Sensory Gardens in School Play Areas
Create interactive, educational outdoor spaces with planting, textures and features that inspire learning.
A Sensory Garden is a carefully designed planting area, where plants are grown which please all five of the senses: Sight, Touch, Sound, Scent and Taste.
SchoolPlaygroundDesigners.co.uk have vast Planting Knowledge which allows them to create the most stunning Sensory Gardens imaginable.Dependant on the School area available, an ideal Sensory Garden would have separate planting areas for each of the 5 Sensory types.
In Brief
- Designed to engage all five senses: sight, touch, sound, scent and taste
- Encourages hands-on learning and exploration through play
- Can include separate planting zones for each sensory experience
- Typically positioned in a sunny, accessible area
- Raised beds with pathways create structured sensory trails
- Promotes curiosity, observation and interaction with nature
- Features may include water elements, wind chimes, bridges and seating
- Uses varied materials for texture and sound (timber, stone, gravel, bamboo)
- Sensory mosaic paths add visual and tactile interest
- Can be adapted for small spaces using a single multi-sensory bed
Generally speaking, Robert places a School Sensory Garden in a sunny position. He creates raised planting beds with footpaths and walkways throughout.
Children are encouraged to follow the paths along a Sensory Trail. Great fun and considerable learning is achieved by children being set Sensory Trail tasks. This encourages them to explore the different senses they experience of plants through an inter-active and hands on approach
“Since introducing the sensory garden, we’ve seen a remarkable difference in how our children engage with outdoor learning.
It’s a calm, stimulating space where they can explore, discover and develop their senses naturally. The design has transformed our playground into a truly inspiring environment.”
SchoolPlaygroundDesigners.co.uk introduce other visual, tactile or audible elements into a School Sensory Garden. Their sensory Mosaic Paths are a much requested feature.
These can include water features, wind chimes, bridges, arches and seating areas all constructed from different materials (bamboo, smoothed timbers, rustic poles, smooth stones, rough stones, gravel and chippings). If space is limited, one raised bed can be constructed containing all 5 types of the School Sensory Plants
Taste Sensory Plants
School children (under supervision) can have great fun trying out different tasting plants.
Examplse are Herbs, Nasturtiums, Mint, Water Cress, as well as a variety of Wildflowers, Fruit, Vegetables and Nut Trees. Robert likes to include both Fruit and Vegetable Gardens in his designs whenever possible.
Touch Sensory Plants
Many plants are rugged to touch particularly those with flaking bark (Eucalyptus, Silver Birch); children love the soft velvety feel of Lambs Ears and Pussy Willow Catkins.
Feathery leaves are always popular with school children, both for their visual look as much as for their touch; Mimosas, Silk Trees and Tamarix are good examples
Visual Sensory Plants
Children love brightly coloured plants and these are generally easy to grow. Examples are Marigolds, Polyanthus, Red Hot Pokers, Sunflowers, and Pansies.
Also included are plants with weird, exotic, unusual or massive leaves such as Palms, Tree Ferns, Gunnera, Ornamental Cabbage and Gypsophila.
Audible Sensory Plants
This section includes plants which rustle, chatter and whistle in the wind such as Long Grasses, Bamboos and Palm Trees.
Many plants have seed pods which “rattle” in the wind such as Campanula, Campion, Yellow Rattle and the Indian Bean Tree.
Scent Sensory Plants
Robert likes to include as as many heavenly scented and fragrant plants as possible.
These regularly include Mexican Orange Blossom, Sweet Pea, Geranium varieties, Honeysuckle, Star Jasmine, Curry Plant, Lavender varieties, Lemon Balm, and a variety of herbs such as mint, chives, sage, bay leaves, dill and coriander.