Lucy Boyd in the new Sensory Room at Wilshire Baptist Church
When Lucy Boyd was considering community service projects to help earn her coveted Eagle Scout Award, she searched for one which would have a lasting impact on the community, on the Scouts who helped to implement it and on her as the creator and designer. Her new Sensory Room for preschoolers at Wilshire Baptist Church accomplishes all that, and more.
Boyd, a freshman at Classical School of Dallas and member of Scouting America’s Troop 890G, focused on carving out a special space at the church for youngsters easily overwhelmed by people, sounds and their own emotions. The room was officially unveiled on Promotion Sunday August 16.
Boyd’s goal was to create a safe and welcoming space where children feel calm, happy and ready to learn, even if their behavior seems active, disconnected — or even chaotic. And Boyd knows a little something about accommodating neurodivergent kids. Her older brother has special needs, so she has empathy and motivation to help families facing similar challenges.
“Some kids are ‘ploppers,’” she explains. “They lay down and stare at one thing. Other kids, when they get nervous, move around and play with one thing, then the next, then the next. Even if it doesn’t look like there is active learning going on, there is. Even when my brother is playing with cars or using his hands for other things, if someone is reading a bible story or playing worship music, he will pop up and ask questions. He is listening.”
Access is limited to children who need a calming break, and visits to the sensory room are “purposeful — never a reward, punishment or a place for free play — so it stays a reliable, calming resource for the kids who need it most,” explained Kelly Akins, Wilshire’s minister to preschoolers, in an announcement for the church bulletin. “Lucy’s passion for neurodivergent children was perfect for this project. These things enhanced what we already had and made a warm, inviting space that children will enjoy for many years. Well done, Lucy! We are grateful for your hard work.”
Lucy Boyd and Kyle Smith
Boyd recruited Lake Highlands neighbor Kyle Smith to help build a wooden shelf for the room, and she enlisted family members and Scouts from her troop to help build a Lego wall and play objects to support active engagement. Beanbag chairs and a soft carpet line the floors, and a bookshelf and soft lamp stand in an inviting corner. She and her grandmother, Gayle Millican, sewed brightly colored curtains for the windows.
“I toured a sensory room at Camp Barnabas, where I have attended as a sibling and volunteered over the summer,” Boyd says. “They had lots of different colors, and my brother really likes colors. I think they help him focus. I also added various textures, such as artificial turf and fuzzy rugs in frames. If a child is nervous, touching things can help immerse them and ground them. Instead of their brain spiraling, it helps bring it back to a normal rhythm. They can rub it, touch it and play with it, which helps calm them down.”
Donations played a major role in keeping costs down. Wilshire covered the first $500, and many items in the room came from the Buy Nothing or LH Mamas Facebook pages. Other items were donated in good condition.
The project required design, planning, budget creation, volunteer recruitment and coordination with multiple adults and organizations. Boyd says the skills she learned will carry with her to college and beyond.
Kyle Smith and Lucy Boyd
“It was really cool for me to learn how different tools work and how to build things,” Boyd says. “I’ve gotten a lot better at communicating, following up and talking through phases so I could get a good, solid plan down.”
Learning how to persevere was her biggest big life lesson.
“There were a few times when I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue or I didn’t know if it would turn out,” she admits. “Part of the thing is rolling through the punches and figuring out how to keep on going. And it was definitely worth it. Now, I’m super proud. I think it looks really good, and I made a difference in these kids’ lives, because now they have a spot where they can feel safe at church. I’m super happy for that.”
Bill Boyd is bursting with pride for his daughter — especially since she chose to reach out and collaborate with a church where she doesn’t attend each Sunday.
“We go to Eastside (Community Church),” he says. “We’re super involved there, but this was a need, and it’s something that touches her heart.”
Wilshire Baptist Church is at 4316 Abrams Road.
Webb Anderson (in red) and Silas Boyd (in teal) help build the Lego wall
Children can play with the Lego wall while actively listening
Cora Day, Ryleigh OBrien, Norah Zsohar, Lucy Boyd, Emily Anthony, Adeleine Jones, Silas Boyd and Gus Boyd
