A few weeks ago, Nidya observed two distinct moments that sparked an idea. First, she noticed Charlotte and Birdie playing in the kitchen area; however, instead of pretending to cook, Charlotte was sitting on the brown shelf while Birdie used a bowl to "wash" her feet. Around the same time, she watched Sadie trying to braid Ava’s hair. These two moments of creative role play inspired Nidya to organize a Spa Day, providing the children with a dedicated space to explore relaxation techniques and engage their senses in a meaningful way.
The day before our big event, a few children worked with Nidya at the art centre to decorate signs for each station. Eilis and Sadie worked together, drawing and sticking stars on the Manicure sign. Charlotte and Hannah coloured the flowers for the Pedicure sign, while Rose carefully framed the Facial sign. Maddie got creative with her design for the Hair Salon.
On the day of the spa, the lights were dimmed, calming music played, and Nidya set up five stations with flickering battery-operated candles. The children wore their robes, housecoats, and slippers before gathering on the carpet with Mary to plan where they would like to start their journey.
The Manicure station featured bowls of warm, soapy water and nail brushes for cleaning. Children took turns helping one another and getting their own nails done. Mary stayed in this area, helping the children relax their hands and arms with a gentle massage. “Oh! That feels so good,” Ahrloe whispered as Mary massaged her arms.
Our brown shelf became the perfect seat for the Pedicure section. Here, children enhanced their sense of touch by soaking their feet in warm water filled with soft black stones. Loofahs were used to scrub their feet and legs, adding a contrasting texture to the experience. “It tingles my feet!” Lana exclaimed. Emmie enjoyed the sensation of the rocks, smiling as she shuffled her feet back and forth over them while Penelope expressed that the stones tickled her feet. Each pedicure ended with a soothing massage from Nidya.
Between these two sections was the Facial area. Here, children lay down to enjoy cool cucumbers over their eyes. This section presented a wonderful challenge, as children practiced the self control required to lie still for a few minutes while listening to the music. While this can be difficult for preschoolers, it was a favourite! The educators wondered if it was the novelty of the experience or, as Charlotte later shared, because “the cucumbers were yummy.” Fox and Rose expressed that he liked that the cucumbers were cold while Hannah pointed out their softness. Eilis and Sadie enjoyed laying down on the carpet listening to the music and relaxing. Maddie described the experience as “ticklish” and Birdie as “thickly.”
In the middle of the room, we spread a soft blanket on the floor. Jaspreet began giving back massages to those who were interested, but soon the children wanted to try it themselves. Dean shyly began rubbing cream into a small spot on Colin’s back; as his confidence grew, his movements covered a larger area. When Liam’s turned came he remarked, “it feels sooo good on my back” and Birdie words were “it feels squishy in my back.”
Finally, the art centre was transformed into a Hair Salon equipped with toy dryers, brushes, combs, and clips. This quickly became the busiest area in the room even Anna came over to help! Children pulled up extra chairs so everyone could have a turn. Liam gently combed Ava’s hair, checking in to ask if she was okay, while Penelope worked hard on braiding Jaspreet’s hair as Hannah "blow-dried" Theo’s. Nihal stated he liked his hair being brushed and Benjamin in contrast said he “loved doing hair.”
Our spa day was a blast! Through these activities, the children explored sensory processing and self regulation as they navigated different textures and practiced moments of stillness. They also demonstrated their social and fine motor skills; by practicing gentle touch while interacting with each other. Most importantly, the children began to understand the concept of self care. By learning to listen to their bodies' needs for rest and relaxation, they discovered that taking time to be "still" is just as important as being active.
