Touch and texture

Make a texture board

Glue different textures onto a sturdy board to make something interesting to touch and look at.

Who might enjoy it: People who enjoy touching fabrics, knitting, quilting or the feel of different materials. Good for someone who likes exploring things by touch in a calm, unhurried way.

Setup: About 15 minutes
Activity: 15–40 minutes
Cost: Low cost
Mess: Little mess
Where: At a table, seated-friendly, bedside
Help: Someone nearby

Materials: 5 everyday things, listed below

Start activity

What you need

A piece of sturdy cardboard, about letter size
Six to ten textured scraps: corduroy, felt, velvet, burlap, ribbon, sponge
A few household textures, such as a bottle cap, a button or a strip of bubble wrap
White craft glue or a hot glue gun for the helper
Scissors for the helper

No need to buy anything special

No fabric scraps? Cut squares from old clothes, towels, socks or a dish sponge.
No cardboard? Use the lid of a shoebox or the back of a notepad.
No glue? Double-sided tape holds light fabrics well.

What to do

Lay the textured scraps out on the table in a row.
Pass each one over and feel it together, saying what it is like if you wish.
Ask which texture they would like to put on the board first.
Spread glue on the back of that piece. The helper can do this.
Press it onto the board together and hold for a few seconds.
Add more pieces, taking turns choosing where each one goes.
Leave the board flat to dry, as the glue bottle suggests.
Run your hands across the finished board together and talk about favorites.

It is okay to stop or change it

It is fine to stop after one or two pieces. Feeling the scraps together is the activity too. Set the board aside to finish later, or keep it as it is.

Make it easier or different

Make it easier: Cut all the pieces to the same size beforehand and offer two at a time. Choosing is the main job.
In bed or an armchair: Glue the pieces in advance and bring the finished board to the bedside. Explore it together by touch, one square at a time.
For low vision: Use strongly contrasting colors and very different textures, such as smooth satin next to rough burlap.
Less to see, hear or touch: Use only soft, quiet fabrics and leave out anything crinkly, scratchy or noisy like bubble wrap.
More of a shared effort: Each person adds one texture to a shared board, then you pass it around and compare favorites.
With children: A child finds and sorts the textures; the grandparent decides where each one goes. Use white glue only, and keep any hot glue gun with an adult.

Safety

Glue all pieces firmly. Buttons, caps and beads are choking risks if they come loose and might be put in the mouth.
If small pieces might be mouthed, leave out buttons and caps and use only large fabric pieces.
Keep any hot glue gun and scissors with the helper. Let hot glue cool fully before the board is handled.
Avoid sharp edges such as cut plastic, wire or sandpaper; check the board by hand before handing it over.

These are practical suggestions, not medical advice. You know the person best.

A texture board turns a pile of scraps into something to explore by hand. Making it together is a chance to compare what feels soft, rough or smooth, and the finished board can be picked up again whenever someone wants to.