By: Christina Hughey
A sensory garden is designed to stimulate the senses. This stimulation occurs from plants and other things found in the garden. Sensory gardens are wonderful for children, including special needs children who can really benefit from sensory items. Sensory gardens provide a fun learning experience in a safe environment, even connecting students and giving them something in common with other children in the garden. In addition sensory gardens can be helpful when teaching math, science, writing, health, social studies, and even cultural arts.
Building a sensory garden
Sensory gardens appeal to the senses: smell, taste, hearing, and touch.
Smell – Fill the garden with good smelling plants. Include herbs, and flowers. There are many wonderful smelling plants, lavender and rosemary are commonly known for their wonderful scents.
Taste – Include a favorite vegetable, or fruit, and other edible plants.
Hearing – Some pleasant sound makers in the garden include bird song (add bird feeders to attract birds), windchimes, water features which add a calming sound, tall bamboo plants to rattle in the wind, and other natural sounds in the nature.
Touch – Have fuzzy, soft, and slick plants available to touch. Every single plant has a different feeling. You can also incorporate stone or pebbles under your feet. A soft lawn of grass to lay in or walk barefoot on.
One More Useful Tip Accommodate – Provide wide walk ways, shallow pavement seams, and raised flower beds. This is important for any wheelchair or walker that a visitor might have.
