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Amwell View School’s Sensory Play Space

Posted on 08 June 2021 by KR

A Fully Inclusive Sensory Walkway That Stimulates All Seven Senses

 

Providing education for pupils with severe and complex educational needs between the ages of 2 and 19, this Hertfordshire based school were highly motivated to create a fully inclusive and accessible sensory walkway that would benefit every student.

Our playground consultant, Luke Banner, and Product Design Manager, Jonny Arditti, were delighted to work alongside the school to create a sensory play space, adapting existing products to fit this unique space and designing new products to meet all aims of the project.

Auditory and Tactile Stimulation

 

At the very beginning of the sensory walk around the school buildings, we’ve included 2 of our large wall mounted sensory panels – one featuring dowels and chain and the other yellow and blue Saferturf Surfacing and a mirror in the middle.

As the children move past the panels, they can feel the different textures providing tactile stimulation whilst observing themselves in the mirror and pointing out key features of themselves, or just pull a funny face! This is great for improving their understanding of the world and self-awareness.

2 children wearing black coats are playing with the large sensory panel featuring blue and yellow safe turf with a mirror in the middle. One child is touching the blue safe turf and one child is touching the mirror and looking at his reflection.

The Dowels and Chain provide opportunities for auditory and tactile stimulation as the learners move their hands across the different textures and listen to the links knock together. They’re a wonderful resource for helping pupils self regulate their emotions as they feel more relaxed and distracted from any feelings of stress.

Moving on from the giant sensory panels, the children have eight sensory walk chimes dotted across the brick walk. They make a lovely musical melody as the pupils hit and tap them as they move past!

2 children wearing light blue long sleeve tops are playing with the dowels and chain which has been installed onto the side of the school building on the wall, whilst one teacher wearing a green top stands with the children smiling.

A Bespoke Canopy To Fit The Space

 

Due to the size of the space, Jonny had to adapt a Timber Canopy to fit the space. To fit the unique area, we wall plated the canopy to the building and secured it to the brick wall next to the green security fencing.

2 children playing underneath the bespoke timber canopy with multicoloured polycarbonate panels whilst one teacher stands near the brick wall.

This huge covered space includes different coloured polycarbonate panels to allow coloured light to dance around as the students awe at the illuminations.

The pupils solve stopping underneath to glance through the panels out onto the school field!

One child stood underneath the timber canopy banging on the red polycarbonate panel whilst 2 more children walk through the tunnel and 3 teachers supervise. There are pink, red, orange, yellow, green and blue polycarbonate panels on the timber canopy.

Self-Regulation, Investigation and Experimentation

 

Finally, we’ve ended the sensory walk by installing a Wall Mounted Ball Run across the length of one of the building walls.

This excellent sensory play resource encourages pupils to regulate their emotions as they repeatedly drop a ball down the holes in the wall and pick it up from the bottom and drop it down again - letting go of anything worrying them and regulating their emotions, too.

3 children, 2 wearing black coats and 1 wearing a blue top playing on the wall-mounted ball run which has been installed onto the side of the school building.

The students can work together to problem solve, investigate and experiment as they test new routes and ways the balls can travel down the channel, while working out why some balls reach the bottom quicker than others.

Amwell View students and staff love taking a sensory journey around the building walk way as they interact and observe all of the interesting features the walk way now has on offer!

Would you like to provide more opportunities for sensory play and stimulation outdoors? Contact Us Here to begin your journey with Pentagon Play today!

Alternatively, you can view all of the stunning playground projects completed in Hertfordshire on our dedicated Hertfordshire Playground Projects Page Here.

2 children wearing black coats playing with the sensory wall panel which includes yellow and blue safe turf and a mirror in the middle. It has been attached to the school building next to the window.



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