Over the school summer holidays a wonderful new nature-based sensory playground has been built in the grounds of Warrah Special School.
Principal Jan Fowler said the sensory playground “provides a place that stimulates and promotes activity and socialisation for our students with special needs”.
Designed by Edible Kids Gardens, the new playground features a boulder-lined creek as its centrepiece, a sandpit surrounded by natural sandstone, stepping stone paths and a wheelchair accessible boardwalk with an overhead tunneltrellis, which leads to a hand pump for splashing water down the creek.
“The space has been filled with over 100 native sensory trees, shrubs and grasses which change through the seasons,” said Steve Webb from Edible Kids’ Gardens.
The playground stimulates the five senses and facilitates sensory integration, which is especially important for children with autism and other special needs. It can also calm children by helping them work through anxiety and frustration and provides them with safe and natural space to be with themselves if needed.
Ms Fowler explained that the new playground will provide an engaging and hands on learning and recreational space for students to explore and stimulate their imagination and build core strength. The idea for the playground was put forward by a school family, who had their backyard transformed by Edible Kids’ Gardens for their autistic son, who has been attending Warrah’s Special School since he was 6 years old. Seeing the benefits for their son and his brothers led them to generously donate a significant sum to spearhead the project. This has been supplemented by funds raised through our Christmas Appeal.
Ms Fowler said she is delighted with the positive feedback from students and parents, and is looking forward to seeing the garden flourish and enhancing the playground with more sensory elements over time.
For a tour of the school please contact Jan Fowler (Principal) on 0419 166 050.
About Warrah Special School
Warrah Special School, founded in 1969, is a co-educational and non-denominational school based at Dural. As a registered Special School, Warrah offers high quality, individualised education for students with intellectual or developmental disability, from Kindergarten to Year 12. The school is located on a campus of 12 hectares in a beautiful bushland setting and offers Life Skills, Farming and Gardening to complement the academic work in the 6 Key Learning Areas.
