The TFH Rod Wall Activity Panel is the sensory wall panel therapists reach for when they need a single piece of equipment that addresses fine motor, visual motor, postural control, balance, stereognosis, and reciprocal engagement simultaneously. It is a 28" H x 22" W backlit panel with 262 peg holes, supplied with 144 colour-coded rods — 16 each in red, green, purple, yellow, orange, blue, and clear, plus 32 black — that users push, pull, and rearrange through the illuminated frame. Available across North America from The Sensory Supply, it can be mounted to a wall with the included brass clips or used flat on a tabletop.

Two lighting features distinguish this panel from comparable rod or peg boards. The built-in LED lights are dimmable, allowing the panel's brightness to be reduced for users with light sensitivities — a clinical detail that makes this accessible for a broader range of users than fixed-brightness alternatives. And the rods fluoresce under UV/black light, casting a completely different visual image when a UV lamp is present in the sensory room. A panel used in standard LED mode during the day becomes a UV-activated fluorescent display at night or in a darkened room, giving it a second visual mode with no additional equipment beyond a UV light source.

There is also an entirely optional tactile and educational experiment: chill the rods in a fridge, then roll them between your palms or along your body — do they change colour? The physical sensation of cool acrylic against skin adds a proprioceptive and tactile dimension, and the colour-response question introduces a simple experimental method to any session.

Key Features of the TFH Rod Wall Activity Panel

• 144 Colour-Coded Rods in 8 Colours - 16 rods each of red, green, purple, yellow, orange, blue, and clear; 32 black; the combination of colours, 2.25" rod length, and the resistance of pushing through 262 pre-drilled holes develops the precision grip and finger force control that are foundational to fine motor therapy
• Dimmable LED Backlighting - The built-in LED lighting is dimmable to accommodate users with light sensitivities; this is the feature that makes the panel clinically accessible to users for whom full-brightness illumination is problematic, and is entirely absent from the existing page copy
• UV/Black Light Fluorescence - All coloured rods fluoresce under UV/black light, creating a completely different visual display from the same panel; a UV lamp in the sensory room turns the panel's appearance into a fluorescent colour field, adding a visual sensory mode that costs nothing additional
• 262 Peg Holes Total - The panel ships with 144 rods and 262 holes, meaning 118 holes remain empty with the standard rod set; users can purchase additional rod sets (9RDWLR for colourful rods, 9RDWXB for black) to fill the panel completely, or the partial fill creates its own visual pattern opportunities
• Wall or Tabletop Use - Brass mounting clips are included for vertical wall installation; the panel can also be placed flat on a tabletop for face-down peg insertion, cooperative group use, or positioned between users for reciprocal engagement activities
• Fridge-Cool Tactile Experiment - Chill the rods in a refrigerator and roll them between palms or along the body — the proprioceptive and temperature sensation adds a tactile therapy dimension and a simple experimental activity for sessions focusing on sensory discrimination
• Replacement Rods Available - Replacement and additional rod sets are available separately: 9RDWLR (colourful rods) and 9RDWXB (solid black), allowing the panel to be topped up after loss or extended to fill all 262 holes
• Instruction Manual Included - A full instruction manual is available in the Specs tab and covers setup, therapeutic applications, and activity suggestions

Therapeutic Applications - Six Skill Areas in One Panel

The TFH Canada source explicitly identifies six therapeutic goal areas this panel addresses in a single session:

• Fine Motor Skills - Pinching, pushing, and pulling the 2.25" rods through 262 resistance holes develops the finger strength, precision grip, and dexterity that underpin writing, self-care, and object manipulation
• Visual Motor Integration - Planning and executing a pattern or image on the panel requires the user to translate a visual intention into a coordinated sequence of hand movements, building the visual-motor integration that supports reading, writing, and spatial tasks
• Balance & Postural Control - Reaching across the 22" wide panel — particularly when wall-mounted — engages trunk stability, weight shifting, and postural control as the user maintains position against the wall while applying force through their arms and hands
• Stereognosis - Handling the rods without looking, distinguishing them by feel, and placing them accurately in the holes without visual confirmation builds stereognosis — the ability to identify objects by touch alone — a key sensory processing skill
• Reciprocal Engagement - The panel's large surface and 262 holes support two or more users working simultaneously on the same panel face-to-face across a tabletop, enabling structured cooperative engagement with shared materials and space
• Replacement/extra light rods sold separately. TFH Rods For Rod Wall Activity Panel - Set 144

Skills Addressed in Summary

Fine motor skills, visual motor integration, balance, postural control, stereognosis, reciprocal engagement, cause-and-effect, colour recognition, spatial planning, creative expression.

Ideal For

• Occupational therapists using the panel as a multi-goal fine and visual motor therapy tool that addresses six distinct therapeutic areas in a single activity
• Sensory rooms where a visually engaging, tactile, and creative wall-mounted activity provides daily session variety without requiring additional consumables
• Schools and classrooms where a durable, mains-free illuminated activity panel supports both individual and cooperative group use
• UV sensory rooms where the panel's fluorescent rods add a second visual mode under black light
• Care homes and residential facilities where the dimmable LED and gentle tactile rod interaction suits users with light sensitivities

• Dimensions: 28" H x 22" W x 3" D (72 x 58 x 8cm)
• Rod count included: 144 (16 each of red, green, purple, yellow, orange, blue, clear; 32 black)
• Rod length: 2.25"
• Panel weight: 32 lbs
• Total peg holes: 262
• LED backlighting: dimmable
• UV/black light: rods fluoresce
• Installation: wall (brass clips included) or tabletop
  

TFH Rod Wall Activity Panel - Instruction Manual