Healthy Senses Walk

Year Level

Prep (Foundation)

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

21 students

Australian Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Health and Physical Education

Strand: Personal, Social and Community Health

Substrand: Being healthy, safe and active

• Content Description:
  Recognise that their own actions affect others (AC9HPFM01)
• Content Description:
  Recognise how different environments contribute to health and wellbeing (AC9HPFM03)
• General Capabilities:
  Critical and creative thinking, Personal and social capability

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Lesson Overview

Students will participate in a guided sensory walk outdoors, engaging all five senses to explore and identify elements that make environments healthy and safe. They will then create drawings illustrating these surroundings and describe how these environments help their body feel good and safe, fostering awareness of personal health and wellbeing.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Use their five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste) to explore their environment.
• Identify features of healthy environments that contribute to feeling safe and well.
• Express understanding of how these environments support their personal health and wellbeing through drawing and discussion.
• Demonstrate respect for natural and outdoor settings as contributors to wellbeing.

These objectives align with the Australian Curriculum v9 foundation content description AC9HPFM03 and the use of senses to explore and understand health-related environments【18:AC9HPFM03.md†Health and Physical Education】.

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Materials Needed

• Prepared sensory walk checklist (with simple icons for each sense)
• Clipboards and pencils
• Drawing paper and colouring materials (crayons, markers)
• Outdoor safe boundaries clearly marked
• Water bottles and sun safety hats for students

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Lesson Procedure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Gather students on the classroom rug and introduce the concept of exploring the environment using their five senses.
• Read a short story or show pictures encouraging the use of senses to notice things around us.
• Explain the sensory walk: what senses they will use and what to look/listen/smell/touch (respectfully) or taste (where safe and appropriate, e.g., tasting fresh mint or fruit from garden if available).
• Discuss why noticing healthy environments helps us understand how to keep our bodies feeling good and safe.

2. Sensory Walk Outdoors (25 minutes)

• Take the students on a guided walk within a safe, natural or green outdoor area near the school.
• At each stop (about 5-6 short stops), prompt students to focus on using a different sense, referencing their checklist:
  • Sight: Look for green plants, clean water, sunlight
  • Hearing: Listen for bird songs, wind, water sounds
  • Touch: Feel tree bark, grass, cool breeze
  • Smell: Notice flowers, fresh air, herbs
  • Taste (optional and safe): Taste edible plants or fruits if available, or discuss what they might taste in a healthy environment
• Encourage students to quietly share what they notice with a partner or teacher.
• Record or prompt students to recall one thing they noticed with each sense.

3. Drawing and Reflection (15 minutes)

• Back in the classroom or a quiet outdoor shady spot, give students drawing materials.
• Ask: "Can you draw a picture showing what a healthy, safe place looks like using your senses?"
• Encourage them to include things they saw, heard, smelled, touched, or tasted.
• Once drawings are completed, invite several students to share their drawings and explain how these places make their bodies feel good and safe.

4. Group Discussion and Wrap Up (10 minutes)

• Facilitate a discussion on:
  • Why is it important to have healthy environments?
  • How do these places help keep us healthy and safe?
  • What can we do to look after these environments?
• Reinforce concepts of respect for nature and personal wellbeing.
• Close with a calming sensory activity (e.g., deep breathing while smelling a flower or listening to soft sounds), linking to feeling safe and healthy.

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observation during sensory walk and discussion, noting student engagement and understanding of sensory experiences relating to health and safety.
• Drawing Task: Evaluate student drawings for inclusion of sensory elements and connection to healthy environments.
• Oral Reflection: Student articulation of how these environments help their body feel good and safe, demonstrating personal health awareness.

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Differentiation

• Provide alternative sensory prompts for students with sensory processing needs, e.g., focusing on visual and auditory senses if touch or smell is difficult.
• For students with limited mobility, adapt the walk path or conduct sensory exploration in accessible outdoor areas or the school garden.
• Use paired or small group support during discussions and activities.

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Safety Considerations

• Ensure all outdoor areas are safe, free of hazards, and within school boundaries.
• Obtain permissions for outdoor activities as per school policies.
• Clearly explain safe and respectful touching and smelling; avoid unsafe plants or materials.
• Monitor for sun safety and hydration during outdoor activities.

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Teacher Notes

• This lesson fosters holistic development using experiential and sensory learning aligned with Foundation Health and Physical Education content (AC9HPFM03) and the Foundation Science curriculum on exploring senses (AC9SFH01).
• Integrating the five senses in exploring healthy environments builds foundational concepts in health literacy, personal wellbeing, and environmental respect.
• The sensory walk can be adapted seasonally to include different environmental features.
• Encouraging expressive arts (drawing) supports communication skills and reflection appropriate for Prep students.

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This lesson plan offers a creative, outdoors-based approach that supports Australian Curriculum (v9) Health outcomes for Prep students in a developmentally appropriate, engaging manner. It invites young learners to immerse in their environment with curiosity and awareness, laying a foundation for lifelong health and wellbeing knowledge and respect for their surroundings.