Sensory Exploration
Sensory Exploration is an activity whereby participants experience familiar smells, sights and textures from the garden that inspire pleasant memories. This activity is inclusive for all levels of dementia.
Materials
- Fragrant, colorful plants - Choose 4” pots for easy handling
- Non-toxic plant cuttings from the garden
- Garden tools – Be sure to consider safety
- Fruit and herbs from the market or harvested from the garden
- Bulbs
- Seed packages and catalogs
- Simple garden books with beautiful photos and colorful illustrations
- Puzzles
Steps
In a quiet, comfortable activity area, arrange your materials on a table to create a beautiful display. Invite your garden partner to explore the materials by encouraging them to feel the plants and smell the flowers and herbs. Shake the seed packet and let your partner hear the rattle. Show them the cheerful illustrations in the seed catalogs. Explore books with colorful garden or fruit and vegetable images and easy-to-read text. Build simple puzzles designed specifically for adults with dementia. Merely holding a vintage garden tool can evoke memories of watering the yard or planting bulbs. The goal is to stimulate memories and conversation. Express your own garden memories. “I had a fragrant rosemary shrub in my garden.” “I remember growing zucchini when I was a child.”
Sensory exploration is a good way to connect and can be used as a lead-in to any Reminiscence Gardening planting activity. At first, your garden partner may not want to participate. They may prefer to observe the activity. That’s okay! Remember to use good judgment and tune into their abilities. Enjoy!
- UCANR Safe Plants List:
https://ucanr.edu/sites/poisonous_safe_plants/Toxic_Plants_by_Scientific_Name_685
Suggested links to find appropriate books and puzzles for this activity:
- Books with colorful pictures and large print, but no mention of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia:
https://www.amazon.com/Rah-Radishes-April-Pulley-Sayre/dp/1534459871/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=rah+rah+radishes&qid=1587505527&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Fabulous-Flower-Book-alzheimers-dementia/dp/1090386516/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=the+fabulous+flower+book&qid=1587506228&sr=8-11
- Puzzles with large pieces secured in trays and definitive outlines to assist with visual cues:
https://www.active-minds.org/us/dementia-puzzles-wheelbarrowhttps://www.active-minds.org/us/dementia-puzzles-curious-cat
We created this page to support our clients who because of the Stay-at-Home cannot participate in our gardening program during this worldwide pandemic. The University of California does not endorse or is associated with any of these products or organizations. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENTS HEREOF AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. You should not rely upon the material or information presented here as a basis for making any business, legal, medical or any other decisions.