Arohanui Specialist School opens new Sensory Garden for tamariki

While doing the State of Play, Tuia Waitākere started collaborating with Green by Nature with the intention that there was a space in the school that could be reinvented as an accessible green space for tamariki with disabilities.

“At Arohanui, play is how tamariki regulate, re-engage and get ready to learn, and in a special school environment it needs to be understood differently. The State of Play was an adaptable tool that showed us simple changes, like more swinging options, ground markings and open-ended resources, can build independence and dignity and help whaikaha tamariki start their own play with less reliance on adults."

-        Chloe Alderton, Play Systems Innovator – Tuia Waitākere

Through the State of Play process, an underused, concreted corner of the school was identified as the perfect location to reinvent as a sensory garden. The purpose of this is to create a place where students can engage in a range of sensory and skill building activities that also opens up new opportunities for enquiry learning to be brought into the classroom, such as learning about seasons, life and death, composting, nature, and more.

Introducing a purpose built space for tamariki to explore the environment using their senses through textures, colours, scents and sounds gives the students a safe space to relax, explore or self-regulate. For some of the tamariki at Arohanui School, one or more of their senses may be impacted by disability, while others may be heightened – meaning that the experiences and uses of the new sensory garden are diverse and unique to each child. For the whaikaha community, accessing green spaces can be made more difficult due to barriers that limit access (wheel-chair accessibility, secure spaces, whānau abilities, location, etc.) which means that bringing a sensory garden into the school creates opportunity for these students to benefit from green spaces.  An important part of the Tuia Waitākere kaupapa has always been connecting communities with opportunities to create a more thriving and active West Auckland, so the collaboration with Arohanui School, and linking them with Green by Nature in creating the sensory garden is a true example of the mahi that  lives at the heart of Tuia Waitākere.

“Part of my role is to engage with community and work on special projects like this one….it’s going to make such a difference for all students having access to the sensory garden.”

-        Christine McFarlane - Community Liaison Officer,  Green by Nature

The sensory garden would not have been possible without Christine McFarlane from Green by Nature, who put in the time and effort to bring the dream of a sensory garden to life. Christine is a true community leader, as she rallied support from local business to donate supplies (Bunning Community Trust,  Mullins Tyres Avondale  Central Landscaping Swanson) as well as getting other Green by Nature kaimahi to pitch in on planting day. Green by Nature also supplied the tools, plants and time to create this garden, without placing the financial burden on the school. The garden was designed by the knowledgeable team at Green by Nature to specifically engage the sight, smell and touch senses of tamariki, carefully choosing every element, down to the last plant they placed in the ground.

“This means they can have a place when they to come and relax, or they want to have some time away from the main playground. It gives them the opportunity to use their senses, their smell, their touch to really help them regulate and calm down.”

-        Sara Brake - Associate Principal, Arohanui Specialist School

During the Term 3/4 school holidays, Green by Nature spent the day transforming the concrete corner into a sensory garden that will continue to grow into a space that encourages peace, creativity and learning. This mahi is a great example of using community / shared spaces in a way that benefits everyone – and is something that Tuia is excited to do more of in the future.