Immersive learning environments offer the perfect multi-sensory space to inspire and engage young learners through memorable learning experiences.

Children’s curiosity, creativity and imagination will grow and develop through exploring and interacting. What better place to learn about minibeasts than in your own forest, or let children read about frozen worlds in an igloo, or even dig for bones in a prehistoric land.

Your space can be used in so many ways and could become a cosy themed book area, an inspiring role-play area for storytelling, a discovery station, or an immersive backdrop for construction or small world play.

Whether the space is set up by adults for children to discover and explore, or children are involved in planning and creating the space, an immersive learning environment can empower children, encourage them to be curious and support learning in so many areas.

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In this blog we explore ideas for 5 different immersive environments.

Enchanted Forest

Whether going on a bear hunt, heading out for a teddy bear’s picnic, or searching for the Gruffalo, with a little imagination you can transform part of your setting into an enchanted, magical woodland. Who wouldn’t want to sit around the campfire telling stories or read a book by torchlight in a woodland cave!

Here are some ideas:

  • Create a woodland backdrop using fabric, wallpaper or use lining paper and paint your own scene.
  • Try adding an artificial grass mat to the floor.
  • Include a selection of resources to dress the space, such as pinecones, leaves, twigs, toadstools, or magical wands that the children have made.
  • Make your very own enchanted forest sign using cardboard or wood and get the children involved in painting and labelling it.
  • Build or create a cave or den for your enchanted forest – add some cushions to make it a place for children to get cosy, read a book or talk about what they discover in the forest!
  • Create a canopy to frame the space using fabric or the large leaf canopies.
  • Hang some twinkling fairy lights to add some extra special magic!
  • For role-play or dressing up, create wings using different shiny, rainbow fabrics or turn children into forest explorers with binoculars and magnifying glasses.

Take a look at this video from TTS for more inspiration …

Rainforest

Create an exciting, tropical destination for your children to travel to and learn all about the rainforest and the animals that live there.

Here are some ideas:

  • Start by creating a rainforest backdrop using fabric and paper in different shades of green and brown. Camouflage fabric will work perfectly too.
  • Create a canopy to frame your space by hanging fabric or using the giant leaf canopies.
  • Add greenery (real, fake or handmade) and make boulders for your space using heavy duty brown craft roll. Cut a length and then scrunch and mould it to make a parcel. You can then paint it to give a stone effect.
  • Add a stream using blue voile fabric to suggest water. Adding fairy lights underneath will make the water glisten!
  • Line the stream with brown paper boulders and hang green ropes and vines made from tissue paper.
  • Add some plush animals for the children to discover and you could also include a minibeast small world setup.
  • Use a speaker to play different rainforest noises and water effects to really set the scene!

Dinosaur Discovery

Transform your setting into an exciting prehistoric land and let your children step back in time to walk with the dinosaurs!

Here are some ideas:

  • Start with a rainforest backdrop (as above).
  • Add some dinosaur bones and footprints for children to discover and explore. You can buy or make your own using cardboard.
  • Inspire talk by adding dinosaur eggs in a nest of sand and twigs for children to discover. Make the eggs with papier mache.
  • To create a truly multi-sensory experience, add some play sand to create a ‘dig area’. Add fossils, bones or small world characters – you never know what will be discovered!

Take a look at this video from TTS for more inspiration …

Frozen Planet

​Entice children with an icy learning location. They can crawl inside the cosy igloo to read, sit with the penguins for a mark-making session or go fishing by the water!

Here are some ideas:

  • Construct a cardboard igloo to make a sturdy den area. Mark ice blocks onto the igloo using an ice blue oil pastel to make the surface look a bit more 3D. Add some cushions, and furry blankets inside the igloo to make it cosy and comfy.
  • Create a background of snowy hills and skies by hanging shiny white and blue fabrics or paper. Why not make and hang some snowflakes too!
  • You can add some cardboard boxes around the edges of the igloo and cover them with fluffy white blankets or crushed velour to introduce heights and textures into the space.
  • Add extra snowy sparkle by hanging fairy lights.
  • Add lots of sparkling resources to explore such as reflective pebbles, metallic boulders, gem stones, ice bricks, light up resources, instant snow powder, glitter and fabrics.
  • Stimulate learning by setting up small world play opportunities, construction using different icy resources and also include books all about the Arctic or Antarctic.
  • If you want to add some penguins to your space, click here to take a look at this blog to find out how.