I have been cautious π§ while choosing methods to teach my little ones about the five senses.Β
I let my little ones explore everything, starting from interesting sounds π, different kinds of smells or aromas π, the taste of different foods π , the miracles of visionπ, and feeling π all kinds of textures.
Analyzing and learning about the miraculous five senses has an influential impact on children’s overall growth π§ and development.Β
My little ones learn how to connect with the various stimuli they receive from the environment.Β
Moreover, these activities also help them channel their concentration towards one sense at a time β οΈ, boosting their skills to focus.
Ideal Five Sense Activities for Kids
Here are a few five-sense activities I love engaging with my little ones.
Oobleck Activity
My little ones love this sense activity where they are able to feel the magic πͺ of a non-Newtonian fluid known as Oobleck.
All I need to do is mix up a small amount of water with cornstarch in a bowl π₯£, and our magical mixture is ready.
My little preschooler is always curious and delighted to feel this amazing π fluid displaying the properties of a solid as well as a liquid using her hands and fingers.
Pro Tip
Sometimes, we add textured pieces like a sponge 𧽠or rubber bands in this mixture to create a gooey slime for my little preschooler.
Colors Forming Colors
My little ones love painting πΌ activities, and this sense activity is their absolute favorite because they are able to see new colors forming from old ones.
I just need to put the primary colors on a plate π¨ and guide my little painters to prepare a mixture of these primary colors to create vibrant new secondary colors.
Practicing how to recognize π§ colors is a very good way to explore the sight of my little preschoolers.
Not only do they learn about different colors, but they also get a chance to explore their artistic π skills.
Read Books About the Five Senses
Even though teaching about the five senses feels more exciting π€© through practical activities, theoretical exploration by means of amazing activity books π is not less exciting in any way.
Here are a few books π my little ones and I like to read to learn more about our five senses:
The Sense of Sight by Ellen Weiss
My Five Senses by Margaret Miller
An Introduction to the 5 Senses
Noses Are for Picking by Katherine Hengel
Outside Outside by Davena Reynolds-Knight
Super Senses Save the Day by Irene Kilpatrick
The Five Senses by Jennifer Prior
What Can I Taste? by Annie Kubler
Our Amazing Senses by Jodie Lyn Wheeler-Toppen
You Can’t Smell A Flower with Your Ear! by Joanna Cole
Exploring the 5 Senses by Mary Bellis
My Fruit Adventures by Arielle Dani Lebovitz
Me and My Senses by Annette Cable
See, Touch, Feel by Ellie Boultwood
My Fruit Adventures by Arielle Dani Lebovitz
The Story of My Five Senses by Tonya Lynette Brown
I See, I Feel, I Hear, I Touch, I Taste! by Baby Professor
The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
Let’s Explore the Five Senses by Candice Ransom
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses by Joanna Cole
Can You Smell Breakfast? by Edward Jazz
Curious George Discovers the Senses by H.A. Rey
My 1st Book of 5 Senses by Sara Kale
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle
Something Smells! by Blake Liliane Hellman
The Five Senses by Tinaz Denizmen
The Five Senses by HervΓ© Tullet
Baby Loves the Five Senses by Ruth Spiro
Watch Movies About The Five Senses
Sight π is one of the five senses that plays a crucial role β οΈ in the life of any individual.
Moreover, anything taught by means of visual representation through movies π¬ or pictures has always produced a good impact on my preschooler’s π§ mind.
Therefore, I never miss out on watching any piece of a series, a video song, or a movie that helps my little ones understand the five senses.
My little ones love to watch The Five Senses Song to learn more about the five senses.
Mosaic Texture Greeting Card
Exploring π§ different kinds of textures is a part of discovering the sense of touch. Therefore, this colorful π¨ activity is a favorite as well as a beneficial one for little ones.
Sheets of various textured papers such as glossy papers, handmade crushed papers, glitter papers, sandpapers, or even kite papers can serve as excellent supplies β οΈ for sensory craft activities.
I create several pieces of these textured papers and place them together in a bowl.
My little ones feel and analyze π§ the textured bits of paper using their hands and stick them on a greeting card π to create a colorful mosaic greeting card for me.
Pro Tip
You can also stick different items (for example, cotton balls, sponges π§½, or pieces of wood πͺ΅) along with these textured bits of paper on a board and ask your little ones to explain how the texture of each item feels when touched.
Popcorn Activity
All of us love having popcorn πΏ while watching our favorite movie π¬ or series. My daughter loves caramel-flavored popcorn, while my son loves the cheesy π§ ones.
Did you know we could also use it to educate our little ones about the five senses?
I put the instant popcorn πΏ mix in a pressure cooker with the lid placed upside down on top of it.
Within a few minutes, my little ones could hear πthe popcorn pop inside the pressure cooker.
They could also see π few popcorns popping out of the cooker and observe how their favorite popcorns are taking form.
Moreover, they could also smell πthe delicious aroma of the popcorn πΏ spreading through my kitchen’s air.
Finally, I serve the popcorn πΏ in a bowl, allowing my little ones to touch π it and analyze its unique shape.
They proceed to taste it π and keep asking for more.
Pro Tip
I will advise you to use popcorn πΏ of several flavors so that the little ones can explore their sense of taste over a wide range of flavors.
Five Sense Scavenger Hunting Adventure
Scavenger-hunting activities are extremely popular π€© and common in all households.
Moreover, preschoolers love this activity and enjoy themselves to the fullest β οΈ while engaging in it.
I have discovered an excellent way of incorporating the theme of the five senses in this activity, and my kids loved it.
I just take five sheets of paper and label them with instructions as follows:
- SIGHT π
Spot anything that is white in color (for example, rice).
Spot something round in shape (for example, a ball).
Spot something small in size (for example, an eraser).
Spot something with a colorful texture (for example, a handkerchief)
Spot something long and slender in shape (for example, a slender bar of chocolate).
- SOUND π
Spot anything that makes a snapping sound (for example, a rubber band).
Spot and write down the names of NATURAL SOURCES OF SOUND ( for example- animals, birds, leaves, or insects).
Spot and write down the names of ARTIFICIAL SOURCES OF SOUND ( for example, cars π, whistles, mikes, loudspeakers π’, or a ringing smartphone).
Spot something that makes a crunching sound (for example, wafers).
Spot a musical instrument.
- TOUCH π
Spot anything that feels very soft to the touch( for example, cotton balls).
Spot anything that feels prickly to touch.
Spot anything extremely rough to touch (for example, sandpaper).
Spot anything that feels warm to the touch (for example, a warm glass of milk).
Spot anything that feels cold to touch (for example, ice cubes).
- SMELL π
Spot anything that smells wonderful (for example, flowers π or perfume bottles).
Spot an object whose smell you really like.
Do you like the smell of your favorite food?
Write the names of fruits that you can recognize by their smell.
- TASTE π
Spot something sweet to taste (for example, chocolates π« bars).
Spot something salty to taste (for example, salt).
Spot something bitter to taste (for example, Indian Gooseberry).
Spot something sour to taste (for example, tamarind).
Does water from different sources taste different to you? If yes, explain how it tastes different.
I hand my little ones these sheets along with a basket π§Ί letting them set off on an amazing scavenger-hunting adventure to explore their five senses.
Important Note:
Please keep your little ones under strict supervision during this activity.
Learn About The Five Senses
I love to teach π my little ones about the five senses by means of diagrams πΌ of their favorite cartoon characters.
I hang my preschooler’s favorite β€οΈ character, Shinchan’s portrait, on the wall and ask her to point out the part of the body related to the five senses.
For example, my little one marks the eyes π as the means of seeing everything around us and the ears π as the means of hearing the sounds.
We proceed to mark the other senses on the portrait as well.
Five Sense Finger Puppets
We stick cutouts of the eyes π, ears π, nose π, tongue π , and hand βοΈ on ice cream sticks or on the fingers of a glove to create amazing five-sense finger puppets.
Magnifying Glass Activity
For this activity, I just need to take a magnifying glass π and ask my preschooler to observe π objects through it.
The change in dimensions and appearance of the object through the magnifying glass π sparks the interests of these little scientists.
Analyze the Sounds
I find this five-sense activity extremely interesting β οΈ for my little one.
I take a sheet and put the following explanations of the sounds π’ in one column:
- The sound of a door opening or closing.
- The sound of drops of water falling in a bucket.
- The sound of a smartphone ringing.
- The sound of a siren.
- The sound of thunder βοΈ or rain.
I ask my little ones to analyze these sounds π and proceed to write what they are supposed to do π€ on hearing these sounds beside each row.
For example, the sound of a door πͺ opening means someone is entering the room. Similarly, the sound of thunder βοΈ means it might start raining soon, so we need to carry an βοΈ umbrella.
Smell Testing Activity
I love this amazing five-sense activity as much as my preschooler does.
I take some cotton balls and soak them in different essential oils. My little ones are instructed to smellπ these cotton balls and recognize the essential oil it was soaked in.
You can also hide π these cotton balls in different locations in the house. Ask your little ones to smell a particular essential oil and look for the cotton ball carrying the same smell around the house.
Sensory Walk Activity
Now, making a sensory box is a very popular activity, and kids all around the globe love it.
Doesn’t the idea of a sensory walk sound even more wonderful?
I take a number of plastic buckets πͺ£ and fill them up with different materials. For example, I place cotton balls in one bucket, water π§ in another, sand in the next, and so on.
I place these buckets in a line and ask my little ones to walk πΆββοΈ from one bucket to another while feeling the different materials using their feet.
Learning The Importance of The Five Senses
The five senses are extremely important β οΈ , and people who possess all of them should consider themselves extremely fortunate.
This activity is a very suitable way of teaching π§ little ones about the value of possessing the five senses.
I cover my preschooler’s eyes π and ask them to move around so that they can realize the importance of the sense of sight.
Similarly, I cover their ears π so that they can understand how it feels not to be able to hear their favorite sound.
These activities teach my little ones about the blessing π of possessing the five senses.
Conclusion
The five senses are extremely important β οΈ and parents need to pay attention to ensure the proper development of the five senses during the preschool years.
Don’t forget to tell me π which five sense activity your preschooler liked the most.
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Β Next startupΒ Cledemy.Com)