5-Day: Learning About the Amazing Five Senses

This week was so much fun as 5-Day explored the 5 senses of our bodies. Each day, they investigated a different sense through many fun and engaging activities. Through science, books, graphing, printing, art and self-awareness, each child used and identified their unique abilities to hear, see, touch, smell and taste.

On Monday, they played a game where they had three colored dice and they had to find a picture that matched those three colors exactly. Not an easy task! As a whole group, we read It Looked Like Spilt Milk, which is about finding shapes in clouds. After, the children created their own unique cloud with blue paper and white paint. There was a lot of discussion and interpretation of what their clouds looked like. Each child also began a special book about the 5 senses, which we added to each day.

Tuesday was devoted to touch. On one table were sensory balloons, filled with many different materials. The challenge was to identify what these materials were and match them. At the art table, the class used a variety of objects (soft, hard, bumpy, gritty) to decorate their names. At another table, the children were busy creating oobleck, a curious substance which is both wet and dry.

Wednesday was a day spent listening, but we also learned that some people can't hear. What do they do? They learn sign language. Reid's dad showed the class how to create their own unique name sign using the first letter of their name, coupled with a hand motion. We listened carefully to egg shakers to match the sounds and created our own shakers with paper plates, beans, dotters and streamers. One table was very busy with Magna-Tiles and bells, designing musical buildings. Our sensory table was also very noisy with lots of beans and different types of containers to pour them into. Through experimentation, the children were surprised to learn that their predictions for the noisiest containers didn't always turn out the way they thought they would.

On Thursday, our noses explored the classroom. There was spicy painting at the art table, with cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg and others spices mixed with water to create an aromatic blend. At another table, there were 10 cups filled with cotton balls and scents such as lavender, coffee, vanilla, vinegar and maple syrup, to name a few. Using a happy/sad face checklist, the children recorded their opinions of the different smells.

On our final day, Friday, we learned about taste. The children tried sweet, sour, bitter, and salty foods. They recorded their thoughts on a sheet. Using scissors and glue and grocery store flyers, the children created their own food choices and finished their book on the senses.

Some books we read this week:

Boy

My First Signs

My Five Senses

It Looked Like Spilt Milk

What Can I Smell

What Can I Taste

I Hear A Pickle

What Can I See

Next week, the class will celebrate reading through Dr. Seuss and spirit days. Don't forget your socks on Monday.

Also, a reminder that conferences are coming up March 12th. A sign-up sheet will be posted soon.

Caroline and Cathy

#fivesenses #oobleck