“Sensory path” at North Side gives students chance to reset, refocus during school

Added touches to a hallway at North Side Elementary School give students to stimulate their senses while “getting the wiggles out.”

At the end of November, South Side staff installed a sensory hallway, which includes interactive features to exercise a student’s senses. The hallway includes a crayon hopscotch path to challenge a student’s mobility and color recognition, handprints on the wall for students to jump and touch, a path to “bear walk” on hands and feet and more.

“For some students, they need that sensory outlet throughout the day,” said Danielle Brood, Student Support Coordinator with Hampton-Dumont elementary schools. “So that’s a good way for them to get the touch part, the sensory part and even get the wiggles out so they can focus better in class.”

She added that the activities that require movement also help loosen muscles and stimulate various parts of the body.

“We have some handprints on the walls and footprints on the floor, so they can jump up and press against it,” she said. “That stimulates the leg movement as well as the pressure of pushing on the wall, that releases a lot of tension for students. They need that press and release to reengage in the classroom and refocus.”

In the spring, South Side Elementary School will also receive a sensory hallway. The district received funding for the materials used in the hallways through the Hampton-Dumont Achievement Foundation.

Brood said the students can use the hallway during breaks in class schedules, after lunch or even during instructional periods, if needed. Brood said the staff tries not to limit when students can utilize the space, as sometimes a period of activity outside of the classroom is needed to refocus on learning.

Elementary Principal Jarod Haselhuhn said that the hallway is located in a low-traffic portion of the school so students can use it at any time during the day.

“The possibilities are endless,” he said. “We put it in a play that is as low traffic as possible…so it’s somewhere that won’t be interrupting anything else. We wanted to make sure it was in not only the right spot, but the right environment for students.”

While all students are encouraged to use the hallway, Brood said it’s been especially beneficial for special education students, as it gives them an outlet for activity during breaks and a release to prevent behavioral issues in the classroom.

“They have breaks scheduled into their day, so this gives that full outlet they need during that small break they get, then they’re able to refocus and reengage in class once they’re done with their break,” she said. “It also helps them self-regulate, it helps them focus and reduces sensory seeking outbursts in the classroom.”

While the paths have only been at the school for about a month, Haselhuhn said the response from students has been positive, which has translated well to the classroom. He said he only anticipates the benefits to increase as the paths become a more prominent role in the school.

“We’ve seen good results with it and we’re excited to see how students continue to use it in the spring,” he said.

“We haven’t even really dived into it yet,” added Brood. “The creativity of the path is endless, so each student might find their own way of using them that better helps them be able to focus and learn.”