THE 5 SENSES
Teaching how all 5 Senses are used in learning creates wonderful explorations and experiences for young children! Below are simple activities you can do at home or in the classroom to introduce children to the 5 Senses!
TO BEGIN:
With your child make a list and chart things we can see, hear, touch, smell and taste. From the list created circle things that are pleasant to our senses and that we like. What are things that are unpleasant to our senses?
TACTILE LETTER CARDS
You can purchase tactile flashcards or picture cards for your child to use and explore. However, you can also create your own tactile cards using heavy paper, such as cardstock, and glue. Simply draw and outline simple pictures or shapes with the glue and let dry. When it is dry the children can run their fingers over and around the glue object to feel the shapes.
You can also use these to help children learn the letters and numbers in a hands-on way.
SENSORY SEQUENCING
Materials needed: Three to five different sized 3-dimensional (real) objects, a small bag to conceal the objects or a tactile discovery box. If using a bag, make sure the children cannot see through or into the bag.
Place 3-5 small objects that are the same items (i.e. all apples) but of different sizes inside the bag or discovery box. Children take turns feeling inside the bag to figure out which object is smallest. Then student try to arrange and sequence the items from smallest to largest by only using their sense of touch.
Extension for younger children: Only use 3 objects and make it noticeably small, medium and large objects.
Sometimes is it difficult to come up with different words to use to describe items you are exploring. It is common to label items by their color, size and/or shape, but there are many other adjectives you can use to describe an item. Here are some suggestions you can use to label items:
Texture Word Suggestions:
Bumpy Crumbly Dry
Gooey Fuzzy Hard
Prickly Rough Silky
Slippery Smooth Soft
Sticky Thick Thin
Wet Wrinkled Dusty
Hairy Furry Bubbly
Stubbly
Temperature Word Suggestions:
Chilly Cold Cool
Frozen Hot Icy
Warm
Scented Word Suggestions:
Bad Good Fruity
Stinky Sweet Woodsy
Yucky Yummy Perfumed
Earthy Sharp Musty
Spicy Fresh Sour
Auditory Word Suggestions:
Loud Noisy Soft
Piercing Thumping Tone
Swishing Soothing Quiet
Blaring Booming
MUSICAL ART DRAWINGS
Materials needed: Construction paper, paint and paintbrushes, CD player, music CD’s with different types of music (fast, slow, classical, jazz, hip-hop, etc.). Give each child some paint, a paintbrush and paper. Ask them to paint as you turn on some music. Talk about how the music makes them feel and how they think they could represent that in their artwork. Allow your children to paint to the music for a minute, then turn it off and switch to a different kind of music. Then ask them how they think the second music would look like as they are painting. Kids draw or paint to different kinds of music (fast, slow, classical, jazz, hip-hop, etc.) Continue with different types of music and as long as your children attend to and are interested in this activity.
DANCING IN THE WIND AND RAIN
Dancing in the Rain and Wind
Give each of your children a scarf, streamer or a crepe paper streamer (beware that for younger children the colors will bleed when wet.) Play a nature CD of storms/wind/rain and have the children dance to the rhythms. There are several variations that you can find at www.youtube.com, but here is one our children enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8PiNEQCo_Q – Tropical Storm Nature Sounds
We hope your children enjoy playing and learning about all 5 Senses as much as our kids do! For more fun ideas see our Preschool and Kindergarten Themes for Active Learning and Play!