| The five senses are exciting to learn about | | | | Offer a variety of foods to smell and identify - |
| because we use them every day. Here are two | | | | eyes closed! Or experiment with scents through |
| activities per sense to help you introduce your | | | | scratch and sniff books. |
| child to their five awesome senses. | | | | You can even make your own scented playdough |
| Sight | | | | by baking dough at home and adding different |
| Flashcards are a great way for your preschooler | | | | extracts, like peppermint and vanilla. Your child will |
| to utilize their sight. You can make your own | | | | love helping you make the dough and will delight in |
| flashcards using cardstock paper, markers and | | | | the smell of it (be careful of children who may try |
| crayons. Draw pictures of animals, objects and | | | | to eat it!). |
| general people (ex: a dog, a table and a mailman | | | | Touch |
| or baby). Hold up each card and ask your child to | | | | Young children love touching things. How many |
| name the animal, object or person. | | | | times have you caught yourself asking your child |
| Another way to play with our sight sense is the | | | | not to touch something? These fun activities |
| popular "I Spy" series books. Your preschooler will | | | | invite your preschooler to touch for play. |
| love helping you hunt for the listed items within | | | | Arrange bowls containing items of different |
| the books' pages. A well known verbal variation of | | | | textures on a table. Some suggestions are |
| this game can be altered to better suit pre-school | | | | cooked noodles, water, sand paper and cotton |
| players. You can have your preschooler pick an | | | | balls. Allow your child to feel inside each bowl. Ask |
| object and describe it to you based on its | | | | them what they are touching and how it feels. |
| exterior (ex: a ball that is red, circular and sparkly). | | | | Texture board books are another great |
| Sound | | | | opportunity for preschoolers to play around with |
| Our ability to hear allows us to enjoy music, | | | | touching. Make a trip to your local library or |
| communicate with one another, and stay safe. | | | | bookstore and pick out texture books to read |
| "Name that Sound" is an exciting way to introduce | | | | and feel together. |
| different sounds to preschoolers so that they can | | | | Taste |
| learn to identify them. Purchase or create a CD | | | | What better way is there to incorporate learning |
| of sounds and play it for your pre-school audience. | | | | than through eating? |
| Rain, horns honking, ocean waves and animal | | | | Prepare small plates of food containing taste bud |
| sounds are extremely stimulating. Ask the children | | | | stimulators. Bitter, sweet, sour and salty are the |
| to name the sounds they hear as they hear | | | | tongue's major senses. Some great food ideas |
| them. | | | | are lemon wedges, potato chips and assorted |
| Playing with instruments is another fun activity for | | | | candies. Ask what each tastes like as your child |
| preschoolers. They'll delight in hearing the sound | | | | tries them. |
| each one makes. You may then ask them "What | | | | You can also have your child try different |
| kind of instrument is this and what sound does it | | | | beverages at different temperatures, like cold and |
| make?" | | | | warm milk. |
| Smell | | | | Continue to point out when your child is using their |
| Playing with scents of all kinds is a fun way to | | | | senses and they will become more aware of |
| stimulate the sense of smell. | | | | them! |