Nature Play WA presents Senses Alive – an outdoor sensory play session for children with activities designed to engage all of the senses in nature.
Being outdoors in nature is the perfect environment for encouraging sensory awareness and Nature Play WA are excited to bring ALL of the sensory fun directly to your local outdoor space – we love Senses Alive!
Available as a 60 or 90-minute program, Senses Alive is perfect for local libraries, community centres, early childhood centres and other local government programs.
What happens at a Senses Alive Sensory Play Session?
Nature Play WA will work with your organisation to tailor the event to suit your community and location. As a general guide, each Senses Alive session is led by a Nature Play WA educator and includes;
- A warm welcome, Acknowledgement of Country and our Hello Action Song,
- Sensory movement activities, encouraging exploration of the space
- Sensory guessing games, such as touch boxes and smell bottles
- Open-ended, sensory invitations to play or create that stimulate the senses of sight, smell, sound and touch
- Guided nature walk and sensory treasure hunt
- Guided, playful gross motor activities
- A group storytime and our lovely Goodbye Action Song.
Why is Sensory Play Important?
Sensory play is crucial to child development as it helps to build nerve connections within the brain that support cognitive development – that is, the development of important thinking skills such as problem solving ability, memory and observation skills.
From splashing in water to balancing on a giant log, sensory exploration also encourages the development of both fine and gross motor skills, and engaging with different sights, sounds and textures encourages children to understand and utilise a wider range of vocabulary. And, possibly best of all, sensory play can also act as a great stress reliever as children learn to self-soothe big emotions using the senses. Think of listening to the sound of rain, squeezing a ball of playdough, or lying on the grass watching clouds pass by – bliss!
Events like Senses Alive are also fabulous for communities – as well as inspiring children’s learning, growth and development, they promote outdoor play in nature and support positive parenting, while also fostering connection to place and community.
Senses Alive Program Goals
As well as sensory awareness, Senses Alive has been carefully planned with activities that provide children with the opportunity to develop and use a wide range of learning skills, including;
- Cognitive skills: Including sorting and categorising by shape, texture, colour, size, number and scent;
- Language skills: Developing vocabulary related to the five senses (rough, soft, loud, squishy, wet), oral language skills as the children are encouraged to share their ideas, thoughts and feelings in response to and using a range of listening skills;
- Physical skills: Both fine (picking up and manipulating small objects, squeezing and rolling playdough) and gross motor skills (balancing, jumping, running);
- Creative play skills: Use of imaginative and other creative play skills; and
- Social emotional development: Including communicating needs, turn taking and sharing, and engaging in calming sensory experiences.
But it is not just the children that benefit from our programs. Families and the community can also experience;
- Positive mental health outcomes through connectedness and belonging within a community
- Opportunities for increased attentiveness and engagement with their children
- Increased parental knowledge of the importance of play to learning
- Support for positive parenting practices
- Activation of local parks and/or libraries and community centres
Nature Play WA Event Development Process
Nature Play WA staff will partner with you to develop a successful event for your organisation. We will work with you on;
- Event concept design: Nature Play WA staff liaise with your organisation to develop a sensory activity session that complements your event goals.
- Marketing and communication: Nature Play WA staff will provide a media kit including social media tiles and suggested copy.
- Event delivery: Nature Play WA educators attend your event location and deliver the 60 or 90-minute Senses Alive! program.
Want to know more?
Those interested in booking a Senses Alive! sensory play session for their local community should contact Sarah McGowan, Strategic Business Manager, for more information via sarah@natureplaywa.org.au
More Nature Play Sessions
For more about our range of nature play offerings, check out these related articles;
