Creating a Sensory Garden for Kids: Engaging All Five Senses

This week we are about all things flowers, as we are back from attending the RHS Urban Flower Show!

To celebrate our appearance at the event, and the launch of our new floral colour-changing wellies, we want to help you make the perfect sensory garden for your little ones that is not only beautiful to look at but educational too.

A sensory garden is a magical outdoor learning space where children can explore the wonders of nature using all their senses. From the vibrant colours of flowers to the soothing sounds of rustling leaves, a sensory garden offers a rich and immersive experience for those little minds. In this blog post, we'll explore how to create a sensory flower garden that delights and engages your children through sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound. And don’t forget, you can get your little ones involved too as building your garden is just as fun as exploring it!

Engaging Sight

The first step to creating a sensory garden is to appeal to your children's sense of sight. This step brings some fabulous plant activities for kids to do themselves, and there are so many great flowers for kids that are easy to maintain! Pick up your kid's garden tools and help them choose various plants with different colours, shapes, and textures to keep things interesting. Brightly coloured flowers like marigolds, sunflowers, and pansies will capture their attention, while tall grasses and ferns provide interesting shapes and textures to explore. Encourage your kids to observe their plants' changing seasons and growth, creating knowledge and interest in the natural world.

Delighting Smell

Fragrant flowers and herbs add another layer of sensory delight to your flower garden, and there are so many beautiful smells out there. Plant aromatic herbs like lavender, mint, and rosemary, whose scents will fill the air as children brush past them. Include flowers with sweet, spicy, or citrusy fragrances, such as roses, jasmine, and lemon balm. You can then encourage your kids to take deep breaths and close their eyes, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the wonderful world of smells around them. I wonder which ones will be their favourite?

Exploring Touch

A sensory garden wouldn't be complete without plants that invite touch. Choose a variety of textures, from soft and fuzzy to rough and prickly. Include plants like lamb's ear, ferns, and succulents that children can gently stroke and feel. You could also add elements like a rock garden with soft and hard stones, rough bark, and cool water features to further engage their sense of touch. By using their hands they can explore the different textures and sensations in the garden while learning lots too.

Tasting Nature

For an extra sensory experience, you could also include edible plants that children can taste and enjoy. Why not plant a vegetable patch with tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers that kids can harvest and snack on straight from the garden? You can also include fruit-bearing trees or bushes like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries for a sweet treat. As these won’t grow instantly, it’s a good idea to buy some fresh produce to demonstrate what is growing in front of them. Teach children about the importance of growing their own food and the pleasure of eating fresh, healthy produce straight from the garden. It’s a yummy and fun experience to keep those minds interested in the outdoors.

Listening to Nature's Symphony

Finally, don't forget to include elements that appeal to your children's sense of hearing. There is nothing more relaxing than the soft sounds of the outdoors! Add wind chimes, bird feeders, or a small fountain to create soothing sounds that enhance the garden experience. This is a great time to find some garden crafts for kids to do, as there are lots of fun garden sounds they can create themselves! Once you’re ready, you can encourage your kids to listen for the chirping of birds, the buzzing of bees, and the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Sit back on your garden bench and take a few moments to quietly appreciate the peaceful sounds of nature surrounding you.

Creating a sensory experience for the children’s garden is a wonderful way to create a love for nature and provide them with endless opportunities for exploration and learning. By engaging all five senses, you can create a magical outdoor learning space where children can connect with the outside world in meaningful and memorable ways. So gather your little ones, grab their floral wellies and get ready to embark on a sensory adventure in your own flowery backyard!

For more information on our own floral activities at the RHS Urban Show, follow us on Instagram at @grassandair. We can’t wait for you to see what we get up to!