Category: Sensory

Sensory Exploration

1/25/2022

Hello Preschool Families!

Since we are exploring our 5 senses this month at school, I wanted to provide you with some ideas for how you could continue this exploration together with your child at home. I hope you'll find at least some of these helpful and enjoyable.

Sight:

Go on a nature walk. Talk about everything you see. If you want, you can even bring along a notebook and something to write with so your child can draw what he sees on your walk. Or, you could bring along a camera and let your child take pictures of what he sees. Later, you can print these photos and put them on a page or into a book.
Find a collection of something (rock, sea shells, etc.) and look at them closely. If you have a magnifying class, use that. Have your child compare them. Let your child sort them into groups that look alike. There are many different ways to sort. If your child sorts in one way (perhaps by size), see if your child can resort them in a different way (maybe by color or shape).
Look through a family photo album. Talk about the pictures and what your child sees in them. Maybe take it a step further--see if your child can recreate one of the pictures using art materials.
Explore colors. Mix primary colors together (you could use paint or food coloring) to create secondary colors. See if your child can predict what color it will make.
Explore light. If you have access to a prism, show your child what happens when light shines through the prism (the light is broken apart into different colors, creating a rainbow). You could also turn off the lights and use a flashlight to create shadows with your hands. See what shapes you can make. Maybe you can work together to tell a story!

Hearing:

Explore musical instruments! Look around your house. What things do you have that you could use to make music? Maybe you could make shakers (use plastic eggs or an empty bottle and fill with small objects such as beads, beans, pasta, etc.). See how they sound different depending on what you fill them with and how much. You can also fill glasses with water (different amounts of water). Gently tap each glass with a spoon and see what sound it makes. Check out the resources tab for a link to this experiment!
Go on a sound walk. See what sounds you can hear on your walk. Write them down (or let your child try to draw them). Alternatively, you could also use this sound scavenger hunt checklist: what_do_you_hear_.pdf
Play a game--Guess that Sound! Provide different objects to choose from that make different noises. Take turns with your child. One person will close his eyes and make noise with one of the objects and the other has to guess what made that sound. Then, switch. You can even involve the whole family in this game!

Smell:

Spice painting--go here to see how you can make spice paint to use at home and explore the different smells of each spice: www.lifewithmoorebabies.com/2012/08/spice-painting-with-edible-glue.html
Write in Jello (just the mix, no need to turn it into actual Jello). Just make sure your child's hands/fingers stay dry or else they will end up stained. See if your child can guess what kind of Jello it is based on the smell. You can even try different kinds.
Make scented play-dough! Find a play-dough recipe online or use store bought play-dough. Then, add a scent using a cooking extract (such as vanilla, peppermint, orange, etc.). There are lots of choices you can find at the store! Let your child help pick one out or choose a couple and see if your child can guess the smells.
Smell Guessing Game--you can also use the extracts (or oils) for this game. Add a few drops to a cotton ball. Place the cotton balls in a small cup. Have your child smell each one and try to guess what the smell is. This is another game the whole family can play!

Touch:

Explore different textures! You can use sandpaper, cotton balls, aluminum foil, pipecleaners, tissue paper, rubber bands, bubble wrap, anything you can think of! You can do a few different things with these. 1) Have your child sort the objects by how they FEEL. 2) See if your child can DESCRIBE how each object feels. 3) Make a collage using these objects.
Sandpaper rubbings. Cut out sandpaper into different shapes, letters, or numbers. Place one under a piece of paper and have your child rub over it with a crayon.
Go Barefoot! Feel with your feet. This can be as simple as comparing the textures of different floors and inside/outside. Or, if you're okay with getting messy, let your child step in different materials (preferably outside for easier clean up). You could try shaving cream, shampoo/conditioner, water, ice water, pebbles, etc.). Just make sure to wipe off/spray down your child's feet between materials!
Finger paint or paint with your feet! Let your child feel the texture of the paint with her skin. If you're going to let your child use her feet, you might want to wait for a warm day and do this outside so your child doesn't track paint all over the house.
Check out the sensory exploration ideas under the Resources tab (in the websites section)!

Taste:

Try a new food! Have your child taste something she has never eaten before. If you really want to go exotic, check out Jungle Jim's and try a rare fruit!
Compare different flavored chips or ice-cream. Choose 2-3 flavors. Label them by numbers and place them in a bowl (without the bag/container it came from). Have your child taste each and talk about how it tastes and what he likes/doesn't like about it. Then, have your child choose which taste he likes the best. If you want, turn it into a writing activity. Have your child draw the flavor he likes best and try to "write" about it. Remember, writing at this age varies--it can be scribbles, letter-like forms, letter strings, or it might even include some of the sounds in the words. Accept whatever your child is able to do at this time and enjoy the process! It is great practice for your preschooler.
Explore different tastes. Salty--chips, Sweet--fruit juice, Sour--lemon or pickle, Bland--water, Bitter--unsweetened chocolate (baker's chocolate).
Jelly Bean Flavors! Give your child a handful of jelly beans. Instruct your child to eat one at a time. See if he can guess the flavor. If you want, you can also help your child make a graph to see how many of each flavor he has. You might want to print off a graph paper to make it easier so all that your child needs to do is color in a box. Here is one you can use: jumpingjellybeansgraphing.pdf (instead of colors, write in the flavors for your child).

I hope you are able to try some of these activities with your child! Enjoy!

Blessings,
Ms. Barker

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