8-10 yrs old
11-13 yrs old
Government and Politics
Social and Emotional Health
Students undertake a design process to improve an area within the school, considering the social and environmental factors that influence design.
July 13, 2018
Ian Potter Wild Play Garden
The Ian Potter Children’s WILD PLAY Garden, is a $4M state-of-the-art nature play space designed to engage the five senses.
Ian Potter Wild Play Garden Behind the Scenes
The Ian Potter Children's Wild Play Garden provides an outdoor learning experience for children aged 2-12, of all abilities and backgrounds.
Make Your Own Sensory Garden
Jason Hodges explains how to make a sensory garden that stimulates the five senses of seeing, touching, tasting, smelling and hearing.
News clip: School Community Bands Together To Create Nature Playground
A Western Australian school community has banded together to create a huge playground for its children.
Hortiultural Society of NSW Sensory Gardens Fact Sheet
Horticultural Society of NSW Fact Sheet detailing the elements of a Sensory Garden (6 pages)
Flora for Fauna Plant Selection Guide
Interactive website to assist with native plant selection for local areas across all states and territories.
Outdoor learning environments improve the physical, educational and mental well-being of children, allowing them to connect to the natural world and develop a sense of responsibility for the environment. A sensory garden is designed with the purpose of engaging and stimulating the senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and sound.
Students investigate the effectiveness of a built environment in meeting the needs of its users and use digital technologies to plan and implement a design process to redevelop an outdoor space. They generate inquiry questions about the adaptations of living things to their local environment and research conditions needed for particular plants to grow and survive in a particular environment. Students develop their mathematical understanding of number, length, area, and data, making problem-solving decisions as they measure and design the outdoor space, calculate budgets and present their findings.
Guiding questions:
Sensory garden design success criteria:
• Planning: A well thought through, accurately-scaled and low-maintenance garden design.
• Cost: Economical and within budget.
• Needs of users: enjoyable place to play, quiet zones for relaxation, sensory stimulation.
• Safety: Design meets departmental safety requirements.
• Presentation: A creative, interesting and well-presented outdoor learning space.
• Environmental impact: Uses environmentally friendly materials and contains sustainability features .
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