Guest Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Hi Last term I applied to the National Lottery 'Awards for all' programme for funding for a sensory garden. We were successful in our bid and have since been awarded over £9000!!! The idea is to create a sensory garden for Foundation and Year One children. We have had a few people out to give us ideas but most of them seem to be targetted at older children/adults. Has anyone created a garden or have any ideas we could use? I've been trying to search for photographs on the web but they seem hard to come by. I would like to incorporate a bridge, water feature and some sort of willow den area. Any other ideas would be gratefully received! Thanks in advance Vicki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucie Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Congrats for getting the grant!!! I saw some fantastic outdoor areas that could give u some ideas, but cant remember where - i will have a search and get back to you if i can. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 We've got a very small garden but we tried to include something for all the senses. We put up signs - picture symbols and words - saying look , listen etc. Look at colours, shapes, patterns. listen to windchimes, rustling grasses, smell herbs, fragrences touch different textures taste herbs, fruit, veg We have an arch with honeysuckle growing over it and wind chimes hanging from it, a raised bed with herbs and flowers, a patch of concrete with shells, beads, mirror tiles etc set into it (one of the Dads laid the concrete and the children set the bits into it while it was wet.) There's a pebble patch to crunch on and a path with different shaped 'stepping stones'. On the fence is a net with bits tied onto it - CDs, ribbons, strings of beads. There are bright mobiles and ornaments, a short lenth of log roll to walk on, 'percussion instruments' attached to the fence. It cost us about £2000 originally including resurfacing. We keep adding and changing bits. There's loads you can do once you start thinking about it. Have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 wow lucky you Vikki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I went to an Outdoors Conference a few years ago where Wendy Titman spoke. Look her up on google, she's very inspiring and gave us lots of ideas. Also Learning through Landscapes is an organisation dedicated to outdoor learning. You can subscribe and get all their newsletters and ideas sheets. We developed our small nursery garden after the conference. We have A willow den with log seats inside A log pile to attract minibeasts (although we have never attracted any because the logs are always being transported in the children's cars, lined up or built into a house or something!) Fragrant herbs We grow a small vegetable patch each year and eat the crops in our lunches Swishy plants such as bamboo. Sand pit A safe baby area with shade. (Wendy Titman suggested a camomile lawn for this but our contractors felt it would become a mud bath) Windey paths to ride along This year we were able to develop it further (with the help of a £28,000 grant from the Council), and have some amazing wooden bespoke climbing equipment built, together with a play house, picnic table, storage shed, water feature, climbing wall. Enjoy spending your money! Bev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 WOW THATS GR8 please let us know how your garden grows, i had wind chimes, mirrors, small amount of water, i too have a small garden area im about to do up as the scaffolding has gone HAYYY! GOOD LUCK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Some websites that you may find helpful. http://www.sensory-garden.com/ http://www.sensorytrust.org.uk/information...ry_garden1.html http://www.rhs.org.uk/education/documents/sensory.pdf http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_w...y_sensory.shtml http://www.thekidsgarden.co.uk/TeachKidsAb...nTheGarden.html http://uktv.co.uk/gardens/item/aid/1802 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 HI you should visit the memorial garden in London that was done for Diana. It has a brilliant sensory section with grasses, rain bells and a sensory trail. They have really thought through access for all children. You need to check what times you are allowed to visit-when I went they were very strict about adults being in there. They are only allowed in if they are with a child. I think they do set aside an hour at some point in the day just for adults to wander a round when the children are not allowed in. Have a look at the website http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensing..._playground.cfm Hope this is some help Henri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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