ALDEN, N.Y. — A once boring white hallway next to the band room at Alden Intermediate recently got a makeover. There are colorful stickers on the walls and floor and quick little activities for the kids to do as they go from class to class.
Principal John Mikulski wanted to spruce up the space and make it brighter, so the school used grant money and PTO donations to create a sensory hallway that's for all students.
Every student passes through this hallway at some point during the day, so they have a chance to check it out.
Kids can hop, skip, and jump. The jump zone is a fan favorite. That part was created by University at Buffalo engineering students. Sensors detect how high students can jump, and that triggers lights and other moveable parts, like a spinning Alden bulldog mascot sign.
"The idea came from me watching the kids jump every day when they pass through doorways, trying to hit the top of the doorway," said Mikulski. "Sometimes we have kids that are a little overenthusiastic with their jumps, and we have to mediate that a little bit. That's really been the only issue we've had. Teachers too. Teachers are jumping as much as the kids are!"
Special education teacher Tammy Wagner uses the sensory hallway with her students every morning as they start their day.
"They'll walk the hallway every morning, and it's just a good chance for them to have consistency right away in the morning. It's predictable. They know what's here. It gives them a chance to settle their bodies as soon as they walk in the building," said Wagner.
The sensory activities are meant to get the kids moving but keep them moving down the hall — no loitering!
"It's just enough of an activity. It's just enough of a stress reliever. It's the perfect little break," said Wagner.
Other teachers give their students a "brain break" during class, and they take a walk down the sensory hallway to recharge their minds and bodies.
"I think the old idea that kids should be sitting silent in their seats with their hands in their laps, watching and listening intently, that's just not practical. That's not the way that we learn anymore," said Mikulski.