How to Spend Your End of Year School Budget: Sensory Tools for the Classroom
If your school has budget left before the year closes, the best place to spend it is on durable classroom tools that every student can use, every day. Active seating, quiet fidgets and a calm corner give restless energy somewhere to go, and help create a more settled, inclusive classroom for next year. Below is a former teacher's guide to what to buy at every budget, from under $200 to a complete sensory space.
Three ways to let students move without leaving their desk
- 1Wobble stool replaces the chair for gentle, constant movement
- 2Wobble cushion sits on an existing chair for wiggling in place
- 3Chair kick band stretches between chair legs for busy feet
All three can be in a classroom for under $240.
The most useful end of year purchases for a classroom are:
- Active seating (wobble stools, wobble cushions, chair kick bands) for students who need to move
- Quiet fidget kits for busy hands during lessons
- A calm corner with soft seating and regulation tools for students who need a reset
- Sensory lighting such as a bubble tube for libraries, wellbeing hubs and sensory rooms, if the budget allows
"As a former teacher, I know how under-resourced our classrooms are. Class sizes are bigger, and there are more learning differences, diagnoses and challenges in every room than ever before. Teachers are doing an incredible job with what they have."
"Simple support tools make a real difference. They give restless energy an outlet, so kids feel more settled in the classroom and are less disruptive to their peers. That's a win for the whole class, not just one student."
Sarah James, founder of The Sensory Specialist, former psychology teacher
Why sensory tools are a smart way to use leftover school budget
End of year spending often goes on whatever can be ordered fastest. The better question is: what will still be getting used in Term 3 next year? Good classroom sensory tools tick every box a business manager or principal will ask about.
- They're used daily, by many students. A wobble stool or a set of chair bands moves between students all year.
- They support inclusive classrooms. Students with ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences or anxiety often reach for them, and so do plenty of students without a diagnosis.
- They're built to last. We curate for quality and classroom wear, not a cheap mass catalogue that's broken by February.
- They work across settings. Classrooms, libraries, wellbeing hubs, learning support rooms and sensory rooms.
Quick wins for any classroom
Small spend, big daily use. These are our most re-ordered school tools and a great way to use up the last of a classroom or department budget.
Foot Fidget Chair Kick Bands (Set of 5)
Turn any school chair into a movement tool. Students can kick, push and stretch against the band quietly, without leaving their seat. Five bands means five chairs sorted for less than $5 each.
Shop kick bands
Wobble Sensory Cushion
An air-filled sensory cushion that sits on any chair or on the floor for mat time. It lets students wiggle and shift their weight while staying seated, and moves easily between desks.
Shop wobble cushion
NEW: Kaiko Primary School Fidget Kit
Four quiet, low-key fidgets sized for smaller hands, with a keyring and screw-top tin so the whole kit stays together. Ideal as a shared classroom fidget box.
Shop primary kit
NEW: Kaiko Secondary School Fidget Kit
Discreet metal fidgets that older students will actually use, because they don't look like toys. A great fit for secondary learning support rooms and wellbeing teams.
Shop secondary kitFlexible seating and a calm corner
This is where you can change how a classroom feels. Pick one flexible seating upgrade and one calm space, or put the whole amount into one of them.
Height-Adjustable Wobble Stool
The classroom chair for students who can't sit still. The rounded base gives gentle, constant movement while students stay at their desk, so rocking on chairs and getting up all lesson have somewhere better to go.
- Adjusts to suit different ages and desk heights
- Easy to share between students across the day
- Works for a whole-class flexible seating setup
NEW: Jellystone Complete Calm Corner Kit
A calm corner in a box. Ten tools including a pop-up tent, emotion cards and breathing cards, designed in consultation with OTs and psychologists. Suits ages 3 to 10.
Shop calm corner kit
The Mooshy Mat™
A thick memory foam floor mat that turns a hard classroom floor into a soft place to sit, lie down, read and reset. A favourite for reading corners, from kinder to primary.
Shop the Mooshy Mat
Giant Crash Mat Pillow
A giant memory foam pillow students can sink into for deep pressure. It doubles as a beanbag-style seat in a calm corner, library nook or sensory room.
Shop crash mat pillowCalm corner idea, about $380: Complete Calm Corner Kit + Mooshy Mat. Add the Giant Crash Mat Pillow for a full reset space at about $640.
Buy 3 or more wobble stools and save 15%
Kitting out a whole table group or learning support room? Three wobble stools come to about $433 instead of $510, and the saving grows with every extra stool. The discount applies automatically at checkout, no code needed.
Shop wobble stoolsKit out a whole classroom or learning support room
With a mid-sized budget, think in terms of spaces rather than single items. Here are two example setups:
Flexible seating classroom, about $655: 3 wobble stools (with 15% off) + 4 wobble cushions + 2 sets of kick bands. That's 7 movement seats plus 10 chair bands for one classroom.
Learning support or wellbeing room, about $1,140: 3 wobble stools (with 15% off) + Calm Corner Kit + Mooshy Mat + Giant Crash Mat Pillow + a Primary or Secondary Kaiko Fidget Kit.
One mat, a whole group of readers
A large Mooshy Mat gives a small group a soft, defined space to sit and read together. It turns a bookshelf corner into a reading nook that students want to use.
Pair it with a wobble cushion or two for floor time, or add a Calm Corner Kit nearby.
Sensory lighting for libraries and sensory rooms
If you have a bigger budget to use, sensory lighting is the item students remember. A sensory bubble tube creates a calm, low-light focal point that works beautifully in libraries, wellbeing hubs and dedicated sensory rooms.
150cm LED Bubble Tube Bundle
Everything you need for a sensory lighting corner in one order: a 1.5m colour-changing bubble tube, a padded sofa podium to sit on, and fibre optic tails students can hold and touch.
- Remote control plus a large-button interactive switchbox
- Easy DIY install, filled with distilled water
- Includes a wall bracket, which must be fixed to the wall to prevent tipping
Pair it with the Giant Crash Mat Pillow and a Mooshy Mat to finish the space. Planning a full sensory room? Book a free 15-minute sensory room discovery call, or browse our full sensory lighting and bubble tube range.
How to order for your school
Pay the way your school pays. We welcome school purchase orders and send the goods with 30-day payment terms. You can also pay by credit card or bank transfer.
Choose your delivery term. Have your order delivered this term, or spend the budget now and ask us to hold delivery until Term 1. Either is fine with us.
Order early to secure stock. Our best sellers move quickly at this time of year. We ship Australia-wide and only close for the main public holidays over Christmas.
"Our kinder loves it! The Huge Mat is actually huge. And so soft. It's made a great addition to our reading corner at kinder. The kids love it and it helps create a calming atmosphere."
Bentleigh West Kindergarten, on The Mooshy Mat
School budget FAQs
What should schools spend their end of year budget on?
Prioritise durable resources that many students will use every day next year. For inclusive classrooms, that usually means active seating (wobble stools, wobble cushions, chair kick bands), quiet fidget kits, a calm corner, and sensory lighting for libraries or sensory rooms if the budget allows.
Do you accept school purchase orders?
Yes. We welcome school purchase orders and send the goods with 30-day payment terms. You can also pay by credit card or bank transfer. See our school and business orders page for details.
Can we pay now and receive the order in Term 1?
Yes. You can receive your order this term, or spend the budget now and ask us to delay delivery until Term 1. Just let us know when you order.
What's the difference between a wobble stool and a wobble cushion?
A wobble stool replaces the chair and gives constant, gentle movement through its rounded base. A wobble cushion sits on top of an existing chair or on the floor, so it's cheaper and easy to move between students. Many classrooms use a mix of both as part of a flexible seating setup.
What do you need to set up a calm corner in a classroom?
A defined space, soft seating and a few simple tools students can choose from. The Jellystone Complete Calm Corner Kit includes a pop-up tent, emotion cards and breathing cards. Add a Mooshy Mat or Giant Crash Mat Pillow for comfortable floor seating.
Is a bubble tube suitable for a school library or sensory room?
Yes. A bubble tube is a popular centrepiece for libraries, wellbeing hubs and sensory rooms. The 150cm bundle needs a nearby power point, distilled water, and the included wall bracket fixed to the wall to prevent tipping. Supervise students around the tube.
Is there a Christmas order cut-off?
We're only closed for the main public holidays over Christmas, so there's no hard cut-off. Popular school items sell quickly at this time of year, so we recommend ordering early to secure stock.
Ready to use your budget before it disappears?
Shop our school range, or send your purchase order through and we'll take care of the rest.