Boys & Girls Club, WellPoint unveil sensory center for kids in Jackson

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Boys & Girls Club of Jackson has partnered with WellPoint to open a new sensory center for children.

The space features tools and toys designed to help kids manage their emotions, including liquid squares on the floor that move when stepped on, weighted stuffed animals, squishy balls, fidget spinners and a variety of other sensory tools. The room also includes different textures and a comfortable area to sit and unwind.

The sensory center is intended to give children a place to step away from activities, control their emotions and center themselves.

Tyler Swanson, of WellPoint, said the partnership with the Boys & Girls Club was a natural fit.

“We’ve partnered with the Boys & Girls Club on a couple different initiatives as the years have gone on and when this opportunity came up I said I know the exact partner I want to reach out to, so I gave Sabrina a call I said hey let’s put this together and you’re looking at a great turnaround of a great space behind us,” Swanson said.

What the space includes

Sabrina Anderson, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club, described some of the features available to children.

“Any kid would enjoy this space — I’m not a kid but I love this space,” Anderson said. “If you can see Stevie here, he’s just so cute, he’s a sloth, but he’s also weighted, like the weighted blankets make you feel better, little Stevie would make anybody feel better, and then we have, of course, our little squishy balls, we have fidget spinners, we have a variety of sensory tools to help the young people relax.”

WellPoint, a Jackson-based medical service that focuses on both physical and behavioral health, said it is exploring new ideas for additional centers in different locations, including possible spaces for adults.

For more information about the Boys & Girls Club and WellPoint, click here.

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