Sensory activities: Touch, taste, sound, and smell

Wrapping Up Sensory

Touch, Taste ( and mouth), and Smell Activities

Oral Motor and Taste

     This system pertains to textures, tastes and temperatures that enter the mouth.   (Credit: http://www.sensory-kids.com/sensory_systems.html#oral)

1. Sip seltzer
2. Taste lemons (Or any "tasting activity")
3. Make smoothies and suck through a straw
4. practice blowing bubbles
5. blow whistles
6. Make and blow pinwheels
7. blow feathers off your hand
8. play soccer by blowing a cottonball across the table scoring if you can blow it off the other person's end.
9. Have a cotton ball race with straws (Blow the cotton balls with straws)
10. Make bubble mountains in a bowl with a straw and soapy water
11. Practice blowing out birthday candles on playdough cakes

Sound

     The auditory system is positioned together with the vestibular system inside the ear. This system enables a person to identify where a sound is coming from and to differentiate among various sounds. When sound enters the ear, both high- and low-frequencies are perceived. Higher-toned sounds, such as a person’s voice, carry a lot of information. A lower-toned sound, such as thunder, tends to be deeper and not carry as much information. The auditory system also helps to tune out extraneous auditory information in order to focus on pertinent sounds.(Credit: http://www.sensory-kids.com/sensory_systems.html#auditory) Note:  Some children are bothered by loud sounds in the classroom so having a calming or quiet space in the classroom is very important.

1.  Sit quietly and listen to nature. (You can also use nature sounds recordings)
2. Play a listening game. Sit very quietly and try to guess the sounds you hear.
3. Let them play with the stereo dial to experiment with loud and soft sounds.
4. A calming or cozy spot 
5. Create a sensory savvy spot (beanbag chair or pile of pillows with soft lighting, soothing items such as books and stuffed animals, music with headphones and a snack)

 Calming spot

 

Sight (The visual system)

      The visual system is closely related to the development of normal movement patterns, and therefore, children need to perceive their environment visually in order to accurately orient themselves to their surroundings. Children who are sensitive to various visual stimuli may not explore or learn about their surroundings. As a result, they may have difficulty carrying out activities of daily living and attending to classroom tasks.

     Related to the visual system are ocular motor skills: the smooth and coordinated movement of the eyes to attend to and follow objects and people in the environment. Controlled eye movements are needed to find and track a moving object, scan the environment, sustain eye contact on a fixed object or person, shift gaze from one thing to another (e.g., the blackboard to paper) and for eye/hand or eye/foot coordination skills.
      Some children without any vision or ocular motor limitations get visually over-stimulated by their everyday environment. These children can be easily distracted by bright lights or a busy decor - (e.g., wall decorations) and be unable to make eye contact or visually attend to activities.  (Credit: http://www.sensory-kids.com/sensory_systems.html#visual)

1.  Turn off the lights and play flashlight tag
2. Shadow puppets
3. Sit in a fort or tent
4. Hide under a blanket and read by flashlight
5. Wear sunglasses
6. Put dollops of different colored paints in a baggie and squish around to mix the paints
7. Light filters
   

Light filter for children who are bothered by florescent lights

Smells

      This system pertains to the ability to detect and differentiate odors. . Smell has a powerful influence on our behavior and often is a link to powerful emotions and memories. Many times we are unaware of the overwhelming influence smell holds. Some children are bothered by even mild smells, so this is something to be aware of in the classroom. (Credit: http://www.sensory-kids.com/sensory_systems.html#olfactory)

1. Using a blindfold have them guess different smells. (peanut butter, maple syrup, apples, etc)
2. Scented playdough
3. Scented markers
4. Science Activity:  "It Smells Like..."
   This preschool science activity encourages children to observe, compare and use language skills as they describe scented items.
   You will need:
   One 35 mm film canister with pinholes in the top for each of the following scented items: (use cotton balls for the liquid scents)
    
   

   nutmeg vanilla extract vinegar cinnamon

   coconut extract coffee grounds perfume peanut butter

   banana chunk lemon oil peppermint extract

   In advance, put pinholes in the top of each film canister.  Then put a scented item or scented cotton ball in each canister. (Credit: http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/5senses.htm#Sense%20of%20Smell)
    

This wraps up the series of posts on sensory activities and strategies for the preschool classroom.  Coming up:  Enriching and promoting language development in the preschool classroom