SEND Nature Programme - Week Two: Calm, Connection and Finding What Works

The SEND Nature Programme, delivered by Time to Connect CIC in partnership with Forest Frontiers and supported by Bolton CVS, continued this week with a session that many parents described as transformational.

Building on the trust and confidence established in week one, the second session centred around sound, sensory regulation, and emotional safety - creating a calm, inclusive space where children and parents could slow down, reconnect, and simply be.

What unfolded in the forest was nothing short of remarkable.

A different kind of stillness

For families of children with additional needs, calm moments can be rare - especially in shared spaces. This session gently challenged that, introducing a sound bath that supported regulation not just for the children, but for the parents too.

Julie described the experience as “absolutely incredible”, particularly in how children responded in ways that surprised even their parents.

One little boy, who had spent the entire first session constantly running, was gently rocked in a hammock. What followed was something his mum had never seen before.

He stayed there - calm, present, and engaged - for half an hour.

“He’s never done that,” his mum said afterwards. “I actually can’t believe it.”

Rather than shutting his eyes, he lay back quietly, watching and listening as the sounds of maracas, rainmakers, wind instruments and gentle rhythm filled the space. His body slowed, his breathing softened, and his nervous system finally had space to rest.

When calm looks different - and that’s okay

Not every child stayed for the full sound bath - and that was not only expected, but welcomed.

One child engaged for around fifteen minutes before becoming overwhelmed. Instead of escalating, she calmly took her mum’s hand and went for a walk through the forest.

Julie reflected on how powerful this was:

“Normally she would be screaming or running off. This time, she just held her mum’s hand and walked.”

This is exactly what the programme is designed to support - self-awareness, choice, and regulation, without pressure or expectation.

Children were free to move away, return, observe from a distance, or fully immerse themselves. Every response was valid.

Filling parents’ cups too

The impact of the session wasn’t limited to the children.

Parents caring for SEND children often don’t get moments to pause - let alone sit down, breathe, and reset. This week, Julie made a simple but powerful change: chairs.

With hot chocolate in hand, parents were invited to sit, listen, and experience the sound bath themselves.

One parent summed it up perfectly:

“Whoa… I’m just trying to come round after that.”

For many, it was the first time in a long while they had felt their own nervous systems settle.

“This is about filling parents’ cups too,” Julie explained. “They don’t get that minute. They don’t get that space.”

Connection beyond words

One of the most moving moments of the session involved a child attending his first day since being excluded from school.

He struggled to communicate his needs and arrived highly distressed, screaming frequently. During the sound bath, something shifted.

As the music played, he moved back and forth, approaching and stepping away - regulating in his own way. But during the sounds, he didn’t scream once.

Afterwards, when he became upset about another child having a bigger stick, Julie supported him through that emotion — not by stopping it, but by working through it together.

They stomped out their anger. They roared it out. Then they slowed their breathing with “dino calm breathing”.

He held Julie’s hand throughout.

His mum later said something that stayed with the team:

“All the teachers have failed him — and he’s just spent time with you. You’re a complete stranger, and he’s made that connection.”

When asked if he would come back next week, his answer was immediate.

“Yes.”

For a child who couldn’t usually stay ten minutes in a setting, this was huge.

Small adaptations, big impact

Throughout the session, thoughtful adjustments continued to make the space accessible:

• Children who needed movement had it

• Those who needed quiet were supported

• Sensory tools were available

• Transitions were gentle and child-led

After the sound bath, children returned to play — calmer, more connected, and more aware of each other.

Julie described the atmosphere as settled, warm, and grounded — a clear contrast to how some children arrived.

Why this matters

This session highlighted exactly why nature-based, flexible SEND provision is so powerful:

• Regulation before expectation

• Connection before instruction

• Trust before learning

It also reinforced that there is no single “right” way for children to engage - and that when environments adapt to children, rather than the other way around, incredible things happen.

As Julie put it simply:

“It was really a positive session. Yet again.”

Looking ahead

Next week, the programme continues with a sound bath and Valentine-themed creative activities, building on the calm foundations established here.

But already, this session has shown what’s possible when children are met with patience, curiosity, and genuine understanding - and when parents are given space to breathe alongside them.

This is what inclusion looks like in practice. And this is just the beginning.