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The Orchard Primary School’s Sensory Play Space

Posted on 02 June 2021 by KR

Encompassing all of the Senses In The Playground

 

Our playground consultant, Luke Banner, was delighted to be invited to work with The Orchard Primary School in Hertfordshire to help them create an extraordinary play environment for sensory play and outdoor learning.

Luke was thrilled to work with passionate headteacher, Paul Sutton, to bring their playground vision to life.

After recently creating a pathway that loops around a section of natural grass, Paul wanted to provide more of a sensory experience to his learners. We installed a selection of sensory play equipment, that would also inspire imaginative play to complete the space.

An eight-metre long sensory tunnel with blue, green, yellow, and red polycarbonate panels with a planter installed at the end of the tunnel. There are musical panels installed at the side of the tunnel.

Take a Sensory Journey Through the Sensory Tunnel

 

A humongous eight meter long Sensory Tunnel is the front centre feature of this playground!

As children move through the tunnel, the space provides stimulation for all seven senses, whilst inspiring out of this world imaginative games.

Inside of the eight-meter sensory tunnel with multi-coloured polycarbonate with music panels installed on the inside of the tunnel. There are planters with flowers at the start and the end of the tunnel.

At the start of the journey, natural light passes though the multicoloured polycarbonate panels to create different streams of illumination inside.

Further into the journey, a mirror replaces a section of the panels to encourage self-awareness and improve understanding of the world. Pupils love observing the reflection of themselves and their friends!

Close up photo of a large planter at the end of the sensory tunnel which has been installed on top of a pathway in the middle of the school field. There are pink, white and yellow flowers inside of the planter.

At either end of the space, planters enable children to plant seeds and watch them grow as time goes on – a wonderful way to promote scientific learning and observation outdoors!

The space is wide enough for groups of children to walk through together, as well as ensuring it is fully accessible to every child attending the school.

Photo was taken inside of the sensory tunnel with red, yellow, green and blue panels, musical equipment and long planters with yellow and purple flowers in. You can see the school building through the tunnel.

Interactive Panels for Musical Play and Mark Making

 

Situated along the path, we’ve included numerous panels for the children to interact with as they continue on their sensory journey around the playground.

Different panels along the pathway including a giant chalkboard. The panels have been installed onto the grass with the eight-metre sensory tunnel, sensory spinners and imagination station in the background.

Children can write on the Giant Chalkboard, spin and observe the Sensory Spinners as they touch the different textures and listen to the noise the ball bearing make while hitting off the poly carbonate or play musical melodies on the outdoor musical instruments.

There’s plenty of sensory stimulation to be gained on the path!

4 sensory spinners have been installed along the pathway onto grass in front of the imagination station which has also been installed onto grass. Behind the play area is the staff car park where a blue car and a black car are parked.

A Quiet Space for Reflection and Imaginative Play

 

For a little rest before children arrive back to the start of the path, our Imagination Station provides plenty of seating for socialisation!

Learners can sit down to chat or mark make after running up the ramp onto the artificial grass deck.

Moreover, the space is powered by imagination! The open-ended resource can transport to the children to any creative world they can imagination as they dress up the space using the den making holes and loose play resources.

Imagination station installed onto grass with artificial grass placed inside of the station, there are also two pannels, one green and one blue with a chalkboard inside. Behind the play area is the staff car park with one black car parked inside of it.

A spaceship in deep space, a boat in the Pacific Ocean, the imagination station can take the children anywhere…

With a good range of equipment to engage with along the way, this stunning sensory play space is well used by the children!

Would you like to create your very own sensory journey in your playground? Contact Us Here for begin your journey with Pentagon Play today, whilst beginning your playground wishlist by exploring all of our Sensory Play Equipment Here.

Alternatively, take a closer look at all of the stunning playground projects completed in Hertfordshire on our dedicated Hertfordshire Playground Projects Page Here.

Eight-metre sensory tunnel with yellow, red, green and blue polycarbonate panels. A large planter has been installed at the end of the tunnel for children to plant flowers and plants in.



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