We Had Our Senses Tickled

Colchester Zoo hosted its annual Special Senses day on Saturday 27th June. Helped along by glorious weather we all had a fantastic day.

Essex County Council's Specialist Teacher team returned again as sensory story tellers.

Throughout the day, in their own little sensory garden, they took children on a sensory adventure through the 'deep, dark wood' to meet the Gruffalo.

"There's no such thing as a Gruffalo!"

They also captivated children, young and old, with their touch and feel stories of 'Going on a Bear Hunt' and 'Dear Zoo'.

Elsewhere, building on their success from last year, Speech and Language Therapy students from the University of Essex hosted six stalls at various places around the zoo.

The students provided interesting facts about the animals around them using photographs, objects, symbols and a variety of devices including GoTalks, BigMacs and PenPals to ensure a truly inclusive experience.

Alongside these communication tools, the students also had a range of games and activities to stimulate the senses. These included the ever-popular, if a bit stinky, "who's poo at the zoo?", shark-infested custard, buckets of 'worms', "who has the softest fur?" as well as face-painting and arts and crafts.

The ICE Resource team were also available to demonstrate some the communication equipment that is available to borrow from Essex Libraries, to offer advice and to be part of the fun!!