let lots of light through. It isn’t the intention to block or darken the story experiencer’s vision during this part of the story, so it is best to avoid using heavy, opaque materials.

BIGmack communication aid to record some speech
You will use this throughout the session. Sound buttons can also be used but they are not as accessible or robust. 

A visual time-line poster & pointer (optional)
For stories that take place in the past, it can be helpful to prepare a visual timeline with a countdown for going back to the past.
For example, a large poster showing NOW, and going back in time: 2000, 1900, 1800, 1700 with key dates shown in red. You don’t need to go over- board on this, it is just a visual cue to refer to.
Alternatively you can have the dates shown on the wall.

Picture of Ignatius
Download Gainsborough’s 1768 portrait of Ignatius here. This can be printed, stuck on cardboard to make a poster, or attached to a stick so that it can easily be shown and taken round. For story experiencers with a visual impairment, stick a piece of soft red cloth onto his coat, with a piece of gold cord for the trim.

A sound clip of waves
There are many sound clips available from BBC Sound Effects online. Here is a selection of sea noises – choosing one with seabird calls will enhance the experience.

A black baby doll
Wrapped in a cloth. Alternatively use cloth swaddled to resemble a baby.

A sound clip of a creaking door
As above, BBS Sound Effects has a good selection here.
Alternatively, you can just make a creaking sound with your voice.

Bag of coins
The coins should ideally be large and shiny as they will be used as a visual stimulus.

Torch (optional)
For use with the coins to make them shine.

Old book
Ideally something clearly antique and leather-bound, but the important feature is the musty smell of aging books.

Quill pen & parchment
A quill pen can be made simply from a long white feather with a pen or pencil stuck to it. Parchment can be made by soaking plain white paper in tea and drying.

China teacups 

Tins / jars
Fill with aromatic things like coffee, loose leaf tea, and spices (e.g. cloves, cinnamon, ginger).

Metal chain
Long enough to be wrapped around two wrists.

Fancy hats

Recording of Ignatius’s music

Voting boxes and tokens
Two or three small cardboard boxes with slots cut into the top, as well as some kind of token to drop into the boxes. Large counters or checkerboard pieces are ideal. Make sure there are some discs already in the boxes before use so that any more dropped in make a nice clear clunking sound. Paint or mark the boxes so that they clearly represent different choices.

Like box
Instructions for making this are given in the story. You will need a reasonably sized box, ribbons and small bells. Optionally, you may want to make four of these boxes.

Additional sensory stimuli of your own choice
For example:
Sights - mirrors, tinfoil, sequins, coloured cellophane, light
Smells - blown-out scented candle, food with a strong scent, the herb mint, torn up
Tastes - pineapple juice, mint food flavouring diluted in water, gravy
Touches - cooked cold spaghetti/pasta dressed with olive oil, sandpaper, corrugated card, cool water

Music
Any piece of music could be played, as long as it is not played at any other time, and the same piece is used each time the story is told. The Christmas carol We Three Kings is apt and festive, or you could try something ancient and Arabian! These days, a whole world of music is available on YouTube or music streaming apps.

Cloak
This could be swathes of interesting fabric, scarves or shawls: the fancier and more ornate the better! A heavier material will give stronger proprioceptive feedback to the story experiencer. If at all possible, avoid blankets that are used in other sessions so as to create a tactile cue that is distinct from other activities where blankets may be used for relaxation or rest.

Coconut shell or drum
You can make your own clip-clop coconut shell instrument by carefully sawing a coconut in half and, once the milk and flesh is used up, sandpapering down any sharp edges. A hand drum would work just as well, so long as you can play it whilst on the move. These instruments also work well on a resonance board with the added bonus of delivering strong vibrations to the story experiencer.

Hundreds and thousands / popping candy or grainy lip balm
Food items may not be appropriate for all story experiencers. For some, with guidance from a Speech and Language Therapist, it may be possible to access some taste and textures on their lips, and an exfoliating lip balm would be a good way to hint at a sandy texture. A grainy lip balm can be made by mixing coconut oil or Vaseline and granulated sugar. Again, this may not be appropriate for all story experiencers as even tastes on the lips can activate saliva production which can cause aspiration. It is important to seek guidance from a Speech and Language Therapist to ascertain if this is a safe and appropriate experience for the story experiencers taking part.

Communication device or whoopee cushion / fart machine
If the story experiencer has access to a communication device, for example a ‘BIGmack’, or sound button, then you can record onto this the best flatulence impression you can muster. If you don’t have access to a switch or communication device then a good old-fashioned whoopee cushion will do the trick. Alternatively, there are various button-press fart machine toys on sale in bargain shops and online. They are also the kind of thing given as presents that then lose their novelty value and are no longer played with – someone you know may be happy to donate one!

Water spray bottle
These can be picked up cheaply from hair accessory or gardening sections of bargain shops. The ones that can alternate between a spray and a jet by twisting the end nozzle are particularly useful. Alternatively, you can save old cleaning spray bottles and give them a thorough clean out before using these. 

Treasure chest
You need very little to create a sumptuous visual and tactile box of golden treasure. A wooden box with a hinged lid is ideal as it requires less in the way of fine motor control to open it, but if this can’t be sourced then any box with a lid will do. Any gold-coloured objects can go into the box; costume jewellery, buttons and trinkets. Gold spray painted pebbles can create ‘gold nuggets’ that you can’t help but want to hold in your hand. Pebbles and stones have the added bonus of feeling heavy and cold, like a real nugget of gold may do. A simple way to visually enhance the overall effect is to use some battery-operated tea lights or fairy lights inside the box. These are available from pound shops most of the year round; sometimes they may have seasonally themed plastic attachments but these can easily be removed leaving plain white lights. These work even more beautifully if you line the box with gold coloured foil or space blanket.

Large tray of warm sand
You will need a tray large enough for the story experiencer’s feet to fit into. Before the story begins you can put a hot water bottle onto the sand to heat the surface. If you want a more intense heated sand experience, you can carefully warm it in the oven on a low heat.

Star Projector
If you don’t have access to a proper star projector, you can make a simple version by cutting a star shape into the middle of a piece of card to create a stencil. Shine torchlight through the star shape to project the shape onto the ceiling.

Frankincense & myrrh
Frankincense and myrrh fragrance oils are available online from as little as £1. On the high street, health food shops may have them. The thing that I discovered is that there is nothing quite like these scents; they are hard to substitute. If you are struggling to get hold of them then a mix of orange and eucalyptus is similar to frankincense, and a pine fragrance can, at a push, substitute myrrh. The benefit of buying the oil is that you have it for years as only a few drops are needed to provide the scent for one season of storytelling. One set of oils can be shared between different groups exploring this story by creating scent pots; put a few drops of the oil onto a cotton wool pad or ball and put this into a small tub with a lid. Another option is to look out for frankincense and myrrh scented candles, soaps and body lotions around Christmas time.

BIGmack communication aid to record some speech
You will use this throughout the session. Sound buttons can also be used but they are not as accessible or robust. Allowing story experiencers to press a communication device to say some of the key phrases develops their understanding and gives them agency and control in the story.

A short clip of some of the widely available footage of Rashford playing football
Ideally with him scoring a goal. A voice recording will be helpful for those with visual impairments. For those with visual impairments, you could use a recording of his voice.

A large photo of Marcus Rashford
Many available online. This can be printed, stuck on cardboard to make a poster, or attached to a stick so that it can easily be shown and taken round.

Soft foam black & white / red & white football
Make sure it looks like a real football.

City sounds
There are many sound clips available from BBC Sound Ef- fects online. Here is a selection of city soundscapes.

Large purse with a couple of pennies in it

Hard plastic bowl and spoon

“Glory Glory Man United” recording
Many versions available on YouTube. Alternatively, use an extract from the current England team song, e.g. “Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home)”.

Long red woollen type scarf to represent Manchester United
Or England flags on sticks

Torch or other source of light

Disco ball (optional)
Or a sheet of glittering or prismatic paper.

A large piece of dark fabric
This will be used like a curtain, so anything large a dark. A large heavy blanket or old bedsheets are ideal if they are a dark colour – the latter could be dyed if necessary. Alternatively, blackout blinds would work well, or if purchasing fabric then the material used to cover the bottom of sofas is cheap, matt black and flame retardant.

Newspapers 

Baked beans
Place in a container with a lid and warm before the beginning of the story.

BIGmack communication aid to record some speech
You will use this throughout the session. Sound buttons can also be used but they are not as accessible or robust. Allowing story experiencers to press a communication device to say some of the key phrases develops their understanding and gives them agency and control in the story.

A visual time-line poster & pointer (optional)
For stories that take place in the past, it can be helpful to prepare a visual timeline with a countdown for going back to the past.
For example, a large poster showing NOW, and going back in time: 2000, 1900, 1800, 1700 with key dates shown in red. You don’t need to go over- board on this, it is just a visual cue to refer to.
Alternatively you can have the dates shown on the wall.

Large photo of Mary Seacole
Various images can be found online, or use this one.
This can be printed, stuck on cardboard to make a poster, or attached to a stick so that it can easily be shown and taken round.

Curly black wig
For those with visual/dual sensory impairments: Mary’s hair, it is clear, was braided and curly, so a wig would be a great prop to signify her.

Jamaican & Scottish flags
These could be simply printed onto paper.

Sound clips of reggae or calypso music (to represent Jamaican heritage), and bagpipe military march tunes (for Scottish heritage and soldiers).
Choose your favourites from YouTube.

Pillow and blanket
A heavy woollen blanket would be great to have, as it would provide a lot of sensory feedback for the story experiencers and would be similar to the kinds used to layer beds before the invention of duvets, but of course any blanket will do, and if you do not have a blanket to hand you can use a large piece of fabric of any kind.

Soup
Any kind of soup is fine, tinned or a dried packet, or even a dissolved stock cube. This will be used to as an olfactory stimulus, so ideally warm the soup before the story begins and keep in a container with a lid.

Doll or toy animal

Bandages

Soap, water and bowl
For hand washing. Try to use one with a traditional soapy smell if possible. A towel or paper tissues would be helpful to dry hands afterwards!

Brightly coloured shawl
Mary’s shawl was apparently often bright blue or yellow, but any piece of fabric with clear bright colours will do.

Battlefield sounds
For example, coconuts for horse hooves, bangs (not too loud!), drums for drumbeats. It is more engaging if story experiencers can join in these sounds themselves.
You could also play a sound clip - the British Library Sounds website has a suitable recording.

Cup of warm tea and lemonade
Brew the tea strong if you feel your story experiencer will primarily be smelling it rather than tasting it. If tasting then brew to personal prefer- ences, adding a little sugar often makes things more appealing! You may find it useful to have a sponge, or a pipette, or straw in order to offer tea to people who might not want, or be able to, drink it.

Newspapers
Optionally, glue pictures of Mary Seacole on their front pages.

Purse
Ideally an old-fashioned one with a clasp – have a rummage in charity shops, or ask your friends/family to check cupboards. It needs to be a reasonable size so that it can be opened and the insides clearly seen – try to find one with a lining that contrasts with the outer material.

Picture of statue of Mary Seacole outside St Thomas’ hospital

Photos of nurses during the pandemic 

Rainbow painting

A box for digging in
For example: a big cardboard box, or a small one that would fit on a lap, a tray – tea trays or ‘tuff’ trays, a pop-up laundry basket, a washing up bowl, or a plastic storage box.
Ideally this could be decorated to represent Minecraft - e.g., painted with blocks, or covered with: printed Minecraft patterns, Minecraft-inspired wrapping paper or decals.

Empty rectangular milk carton and torch (to represent square sun)
These cartons are made of translucent plastic and their bases are conveniently rather square (if you want to improve on their squareness you can cut a square aperture out of a piece of black card and stick this to the base). Wrap the carton in a dark cloth or stick dark card to the outside so that only the square base is exposed.

Minecraft-style cube blocks
Make with paper or card; many printable nets available online. Optionally, extra materials to make them more sensory: e.g., cover with tin foil, holographic card, sequins, glitter, neon colours, stick-on gemstones, or sandpaper or corrugated cardboard; fill with peas or dried pasta, or tiny bells; line with soft material and put an mp3 player inside; drop some fragrance oils inside or some other smelly substance.

Cardboard tubes (to represent trees)
Pringles tubes are best because of the metal end and pop-off plastic lid. Paint or cover with printed paper so they resemble Minecraft trees. As above, you can add sensory materials if desired. You can also make them different weights.
A different type of tree can also be made from newspaper (instructions provided in story).

Something to dig through
For example: torn strips of paper, mud, fabric scraps, ice, plastic balls.
Fragrance oils could be added to some materials to make an olfactory digging experience.

Plain or mountain background
Bed sheets are an easy way to give a plain background. Alternatives can be: display screens, blankets, wall paper, tablecloths, curtains, shower curtains and so on. (Shower curtains can be particularly suitable as they’re lightweight and already have holes or hooks for hanging).
Mountains can be made using a large cardboard box and some black paint or black paper & glue.

Stew smell
Soup or a stock cube; or a Pot Noodle, or a tin of spaghetti (these would make for great experiences to touch as well as smell).

Contrasting/sparkling item (to represent iron ore)
This needs to be something that distinctly contrasts with the digging material you have chosen. For example, if you using coloured balls to dig through, this could be a simple white ball (e.g. white polystyrene balls) - ideally lit with a UV torch to help them stand out; or something that is contrastingly very dark.
Alternatively, use one of the Minecraft-style cube blocks with foil, metallic paper or paint, glitter, or sequins.

This story is intended to be told in a multi-sensory room with the following items. Alternatives are given below each item.

A bubble tube
Blown bubbles, a bubbly projection on a projection wheel, tissue paper circles with a torch held behind them.

A fibre optic spray
Shredded coloured paper, a sweeping torch beam (shone through coloured cellophane to make it even better).

The option for UV lighting
It is easy to buy a UV bulb and take it into the room fitted to a lamp. Alternatively, you can use your torch to spotlight Naali as he runs.

A way of creating a starry effect – either through twinkly lighting or via a projection wheel
Tiny tin foil balls scrunched around cotton and threaded across the room, a disco ball and a torch to shine on it.

You will also need:

Cold water, a glass and (optionally) a bowl big enough for hands or feet

A torch, and aurora borealis jelly or water
Instructions for aurora borealis jelly are given in the story - you will need several colours of jelly and a bowl.
Aurora borealis liquid requires a bottle and liquids of different colours and densities - e.g. green or blue mouthwash, washing up liquid, hand soap, cooking oil, water with a few drops of food colouring in, pouring honey, fruit juices. Search the internet for 'density tower' for ideas.

Naali
Instructions are given in the story. You will need some thin card (e.g. from cereal packets), a coat hanger, thin wool or string, and a couple of paper fasteners or paper clips. You will also need to print the Naali template (also included in the story).

Optional: White string to make the outline of a mountain on the wall

Optional: A feather duster with synthetic fibres

Perfumed water spray
Add a few drops of strawberry scented fragrance oil to some warm water and store in a spritzing spray bottle.
Alternatives: sprinkle water with fingertips to feel like rain, perfume.

A trowel
Alternatives: a tray of soil, beach toys for digging, other gardening tools e.g. a fork.

Coarse ruffles
You can make a ruffle from coarse fabric by stitching it into a long tube and then threading elastic through it to make it gather up.
Alternatives: A hair scrunchie.

Leaves and something to represent a strawberry
Alternatives: grass, decorative plastic leaves/grass.
Options for strawberry: a strawberry! A model strawberry (fabric, plastic, wood), a picture or photo of a strawberry.

Snap
The best way to make the snap plucking sound is to put your index finger into your blown-up cheeks and use it to make a popping noise.
Alternatives: pull a finger out of the neck of a bottle, use a peg or similar to make a sharp snapping sound.

A wicker basket
A wicker basket will make a particular sound when handled. If you want this to be a visual experience, consider filling the basket with strawberries, or having your own crown jewels.
Alternatives: toy tiaras (or real ones!)

A strawberry
Alternatives: strawberry flavoured sweets, a drop of strawberry tea on the tongue.

Optional extra: artist’s tissue
Cut strawberry shapes out of a pinky-red artist’s blending tissue – this sort of tissue can usually be found in shops that sell crafty things.

A lare bowl of water
Alternatives: a tin foil disc in the shape of a puddle, a wet sponge.

A wind instrument
Alternatives: xylophone with minor key notes, your voice or whistle, a misting spray.

Ice cubes
Alternatives: a balloon pump to represent breath, cold water to touch with the hand.

Mango fragrance oil dripped onto a cotton pad and sealed in an airtight con- tainer
Alternative: A fresh mango, or other tropical fruit.

Light weight sea-coloured fabric
Alternative: sea-coloured ribbons.

Thick plastic sheet
You can use a thick plastic bag, or plastic wrapping
Alternative: a thunder tube.

A hand mirror
Alternative: your own eyes.

Feather fish stimulus
Instructions given in story - you will need some cotton thread, a few beads, thin card, a straw or pencil, and coloured feathers (or anything colourful - old magazines, coloured tissue, even shredded crisp packets).

Slime
You can buy slime from toy shops or make it yourself by mixing equal parts of liquid starch and clear glue. Alternatively find something slimy and use that – what about a very soapy sock?

Earth
You can collect some soil from the garden, or purchase compost suitable for use with children.

Eggs
This is a simple visual stimulus. You need to have an egg that will stand out against its background. You can find a three-dimensional egg and ensure you present it against a contrasting background, e.g. a piece of brown card, or a swathe of green cloth. You can make an egg shape, or several egg shapes, out of card. These can be presented against a contrasting background. You could Velcro or blu tack the eggs to the back- ground card.

Wings
You can make wings for yourself to wear, or wings on sticks that you can operate. If you can find a large winged toy predator this could work as well. You can make yourself wings simply by draping fabric over your arms; if you have a full skirt wearing it around your neck and flapping will give you wings. You can make card wings by cutting wing shapes out of stiff card and snipping along the edges to fray the card like feathers.

Squeaker / food
Many toys have squeakers in them, often pet toys are the best. You can also buy squeakers on their own, but it is likely that it will be easier for you to find something that already has one in.
If you want to make this experience a taste one you could offer your story experiencer a taste experience similar to the taste experiences offered to penguin chicks by their parents, e.g. a little fish. The inside of a fish finger, or a little tinned tuna would be ideal.

Water
You will need a large bowl to put the water in. You can add strips of fabric to act as seaweed if you like.
If you have access to real seaweed then you may be able to make the water a smell experience. Salt water itself does not have any odour, the smells that we associate with the seaside come from the plants and animals that thrive in that environment. You can create a fishy smell in your water by draining the oil from a tin of fish into your water or onto fabric held near the water (I expect you will have a towel under the bowl of water as you share it).

A grey blanket or sheet
Alternatives: Grey paper, simple body movements
The grey blanket will be used to wrap up your story experiencer. It can also be used as a backdrop for your snowflake, so a dark grey colour would be best.
The second alternative refers to the substitution of the grey blanket sensory experience for the movement of reaching up high.

A toy
Alternative: Your hands for a clapping game
A ball would be enough for this stimulus, however there is ample opportunity here to personalise this section of the story by using a toy that your story experiencer associates with play.

A white paper/card snowflake suspended by thread from a stick
Alternative: A snowflake decoration strong enough to be handled
You will need paper and scissors to make snowflakes - instructions provided in the story.
The alternative is ideal for story experiencers who are not able to use vision to follow the movements of the snowflake. Try to choose a decoration that will hold some tactile appeal, e.g. one with clearly defined shape will be more interesting that a disc on which a snowflake is painted. Use your own sense of touch to evaluate options. You could even keep the decoration in the fridge prior to telling the story so that it feels cool to the touch.
Optional: It can be helpful to have a small UV torch or an ordinary torch to amplify the visual effect of the snowflake.

A bell
Alternative: Your voice to create the sound of a bell
The bell will be the sound of the school bell calling the children in from play. You may be able to find a buzzer that mimics the school bells of today or it could be nice to find an old-fashioned hand bell to fit with the slightly nostalgic feel of the story.

Birdsong
Alternative: Whistle
It is possible to access recordings of birdsong online through platforms such as YouTube. You can also create the sound of birdsong yourself by whistling or by using a bird whistle (often sold in supermarkets as party favours for children’s parties).

City smells, e.g. coffee, perfume, takeaways, etc
Alternative: City sounds
Of course, cities also smell like the fumes from cars and the smoke from cigarettes and vapes, but we are aiming for a warm nostalgic feel, so think of what people might eat and drink as they bustle through the streets and match that up with what you have available to you as you tell the story. A hot sweet coffee is ideal. To create the smell of a takeaway heat up a little tomato ketchup using a microwave or by mixing it with a little boiling water, or simply use an empty takeaway container to sniff!

Ice and a grater
You need quite a lump of ice to be able to grate so prepare for sharing this story ahead of time by popping a pot or bag of water in the freezer – an empty margarine tub or fruit tray (one without holes of course) is ideal, or simply half fill a ziplock bag with water and freeze that.

The sound of sirens
There are many online places that you can use to source sounds. Perhaps the simplest is to use YouTube. For example, this video has a clear siren noise.
Alternatives: whistle a siren sound, use a swanee or penny whistle to create a siren sound.

Ketchup
The tangy taste of cheap take away ketchup, even just a dab on the tongue makes for an interesting taste experience.
Alternatives: this stimulus could be a smell experience, used takeaway containers often smell strongly of their contents and could be offered as a relevant smell experience. Another option could be to crush up a packet of strongly flavoured crisps.

Black & white tattoos
There are lots of sample tattoo images available online; print a set onto a large sheet of paper.
Alternatives: Create your own tattoo designs with a black felt tip pen on a large sheet of white paper. You can heighten the visual experience by using a UV light to brighten the white background and make the black tattoos stand out even more.

Buzz of the tattoo needle
You can use an electronic toothbrush and a pen lid to create a buzz similar to a tattooist’s gun. Remove the head of the toothbrush so that you have a metal prong, hold this inside the pen lid and turn the brush on so that you get the buzz of the metal hitting the pen lid. You can also hold the metal prong against a hard surface, such as a Formica table top, or the side of a plastic box, to create a similar sound.
Alternative experiences for this part of the story could be darkness to represent the closing of the eyes, or a perfume scent. Choosing a scent familiar to the story experiencer is a great way to personalise this part of the story; this could be a perfume or aftershave, a shampoo or conditioner, a body spray, hand or face cream, or simply soap.

Music
The story has a repeating refrain running throughout. During the refrain your story experiencer will first move in arcs and circles and then dance in their own way. Choose a funky song, one that gets everyone’s bodies’ moving. Choosing a contemporary song and repeating the story often so that the story experiencer becomes familiar with the song can be a way of giving them something to share enjoyment of with their peers.

Green or grassy blanket
A large green blanket to cover your story experiencer, or a dark blanket scented with grass (easy to do if you don’t mind a few grass stains – just rub grass on the blanket).

Jousting visual
Instructions given in the story - you will need thin card to roll into cones, and brightly coloured/wrapping paper (or fabric if you can sew). Tassles optional.

Ale or alternative
You want to give your story experience a taste of a feast, a sip of ale if they are old enough could be good, or ginger beer for those under the legal age for alcohol consumption. Alternatively choose a taste experience that can be associated with feasting: meat, apple, or something that is only eaten on special occasions, like a really rich cake!

Toys
The best toys to use will be those with whom the story experiencer has a personal connection. You will need toys that represent different periods of life, e.g. baby toys, childhood toys, toys teenagers would enjoy. If you cannot lay your hand on these toys then choose toys that will make good sight/sound/touch experiences. The experience of the story will be improved if you are able to choose toys that contrast with each other for the different sections of the story.

Box or blanket
A dark box or blanket to cover the toys with or place them in.

Sad music
You can play a few minor notes on an instrument of your choosing; woodwind instruments always sound particularly mournful. Alternatively choose a sad song to play on a CD player, or to sing or hum. You can access lots of melancholy music YouTube. Make a note of the song you choose so that you will remember it the next time you come to share the story.

Seasonal scents
You are going to use seasonal smells to indicate the passing of time. You can choose to present a sequence representing all four seasons of the year or just a couple. Make this choice based on your knowledge of the person with whom you will be sharing the story. Choose smells personal to the person with whom you will be sharing the story, or choose contrasting smells from the following suggestions:
• Spring: Floral smells - floral essential oils, dried flowers, floral perfumes or bathing products
• Summer: Sunscreen, cut grass, charcoal, citronella (candle, or essential oil)
• Autumn: Dried leaves, herbs, apples, sandalwood (essential oil)
• Winter: Cinnamon (if using ground cinnamon, use sparingly as it can irritate mucous membranes), Christmas cake or pudding, nutmeg, mulled wine spices, myrrh (essential oil), chicken stock cubes dissolved in hot water (to smell like a roast dinner)
If you are using essential or fragrance oils, drip a few drops of the oil onto a cotton pad and store it in a plastic container. The air inside the container will become fragranced making for a stronger smell experience when you remove the lid. A few of drops will last a long time.

The story can be told in any body of water, so if you do not have access to a hydrotherapy pool, or a leisure centre pool is not appropriate, filling an inflatable paddling pool will work just as well. Alternatively, use it as part of a bath time experience.

Light, waterproof items that can easily be knocked down, such as skittles
These items will be symbolic of the destruction that a tsunami might cause, so it is important that they can be knocked down by the strength or supported strength of the story experiencer. Similarly, consider other sensory sensitivities that might draw the attention of the story experiencer to the items such as colour, shape and size.

A noodle or float or rubber ring
Choose the item that the story experiencer might associate with safety or feeling safe. It might be a life jacket instead depending on their swimming experience and level.

Water spray bottle
The ones with adjustable nozzles that change the intensity of the spray are useful for allowing the story experiencer to control the experience further and also to experience different sensations on parts of the body that may be more or less responsive to tactile stimulation.

Black swathe of fabric

Photo of person smiling
The face is a very important visual experience. If you are using photos of the person who has died, try to find a picture that is just of their face and print it so that the face is life sized.
Alternatively, your own smiles are just as good a visual stimulus and you can smile in a way that conveys the emotion of the moment. A smile of celebration is very different to a smile associated with fond memories.

Objects to touch and explore
If sharing the story in memory of a person, choosing the objects most precious to them or most often interacted with, or most associated with them will be important here. As well as items they explored for pleasure you can also include functional items associated with those explorations, for example if they used a standing frame you could put the toys out on the tray of the standing frame, so that the frame is also there in the room.
If sharing the story to explore the idea of death you can choose toys or objects that fit the imaginary person you are remembering. Choosing toys with bold blocks of colour or ones that make sounds and light up will ensure that this line of the story is sensorially engaging.

Movement
What you are looking for is not a thing but an absence of things: you need space to move in.

Music
Choosing the favourite song of the person who has died, or a song strongly associated with them – for example, in a school setting the per- son may have had a personalised ‘hello song’ or similar – will help create connection with memories.
If you are unsure what to choose, music with a steady heartbeat rhythm and music that has notes which change in pitch will be particularly good at garnering responses from people who experience the world in a pre- dominantly sensory way.

Food and drink
Source food and fluids for this experience that your story experiencers/experiencer can safely taste/drink or explore.
If sharing the story in memory of a particular individual you could choose food relevant to them in some way. If sharing the story more generically then you may want to look at choosing food according to sensory properties, e.g. smelly food, sweet food, salty food, food that crunches, food that is soft, sticky, runny etc. If you also include food that is hot in a spicy way, e.g. chilli or pepper, you will add another sensory system into your story – a little bonus stimulation from the somatosensory system!

A kite to touch
Cut a kite shape out of white card or foam and attach green and purple coloured ribbons to it.

A small plastic beaker
Alternative: coconut shells.

A wind instrument
Alternative: your voice

Cold gruel
Alternatives: use instant mashed potato, diluted to make it runny, to make a gruel, or make a simple gruel by mixing flour and water.

A paint brush
Alternatives: other tools, e.g. a hammer.

Flower shaped confetti or sequins
Alternatives: flower garland, flower print fabric, flower petals.

Matches
Alternatives: incense sticks, BBQ ashes.

A crepe bandage
Alternatives: socks, books.

A kite to fly
Instructions for making a simple kite are given in the story using strong white A4 paper, straws, purple and green curling ribbon, needle & thread, and sellotape.

Recordings of traffic noise and birdsong

Suitable mp3 downloads Sunny Day and Traffic Jam 1 are available for free from soundbible.com.
Alternatively you can use your voice to make car noises, or use a small water whistle to create bird sounds. (These are sometimes sold as party bag favours in supermarkets and can be purchased for a few pence online – they’re typically called bird water whistles and are either ceramic or plastic. The ceramic ones are a few pence more expensive, but the quality of sound is so much better the extra cost is worth it.)

Holographic card or shiny wrapping paper stuck to card
Cut your card into the shape of butterfly wings and fold down the centre.
Alternatively, you can use the butterfly from the Cocoon sensory story. Instructions for how to make this are given in the story - you will need a thin plastic ring binder.

A toy kaleidoscope
Alternatively, many story tellers (those in schools and residential settings) will have access to a projector which can be used to project kaleidoscopic images. For at-home story tellers an alternative might be an app; there are many free apps for both iOS and Android which will create kaleidoscopic patterns.

Water beads
Water beads (available from florists, homeware stores and online) or for an edible alternative, tapioca pearls (available from Chinese food stores and online). If you happen to be telling the story at the right time of year there could be nothing better than the real thing: frog spawn!

Lavender bag or lavender essential oil
Alternatively. there are many lavender-scented toiletries for sale, especially talcum powder. Store a few drops of essential oil on a cotton pad inside a tuppaware container; the air inside the container will become fragranced resulting in a stronger smell when you remove the lid.

Crumpled paper or dried leaves

Polystyrene ball studded with cocktail sticks
Polystyrene balls are available from craft suppliers; use one a little under tennis ball size to fit into cupped hands. The cocktail sticks should be pushed into the ball to resemble a hedgehog – you may want to add a face too and spray paint brown!
Alternatively, pet stores sell spiked plastic balls that could approximate as a hedgehog touch experience and would be slightly less spikey, and so safer, than cocktail sticks for story experiencers who may be less than cautious.
A natural alternative and gentler touch experience would be to use a teasel head to represent a hedgehog.

Fresh mint or peppermint essential oil
For a taste experience, use torn up fresh mint, or a peppermint sweet or mint cake.
Alternatively, the story mentions coriander, so fresh coriander or dried coriander could be used as a smell experiencer, or indeed peppermint. Peppermint is a great choice as we know that the brain finds it very stim- ulating.

Rainstick
If you are telling the story somewhere that has a music cupboard (i.e. a school) you may well find that you have a rainstick already. Many toy and music shops sell rainsticks. If you want to make your own, you can find a variety of methods for making rainsticks at all ability levels if you search the internet for ‘diy rainstick’
Alternatively, you can find recordings of rain online at places like YouTube and soundbible.com. You may be able to make your own rain sound using a watering can and pouring water onto a plastic lid or similar.

Damp compost
A container of damp compost which is easy to reach into will make an interesting earthy touch experience for your story experiencers to explore. You may wish to add herbs to your compost to increase the smell. Making smells stronger is something that people sharing the story with older story experiencers may want to do as our sense of smell often de- generates as we get older. It is possible to buy ‘child friendly’ compost which may be safer to use with story experiencers who are liable to put the compost in their mouths. In the long term, you may want to create your own compost; the BBC have a simple guide for creating compost here.

Leaves
Using fresh branches will give you the smell of the woodland as well as the sight of the leaves. Alternatively you can cut leaf shapes out of coloured card or paper.

A stick
Choose a not too pointy one for safety.

A bird whistle
These are sometimes called water whistles and are often sold as party bag favours. If you can’t find one, then you can whistle your- self or substitute another instrument such as a penny whistle to play the role of bird song.

Wet earth (optional)

Black fabric
If you are able to, then sewing the fabric so that it has places to put the hands and head will make it easier for the person hiding to wear it. Alternatively you could use a hooded garment worn backwards.

Tea
You can choose a different beverage if you prefer. If you are sharing the story with someone who won’t be able to drink, make a strong cup of tea and offer this stimulus as a smell experience.