The Delights

Early Years Sensory Dance Performance

Experience a captivating early years sensory dance performance that weaves together story, music, and movement, creating a rich and immersive world for young children and their grown-ups.
This unique collaboration between Makers of Imaginary Worlds and Turned on its Head was developed with and for families in Nottingham through a series of Research & Development (R&D) creative play sessions from 2022 to 2024. Designed to spark curiosity, imagination, and joyful interaction, the performance invites little ones and their caregivers to explore sensory storytelling in a playful and engaging way.

“” Love the fabrics. Low-cost ideas of getting some material and making different things out of them.”

Parent 2024″

Unlock the secret to transforming an old jumper into a unique, upcycled cover for an exercise ball!


This creative and eco-friendly project not only gives new life to your clothing but also sets the stage for exciting movement play adventures with your little one. Explore playful ways to engage their imagination, build coordination, and encourage active fun—all while enjoying the warmth of a handmade touch! 

Sensory Ball

The sensory ball is versatile and can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Tactile

Extra sensory and tactile elements can be added to the ball to enhance playtime.

Active Play

This design is specifically created to encourage active play among children, with a stalk to assist younger ones in holding and manoeuvring large balls.

Free instructions

The free pdf tutorial in the download link below, showcases the use of an extra-large upcycle jumper and an exercise ball.

Research shows that “children that engage in activities outside… are involved in more active play, have higher levels of physical activity and that this “contribute(s) significantly to children’s health”.

Mackett/Paskins (2005).

Audience Feedback

Don’t take our word for it – here’s what our clients say:


Watching performances, she really liked watching, and she doesn’t usually just sit and watch something.

Parent

It’s incredible that your child will express themselves in ways you haven’t seen before”

Audience

I think engaging with the dancers, she really enjoyed that. Yeah, but I mean my little daughter said: they’re very talented.

Parent

To gauge the impact of our work on audiences, we collaborated with Pavlos Panagiotidis, PhD researcher from the University of Nottingham. This student interviewed audiences at four outdoor performances in 2023 and delivered a comprehensive report.