Movement for Sensory Joy: SIE Collaborates with Sport for Confidence on a Powerful New Video
18 February 2026
We are delighted to announce a new collaboration between Sensory Integration Education (SIE) and Sport for Confidence to create Movement for Sensory Joy, a short film that celebrates movement as a vital source of sensory joy, connection and wellbeing across the lifespan.
This collaboration brings together shared values, a strong belief in occupational therapy-informed practice, and a commitment to making movement and sport genuinely accessible to everyone in the communities they live in.
A shared vision for inclusive movement
Beth Smithson, Occupational Therapist and Advanced Practitioner in Sensory Integration at SIE, said:
“I am absolutely delighted to be working with Sport for Confidence on the Movement for Sensory Joy video. For many people, movement is a sensory joy and a powerful route into feeling safer in their body. It can support regulation, confidence, and connection. Everyone deserves access to their sensory joys in meaningful community spaces, not just those with the right resources, transport, or opportunities. Movement is a sensory joy for so many, and too many people still cannot access it. That is why I am so pleased to be part of this.”
Sport for Confidence Co-CEO Lyndsey Barrett added:
“This collaboration reflects our shared belief that movement is a fundamental right and a vital source of sensory regulation, joy and belonging. Movement for Sensory Joy challenges traditional, one-size-fits-all views of physical activity and instead centres people, their environments and what is meaningful to them. By combining occupational therapy-informed practice with inclusive community spaces, this short film shows how movement can nourish nervous systems, reduce barriers, and support people to truly belong in the places that matter to their everyday lives.”
What the video shows
Movement for Sensory Joy features people aged 16 and over, right through to older adulthood, engaging in movement indoors and outdoors, in leisure centres, community spaces and natural environments. The video reflects the diversity of bodies, ages, needs and ways of moving, showing that there is no single “right” way to experience movement.
The film is grounded in a sensory integration perspective, explaining that:
“Sensory integration and processing is the way our body and brain work together to organise and respond to the world around us and the sensations within our bodies.”
It reminds us that we are constantly taking in sensory information, including how our bodies move and feel, and that our nervous system is working hard to help us regulate, focus and move with confidence.
At the heart of the message is a powerful reframe:
“Movement is not just exercise. Movement is nourishment for the nervous system.”
The video highlights how many people find their sensory joys through movement, whether that is feeling grounded, calm, energised or simply more like themselves.
Sensory joy and movement
At SIE, when we talk about sensory joy, we mean activities rooted in sensation that support regulation, wellbeing and sense of self. Sensory joys are deeply personal. What feels calming or energising for one person may feel overwhelming for another.
As the video explains:
“Sensory joys are activities based in sensation that help us feel grounded, calm, energised or simply more like ourselves. These activities matter. They restore us. They connect us. They remind us who we are in our bodies.”
Yet for many people, accessing these sensory joys through movement is not straightforward. Busy environments, fast-paced routines, rigid expectations and limited choice can make movement feel overwhelming or out of reach.
The video names these barriers clearly and compassionately, while also holding a hopeful vision:
“People should be able to access their sensory joys in the very environments that bring them meaning, in the sports hall, in the swimming pool, in the local leisure centre, in the park, in the community that feels like home.”
When sensory joy is recognised and supported, movement and sport become more than just activity. They become places where nervous systems can feel steady, confident and connected, and where connection with others can naturally grow.
About the collaboration partners
Sensory Integration Education (SIE) is a UK-based not-for-profit organisation providing postgraduate education, training and resources in sensory integration, supporting professionals to deliver evidence-informed, inclusive practice across health, education and community settings.
Sport for Confidence CIC is a Community Health Service that centres the needs of people and communities furthest away from physical activity and sport. By embedding occupational therapists within community leisure settings, Sport for Confidence champions the belief that everyone has the right to experience meaningful participation in movement and sport, fostering choice, reducing inequalities and supporting a sense of belonging.
Watch the video
Movement for Joy is an invitation to rethink how we view movement, sport and participation, and to recognise sensory joy as essential, not optional.
Watch the Movement for Sensory Joy video and explore how movement can support sensory wellbeing for everyone:
