TPPS - Sensory Garden

The Thorndon Park Primary School Sensory Garden was designed to activate an underutilised area of the school grounds, creating a slower, quieter space for students to explore, reflect, and engage in mindful activities. The brief focused on providing opportunities for small-world play and calm interaction with nature, offering a contrast to the more active areas of the school.

The design incorporates a variety of tactile and interactive elements to encourage curiosity and engagement. Custom cubby houses, chalkboards, rock seating, and activity tables provide spaces for play, learning, and social interaction, while raised vegetable gardens and a diverse palette of native plants connect students with nature and seasonal change. A drainage swale was incorporated to address challenging site conditions, ensuring the space remained usable and sustainable.

The result is a quiet, green sanctuary within the school grounds that offers a unique experience for students, fostering mindfulness, creativity, and connection to the natural environment. By transforming a previously unused area, the sensory garden provides a complementary space to the school’s more active play areas, supporting a holistic approach to outdoor learning and wellbeing.