Over the summer term I have been working outdoors with learners from Carlton Digby special education school, who are mostly non-verbal, and many of whom are wheelchair users. My primary focus was to create a sensory rich play and learning environment. This blog explores our journey.
Natural outdoor spaces in and of themselves offer up rich sensory experiences, in more natural and balanced ways, avoiding the sensory overload that can occur in indoor learning spaces. The weather itself is a great creator of sensory possibilities: it offers up changing light levels, and different temperatures; the feeling of the breeze on the skin; the movement of leaves and dancing shadows; the cold shock of rain drops. There are natural sounds such as leaves rustling in the wind, and birds singing. The spring and summer plants offer up their colours, scents and tastes.
I enjoyed finding creative ways to extend and expand the sensory learning possibilities in different ways. I created a sensory tray of natural objects for children to explore. I displayed nature experience cards at the sessions, to give staff ideas of ways to support the young people to engage with the sensory possibilities. These are produced by the Muddy Puddle Teacher, and are free of charge. www.muddypuddleteacher.co.uk
The video below shows how I used saree fabric and bunting, to add colour and movement around the hammocks.
A colourful parachute created shelter from the heat of the sun, and also gave a natural shadow display of leaves dancing in the wind.
Sound play
Most of the children love song and music, so I explored ways to bring a stimulating soundscape for the sessions. I hung bells and other instruments above where some children lay, so they could use their hands to pull strings or use sticks to create sounds. I brought a new instrument each week for the children to listen to and play. I enjoyed creating sound baths around children who were less able to play instruments. I sang songs to reflect the experiences we were having when the rain, sun or wind came to visit us. This helped to create a joyful, playful and creative atmosphere.
Water play
Water play was especially popular with some children, offering up its sensory richness, from the sounds of it's sploshes and splashes, to the feel of it's coldness on skin and clothes. It supported the development of fine motor skills with the filling and pouring into bowls and watering cans. Puddles created opportunities for floating flowers, and muddy play.
Pulleys and plants
One of the popular activities was exploring the pully. Pulleys are great for developing fine motor skills and coordination, and offering the opportunity to explore and experiment with how the movement is affected by adding objects to the basket. Even learners with more restricted and limited movement were able to engage with the pully and enjoy making it move.
The site has trees and raised beds with herbs, and there are wildflowers growing in the grass, so there are also plenty of chances to explore the smells, textures and sometimes tastes available in nature. I brought a "plant of the week" each time, to add to our sensory exploration with dandelions, wild garlic, elderflower, raspberry, redcurrant, rose and lavender all making an appearance as the season unfolded.
Movement
Some of the children were able to come out of their wheelchairs and lie on the ground, where they could explore moving in simple ways, rolling and stretching, and sitting to build up their core strength. Some of the children were able to crawl, enjoying the freedom and independence to explore the site. For those restricted to wheelchairs, the hammock gave a joyful experience of movement and freedom, and we used a hoist to safely lift them in where needed.
My time with the children, challenged me to find creative ways to produce a stimulating outdoor learning experience, inclusive for non-verbal and wheelchair users. A massive thank you to the staff at Carlton Digby school for helping to create a sensory adventure for the children and for Rachel Saunders for the fabulous images that capture the children's experiences so well.
Sessions delivered by Lauren Kinnersley, Into the Wild Wood. Lauren is a Level 3 Forest School Leader since 2006, who is also trained in the Steiner Waldorf pedagogy. Lauren is a Recognised Provider of Forest School with the Forest School Association.