When My Classroom Became a Spa...

For the past two weeks my classroom transformed from a salon to a spa! We have had a very relaxed time exploring and discovering in our Spa themed topic sessions.

Resourcing this session

These sessions need not break the bank! You can resource your spa on a shoestring budget with a little help. Try emailing your local high street shops in advance to ask if they have any samples or products they would be able to donate. Places like Lush and The Body Shop have always been very generous with this and have offered old stock and samples. My class really enjoyed using the various lotions and potions.

Note: Always ensure that you check the ingredients for any potential allergens.

Observation records

As with all sessions, it is important to always be focusing on why we are doing them. Be observant for indications of awareness of the experiences, engagement and reactions such as stilling, vocalising and facial expressions; don’t forget to include any negative reactions in your notes too! I always have my observation record sheet printed on the reverse of my session plans so it is easy to see the context of what was being observed when I look back at them. I also include a column titled ‘Next actions-what will I do next time and why?’ It is important to reflect on each session in order to make the next one meaningful.

The environment

To create an immersive environment I turned off the main lights in the room and used a ripple light on the slow, blue setting (you can buy these relatively cheaply from Amazon.co.uk). We also played relaxing music in the background- just search ‘relaxing spa music’ on YouTube to find suitable music. An incense stick was also burning for part of the session (consider any medical needs in your own class as to whether this is suitable to use in your environment).

The spa

Foot spas

I have yet to have a pupil in my class that doesn’t enjoy using the foot spa. We have three different foot spas in my class (kindly donated over time). Each of the foot spas have different settings e.g. hot or cold, bubbles, vibration strength, jet stream … plenty of variations to explore preferences! Try repeating the same one or two settings over a few sessions and look out for consistent reactions and change the settings accordingly.

   

Exfoliating scrubs

We used exfoliating scrubs for feet and hands. The grainy texture is unusual and provided stronger responses from some children. For some it was a definite ‘no’, while for others it was clearly an invigorating experience.

Massage

We used different scented moisturisers as part of our hand and feet massages. If you do Sensology sessions or similar, it’s a great opportunity to use the preferences your pupils have developed towards particularly scents. You can buy cheaply large pots of plain aqueous cream and travel/make up bottles from places such as Poundland. Add preferred scents to the moisturiser, mix it in and store it in a labelled travel bottle for ease of use.

Consider whether you have pupils who have difficulty with proprioceptive processing in deciding pressure i.e. gentle or firm. Also consider where on the body (always follow the safe follow the Safe Touch guidelines which you can find here at www.choicesupport.org.uk). I have a little girl in my class who will always take my hand and push it towards her feet to ask for a foot massage.

Face masks

We went on a shopping trip with the children to choose the facemasks. There were various textures, scents and types such as peel off, thermal, cooling, tingling etc. to choose from.

Don’t forget that the facial area can feel more intimate and some children may be particularly averse to having their face touched. You can always apply the masks to a different, preferred area of the body. There were a few children who really did not like the face masks. However, others were quite relaxed having the mask applied and left on before removing it with dampened warm cotton pads.

You can also try making your very own simple (and edible) face masks. Try using yogurt or oatmeal as the base and add preferred ingredients in such as fruits or honey. Why not go on a sensory shopping trip to the supermarket to decide which ingredients your pupils would like to add. You may have pupils who would enjoy the pouring, mashing and mixing process to create their mask too.

For the next two weeks we are exploring ‘Doctors’ through a doctor themed TacPac which we have already made available on TES. You can find it here.