Maricopa, AZ: Elem adds sensory garden "to promote mental well-being...calming atmosphere"

Oct 9, 2025, Pinal Central: Sensory garden to promote health and wellness at Maricopa school 

https://www.pinalcentral.com/maricopa_monitor/sensory-garden-to-promote-health-and-wellness-at-maricopa-school/article_a9b11286-b35b-460d-8913-f5d0c86888cf.html

Casa Grande, AZ

MARICOPA — When students return from fall break, the courtyard at Butterfield Elementary School will begin its transformation into a sensory garden, thanks to a grant and community partners.

As a therapeutic outdoor space, the garden will engage all five senses — sight, sound, smell, touch and taste — to promote mental well-being by reducing stress and anxiety through a calming atmosphere.

“Our students and staff — I’d like to say students, but definitely staff as well — have a lot of things at play when they come to school,” Principal Christine Dickinson said. “We need to make sure that their essential needs are met so they can be available to learn.” This includes emotional as well as physical needs.

The idea is to provide a peaceful space with “multisensory support” where anyone on campus (students, staff or visitors) can decompress, Dickinson said. . . .

Butterfield Elementary’s behavior specialists, mental health counselor and STEAM teacher worked together to choose the garden’s sensory elements, including wind chimes, a water feature and aromatic plants. Patterned stepping stones and other interactive features will invite calm, focused exploration. . . .

 “Our community has supported mental health counselors through our override over the last few years to make sure that we have mental health services available to our students,” Dickinson said. “We have a full-time counselor here on campus who works with our kiddos to make sure that they have all of those necessary coping skills. … This helps to ensure that they have a peaceful area (to go).” . . .