Learning

Foundations
Curriculum ©

A creative and comprehensive developmentally

appropriate preschool curriculum designed to build
skills and facilitate optimum learning experiences,
while enhancing self-concept and preparing children
for future educational success.

Written by Cathy Abraham, MEd

childcarediva@yahoo.com
So… How do we use this?
The goal of any good curriculum is to be responsive to the
needs in the field, and to assist teachers in providing the very best
classroom learning experiences for children. Because you know
what best meets your teaching needs, and the needs of your
children, feedback and suggestions on this curriculum are
encouraged. Quality relies on early childhood teachers
participating in the continuing process of improvement – and
thoughts and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. These
curriculum ideas have been designed as a tool for you – as you are
the critical link to quality!

What we know…
Our field has some of the very best teachers out there. Based
on information and observations of creative, talented classroom
teachers, this curriculum has been written based on that fact. This
curriculum makes the following assumptions:

Good Teachers…
- Have a personal style that they bring to their classroom.
Activities can be successfully implemented in a variety of
ways, based on what ‘works’ for you.
- Know how to adapt activities to their group of children.
Choose the activities and ideas that you think will work
for your class, and adapt or tweek them to meet the needs
and interests of your children.
- Can often expand upon and enhance the ideas for
activities. Often teachers can come up with things that we
never thought of! Please use this curriculum as a
springboard, and incorporate any additional ideas you may
have.
- Know how to be resourceful and creative, and scrounge
around and find materials for their classrooms. Some of
the best classroom enrichments are not things that can be
purchased from educational catalogs. Not everything
needs to be handed to experienced teachers, and in fact,
most teachers want to be creative pull things together for
their classrooms. (And don’t children prefer and
appreciate real objects… sometimes just playing with the
boxes things come in?)
- Read the interest cues of the children, and expand upon
these areas. Materials and activities do not necessarily
need to be completely put away and finished at the end of
the week if the children are still showing interest in them.
Responsive curriculum is all about capitalizing and
incorporating the interests and natural curiosity of
children.
- Know making activities and materials for the children to
use is part of teaching. A fun part! If possible, rest time
is sometimes a good time to work on curriculum materials
for the next weeks’ theme. Ideas are included for teacher-
made materials.
- Will ask someone at their center to assist them if
something seems unclear. If there is something you
don’t understand, ask someone for clarification or to help
you. We are all learners.
- Know that offering children choices between a variety of
diverse, challenging activities eliminates many classroom
behavioral problems. Preparation of the classroom
environment is one of the best and most effective tools a
teacher has for guiding behavior.
- Know that children learn through play, and learn best
through hands-on activities. Continually look at your
classroom schedule, environment, and activities, and
evaluate if there are enough interactive experiences for
your children in which they are active participants.
 - Children develop skills and self-confidence through
doing things for themselves. Children should be allowed
to do as much by and for themselves as they can. It is the
process, not the end product that is important - and where
most learning actually occurs.
- Some themes lend themselves better than others to
activities. There are weeks when general ideas and
activities will be necessary to round out the curriculum.
- Know the benefits of the local library. The library is an
amazing teaching resource and can transform your
classroom! Take advantage of it!
- Take responsibility for learning and knowing specifics
related to children’s allergies, center policies, and state
regulations. Safety is always first and foremost – as is
adhering to applicable rules and regulations governing the
center.

The hope is that this curriculum will enable you to continue to

provide creative, fun learning activities in your classroom, and will
build upon the great things you are already doing!

To all of the wonderful, kind, loving and talented teachers out

there - thank you for all of your hard work and dedication... and for
everything that you do on behalf of children and families!! I
personally consider it a great honor to be a part of your
classroom(s)!
Apologies for unknown and
Best wishes, uncredited sources.

Cathy Abraham

Additional units can be purchased

through Cathy @ childcarediva @yahoo.com
Curriculum Ideas Exploring

The 5
Senses

By Cathy Abrahamú 2005

 Our 5 Senses!
Curriculum Goal – To enhance the children’s awareness and knowledge about how
they experience the world through their senses – and to promote acceptance about
differences.

Vocabulary:
- Visual/vision - Scent
- Optical - Taste buds
- Auditory - Nerve endings
- Tactile - Sensory
- Textures - Experience

Number of the Week: 5 Color of the Week: Review of all Colors

Concepts:
- We experience the world through our senses
- There are people that cannot see, and they are called blind.
- There are people that cannot hear, and they are called deaf.
- There are special ways to help deaf and blind people.
- Our tongues have taste buds and they are what help us taste things.
- We have nerve endings that send messages to our brain that tell us what things
feel like when we touch them
- Our senses help keep us safe, and teach us things.

Sensory Table Ideas:

Any kind of tactile experience – rice, water, “clean mud”, dry beans, “goop”, etc.
Add color and scent to enhance the experience. Encourage discussion about texture, etc

Art Activities:
- Paint with Kool-aid, using it like a watercolor.
- Place paper over of a piece of sandpaper. Let children color. Discuss texture.
- Add scents to paint and sand! (vanilla extract, mint extract, Kool Aid, etc.)
- Fingerpaint; Variation: Fingerpaint with jello or colored pudding
- Let children paint with their noses! Dip nose in paint, press onto paper
- Make Footprint Mural. Tape a long piece of butcher paper onto the floor.
Children step into a shallow pan containing paint, then walk on paper. (Have
a towel at the end to clean up feet)
- Fingerpaint with shaving crème. Add color &/or scent; Do on bubble wrap!
- Add coffee grounds or cornmeal to brown paint (for texture and scent)
- Let children paint at the easel with a blindfold on; Tie jinglebell onto brushes
- Put on music and have children paint or color to the music
- Children can trace and cut out their hands
- Fingerprint/thumbprint art. When dry, look at with magnifying glass
- Add textures to paint. Paint on textures.
- Cut out large pink ‘tongues’ from paper. Children glue pictures of their favorite foods
- For scented pictures, have children color with soap on black paper
- Jingle bell painting (Like marble painting, but with sound!)
 - Tin Art! (Sense of touch) Pour Elmer's Glue on to cardboard. Let dry. Place tin foil
over dried glue. Rub.black shoe polish over the foil.
- Paint with q-tips on paper cut out in the shape of an ear
- Add different textured items to your collage area – sandpaper, cottonballs, felt
scraps, fabric scraps, tissue paper, corrugated cardboard, faux fur, feathers, etc
- Make a texture collage. Variation: Glue textures onto hand shapes
- Make a collage out of magazine pictures (that the children cut out) of things
they like to smell (or taste); Variation: Add color or scent to your glue
- Make and decorate toilet paper roll “binoculars” to look through; Variation:
Use different colors of Saran wrap
- Paint using “Puffy Paint”
- Have children draw a picture while looking under a magnifying glass
- Add “googly eyes” to your collage area (or to your bin of playdough tools)
- Make Noise Makers. Staple 2 paper plates (that the children have decorated)
together three quarters of the way. Let children put dry rice of beans in.
Staple the rest of the way shut. Add streamers, if desired, and dance with.
- Make flowers that smell! Cut out flower shape (or use a cupcake liner) Add
a piece of cotton to the center that has been sprayed with perfume.
- 3-D Junque Art! Boxes, cardboard rolls, etc. Discuss the concept of “3D”
- Add jingle bells to the glitter shakers!
- Blot Paint with cottonballs dipped into paint and pressed onto paper
- Paint with no hands – with the brush held in the child’s teeth
- Make “Bone-y Hands” Cut up straws and glue onto hand cut out (as ‘bones’)

Cooking Experience:
Make lemon aid! Taste the lemons before adding sugar! Encourage discussion.

Community Time: (“Circle Time”/”Group Time”)

Monday: Ask/Chart: “What do we know about our senses?” (Display chart)
Tuesday: Ask and discuss: “What kinds of things can we hear?”
Wednesday: Write responses to: “What kinds of things can we smell?”
Thursday: Ask and discuss: “What kinds of things do we like to taste?”
Friday: Review/Chart: “What did we learn this week about our 5 senses?”
Follow with books, songs and fingerplays related to the curriculum theme on
senses. Let the children know what their choices are for the morning and what activities
are new in the classroom for the day. Dismiss the group a few at a time in fun, creative
ways that reinforce concepts about the senses (or using the senses.)

Math Activities:
- Chart the eye colors of the children (let them look in a mirror)
- Count and name which body parts come in pairs, and what we have one of
- Sorting textures activity – rough/soft
- Sequence items small to large by touch only (by feeling)
- List/Chart favorite smells
- Have children estimate how many eyes (total) of the children and adults that
are there are in the classroom. Count together. See if children can make any
correlations, and figure out the simple math equation.
Home/School Connection Ideas:
- Color Day - Ask parents to dress children in that color clothes on that day
- Ask parents to look around their home (with their child) and find an object
with an interesting texture for the texture collage; Or for the Mystery Can

Science Table Enrichments:

- Smell-y Containers (film canisters with holes poked in the lid, cottonballs with
different scents – mint, perfume, vanilla extract, Kool-aid, cloves, garlic,
cinnamon, mothballs, onion, grape jelly, etc.)
- Sound Matching Shakers (film canisters containing items such as dry beans,
rice, popcorn, paperclips, seeds, marbles, a penny, etc. Secure tightly.
(Pharmacies will often give unused prescription bottles if you ask and tell them
what you want them for) Make 2 of each, for children to match, based on sound.
- Color wheel, prisms, color paddles, paint sample swatches, etc.
- Binoculars, magnifying glasses, a microscope, kaleidoscope, goggles, etc…
- Bring in a variety of bells for the children to explore and compare sounds

Science Concepts/Activities:
- Do color mixing experiment (droppers/colored water)
- Roll up paper to make a “megaphone.” Have children talk through it.
Hypothesize/Discuss why the sound is amplified.
- Taste and chart the difference between samples of salty and sweet foods
- Fill glasses of water at different levels. Tap with spoons. Have children
hypothesize why they sound different. Compare. Attempt to play songs, etc
- Illustrate how we depend on sight. Bring in several canned goods and peel off
the labels. (Number each on the bottom) Discuss how a blind person might
tell which is which, etc.

Prop Box Ideas/Dramatic Play Enrichments:

EYE DOCTOR (Optometrist):
- Eye chart - Old glasses
- White lab coat - Mirrors
- Wooden spoon (to hold over one eye) - Chair

Movement and Motor:

- Dance and move to different types of diverse music. Encourage the children
to “feel” and experience the music. How do we know it’s fast?
Slow?…Encourage them to really focus on listening and feeling the music.
- Pin the Tail on the Donkey (blindfolded); Discuss. (Or -“Pin nose on face”)
- Action song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” (review body part names)
- Keep a balloon in the air, and not touch the ground. Teacher calls out what
body part to use (ear, nose, hand, mouth by blowing, etc)
- Do the Senses Hokey Pokey (naming eyes, ears, mouth, tongue, fingers, etc)
- Sticky Feel Walk! Children can walk barefoot onto contact paper, face up.
(or walk with bare feet on uncooked rice); Texture Walk (barefoot)
- Children close eyes. One child hides. He/she shakes a maraca as a hint to find him.
- Tap out rhythms. Have children repeat.
- Have 2 children wiggle a jump rope. Children use their eyes to see the snake - jump over
Playground/Walk Activities:
- Sound/Listening Walk
- Texture Walk or Texture Scavenger Hunt (looking for various textures)
- Place a piece of paper over brick on a building or on the sidewalk. Let
children color on the paper. Discuss the texture. Now try on a tree.
- Go on a “Smell-y” walk… noting various smells and originations
- Play “Marco Polo”(a pool-less version); Marco’s eyes closed. Find by sound
- Play Smelly Hide and Seek with each child having a specific smelly object
with/on them. “It” tries to find people by smell - like some animals do.
- Add a drop or two of peppermint extract to bubbles for scent.

Transition/Waiting Ideas:
- “If you are wearing (color) you may…”
- “Who can tell me something (color) in our room?”
- “Who knows what kinds of things feel soft?… rough?… hard?…”
- “What do you like to smell?”
- “Why do we need our 5 senses?”; “How do our senses help us?”…
- “How can goggles help us? Why do some workers wear them?”
- “How do we take care of our eyes?… our ears?… our mouth?…”
- “What does ‘follow your nose’ mean?”
- “Can you walk silently, without making a noise? Shh-h-h! Let’s try it!”
- “What can you do with your eyes closed? What do you know so well, you
don’t have to see it?
- Dark Eyes. To illustrate how eyes react to color in the dark, bring in several
pairs of socks and have children sort in the dark. (Children can do activity
when first getting on their cots for rest time, while settling down, or the
children that wake up first, while room is still semi-dark)

Block Area Enrichments:

Play a game where children match the wooden blocks by just feeling their shape,
with their eyes closed; Or Build with eyes closed, just by the sense of touch; Or
Let children use sandpaper and sand wood. Encourage them to smell and feel, etc

Flannel Board:
Make different facial features (eyes, noses, mouths) and a round “blank” face.
Children can make different “faces.”; Or Make pieces to “Brown Bear, Brown Bear,
What do you see?” Do story with flannel pieces, then let children re-tell it (if they wish)

Teacher Made Enrichment Ideas:

- Make Texture Dominoes; Or Texture Bingo
- Make “Feel-y Box”, children feel objects and guess Box - cut hole, make flaps
- Make Wave Bottles. Fill clear, plastic water bottles with oil and water (in
various colors.) Secure tightly, and seal with Superglue or a hot gluegun.
- Make a rebus chart for making lemon aid activity. Children can follow
‘directions’, reinforcing the concept that symbols have meaning.
- Start a “Our Five Senses” board, with children gluing pictures on each section; Or
Write “OUR FIVE SENSES” vertically. Children name a related word for each letter.
- Whose Ear is This? Take pictures of each child’s ear. Let them guess whose is whose
- Texture Sequencing Sticks. Glue 1 -10 small objects on craft sticks. (Ex - Macoroni, pop
tops, buttons, pompoms, Velcro dots, etc.
 - Plastic egg sound shaker matching. Items in plastic eggs. 2 of each sound. Match.
- Make tactile/sensory letters. Outline letter in glue. Cover with sand. Let dry.
- Make an Ice Cube Sensory Tray. Cut 12 small pieces of materials/objects
with different textures. Cut to fit into ice cube tray compartments. Hot glue
in. Let children feel different textures and discuss.
- Make the Braille alphabet for the children to experience. Put glue dabs onto
dots. Let dry. Children can then feel the Braille alphabet. (or pin holes)
- Sound shakers – Fill clear, plastic soda bottles with dry rice or beans. Seal.
- Hot/Cold feeling classifying activity; Or - Senses classification activity.
- Color Matching file folder game(s)
- Make a face, with features that Velcro on. Play “What’s Missing?” with it
- Make bean bags out of different textured materials

Field Trip Ideas: (Contingent on location and accessibility)

- Visit an optical shop, or see if an eye doctor will come in and speak to the
children (with various tools of the trade)
- Try to locate someone with a hearing aid that would be comfortable showing
it to the children and talking with them about it (Or - A Hearing Center rep)
- Ask if your local police K9 dog unit will visit and talk about how the dogs
find things by scent, and how they are trained; (Or - A Seeing-Eye Dog)

Supplemental Learning Ideas/Activities:

- Teach the children some basic sign language
- Tint shaving crème a color. Let children “fingerpaint” with it on the table
- Make a tape recording of common sounds. Have children identify. Variation:
Make into a sound Bingo game
- Play “Telephone” whispering message to the next child around the circle
- Bring in a Mr. Potato Head (Or Make from felt pieces)
- Hide a ticking clock in the room. Have children find it, based on listening to
where the sound is coming from. Variation: A music box
- At meals, discuss the look, color, taste, temperature, and smell of food.
- Walk across bubble wrap in bare feet (or some other texture)
- Make “stress balls” for the children to feel. In a balloon, put rice or
unpopped popcorn. Tie securely shut . (Variation: Use disposable gloves)
- Bring in real flowers or herbs, if possible
- Bring in sugar and salt, and place on two small plates. Let children touch and
taste the difference. Talk about how they look the same, etc.
- Bring in various objects that represent different senses for the children to sort
- Use a small plastic children’s pool for enhanced sensory play by filling it with
Styrofoam, dry beans, rice, sand, shredded paper, paper punch holes, etc…
- Have children close their eyes and guess what food they smell before lunch,
or are eating. Encourage descriptive language and discussion.
- Teach children to whistle or snap!
- Have children mimic a clapping pattern you start.
- Bring in several mirrors for the children to look at their faces
- Make a group “Our Senses” book
- Pop popcorn (children over 3 yrs) Discuss the smell, sound, taste, texture…
- Bring in headphones. Let children experience how they work
- With the children, make a list of all of the textures (and texture words) they know.
- Talk about how our sense of touch helps us. Discuss how pain alerts us to
take care of an injury…
- Children can do lacing cards with their eyes closed
- More ideas - http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=the+5+senses
- Have children stick out their tongues and look in the mirror at them!
- Pieces for “Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?”: www.kizclub.com/storypatterns.html
- Make “Squishy Bags” Seal ziplock baggies containing hair gel and confetti
with superglue. Tape over seal with clear packaging tape, to prevent
accidental opening of the baggie. Let children feel and manipulate.
- Bring out the musical instruments! Leave assessable to children.
- See how many descriptive adjectives (“Words that describe”) the children can
name. List. Ex: soft, squishy, yellow, round, big, etc…
- Chart favorite foods or colors; Or Chart children’s eye colors
- Review names of body parts. Play games like “Hokey Pokey”, Simon Says...
- Walk barefoot on rice. Discuss how it felt.
- Make “jingle bracelets’ with jingle bells threaded on pipecleaners; Or Tie
jingle bells onto children’s shoe laces
- Play “Loud/Soft” with children imitating your lead on volume
- Let children use scented “smelly” markers, if possible
- Sort a box of 64 crayons into color hues. Discuss differences, similarities, etc.
- Make/decorate face masks
- Research and learn about “Seeing Eye Dogs” for the blind
- Have children look closely at their tongues in a mirror. Have them feel the
texture, etc. Then make paperbag puppets with paper “tongues” sticking out.
- Color or Shape “I-Spy” , with children finding things within the environment
- Color or Shape Hop. Tape large pieces of paper on the floor that children can
hop to and from on their own, or by adult directives
- Research and learn the different and amazing ways that some animals process
information through their senses, and which senses each relies the most on.
- Introduce children to several types of new and diverse music throughout day
- Make a group class mural entitled “Hands are for…”
- Tap on various things in the room, listening to the variations in sound
- Encourage the children to form ear shapes with clay
- Talk about accepting others that are different than we are. How can we help
them, and be their friend?… How are we all the same?…
- Play charades to illustrate how difficult it can be to try to get a point across
when you can’t use all of your senses
- Make a “5 Senses Book”, with children make self portraits; they glue on
wiggle eyes, cotton ball dipped in perfume (nose), jingle bells (ears), sand
paper (hands) and licorice (mouth); Make an “A – Z Book of Smells”
- Rose-colored Glasses. Cut out the insides of paper plates, leaving the rims
intact (2 plates per finished product). Glue or tape colored cellophane (red,
yellow, green) covering the opening of one plate and tape or glue another
plate to secure cellophane. Add a craftstick for a handle. Children can hold
up, look through, and view the world in different colors. They can hold up
two plates, combining them, to make orange, green or purple. To enhance
experience, do outside or have a flashlight or other light source nearby.
Variation: Cover cardboard toilet paper rolls on one end with colored wrap
- Hand-shaped Feely Board. Have each child trace their hand and cut it out.
Have them pick textures to glue onto their hand (scraps of different textured
fabric, cotton balls, felt, corrugated cardboard, sandpaper, etc.)
- Make experience tables – a “Touch Table”, “Smell Table”, “Taste Table”, etc
- Add scented markers to your art area for the children to use.
- Make up a story and do a puppet show, using the senses as the theme.
- Create a 3-D display board illustrating what children did/learned on this topic
- Senses posters: http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/topic/ourselves/senses.html
- Wet or dry? Discuss, explore, chart.
- Sensory balloons – marbles, sand, rice, beans, cornstarch, coffee beans, syrup
 Class Mystery Can
Class Mystery Can Activity: Decorate a coffee can. Laminate this letter, place
inside the can and send home with a different child each day…

Dear Families:
This is our class mystery can. As an activity, the children to try and guess what is
inside by listening to the sound made when shaken, and with a couple of simple
clues. Your child has been picked to take it home tonight! Please help them to
select something that makes a sound when the can is shaken. (I've attached a
paper with some ideas and a list of items that others have sent in, and it's ok to
send them again). The rest of us will try to guess what is inside. Please help your
child to think up some clues to give the rest of us. Please return the can tomorrow.
This activity is designed to stimulate children’s curiosity, enhance cognitive and
language skills, encourage the use of sensory skills, and offer the children the
opportunity to participate and formulate questions. Happy hunting for your
Mystery can item(s)!
Thank you,

Examples to put in the Mystery Can: Our Mystery Can Song

Birdseed
Acorns Tune: "I'm a Little Teapot."
Beans What's in the Mystery can
Chocolate Chips Who can tell?
Marbles Maybe it's a book, or maybe a shell
Marshmallows What's in the Mystery can
Nails Who can see?
Paper clips It's something special for you and me.
Peanuts
A few Pennies
Rice
Rocks
Screws
Thumbtacks
Examples of Clues:
Item: Marshmallows
Item: Peanuts 1) They melt if you put
1) Elephants like to eat them. them in hot chocolate.
2) They make a good sandwich. 2) They can be sticky.
Supplies needed for activities/projects:
- Construction paper, paint and crayons
- Tape recorder
- Playdough ingredients (flour, salt, oil)
- Lg sheets of easel paper (dictation, graphing)
- Felt for making flannelboard pieces
Gak
Mix equal parts white glue
- Index cards (for Sound Game, etc.)
to liquid starch.
- Sandpaper (and other texture items)
(Gak has the texture and
- Cotton balls
consistency of Silly Putty)
- Mint extract (and other spices)
- A lemon
- Shaving Crème (non-menthol)
- Food coloring Bulletin Board Ideas:
“Sensory Fun!”
“Sense-able Creations”
Non-Hardening No Cook “Outta Sight Artwork!”
Playdough “Can’t Touch This!”
“Great Work Makes Sense”
2 cups self-rising flour “An Eye for Great Art”
1 T. Alum (optional) “Did You Hear – We’re Great!”
2 T. Salt “Hear Ye! Hear Ye!”
2 T. cooking oil “Hands Down Great Art!”
1 cup + 2 T. boiling water “The Eyes Have It!”
Mint or Vanilla Extract
Mix and knead. (Due to Easy Playdough
boiling water, cannot be made 2 cups flour
with the children present)
1 cup salt
tempera paint
water

Mix flour, salt and paint with enough

water to make the desired consistency.
“Goop”
Variation: Add Kool-Aid for color/ scent
½ cup cornstarch
¼ cup water
food coloring
Puffy Paint
Mix in media table. Mix equal parts of flour, salt,
Let children explore texture – it is water, liquid tempera (for color).
wet, but feels dry to the touch. Put in squeeze container.
Use on heavy paper.
 Peppermint Glitter
Mix Epson salt and peppermint
BOOK extract together with a small dab of
My Five Senses by Aliki green food coloring.
The Five Senses by Keith Faulkner
Smell (Five Senses Series) by Maria Rius
Four Seasons in Five Senses: Things Worth Savoring by David Mas Masumoto
Squishy, Squishy: A Book About My Five Senses by Cherie B. Stihler
Forest Friends' Five Senses by Cristina Garelli
My Own Five Senses by Giovanni Caviezel
Hearing (Five Senses Series) by Maria Rius
Taste (Five Senses Series) by Maria Rius
Wow!: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About The Five Senses (Mysterious
You) by Trudee Romanek
A Perfect Day: All About The Five Senses (Beastieville) by Kirsten Hall
The Five Senses (It's Science) by Sally Hewitt
Your Five Senses (Time-to-Discover) by Melvin & Gilda Berger
Touch (Five Senses Series) by Maria Rius
The Five Senses by F. Gonzalez-Crussi
Body Detectives: A Book About the Five Senses by Rita Golden Gelman
The Five Senses by Herve Tullet
Sight (Five Senses Series) by Maria Rius
Look, Listen, Taste, Touch, and Smell: Learning About Your Five Senses (The Amazing
Body) by Pamela Hill Nettleton
Sounds All Around (Moncure, Jane Belk. Five Senses.) by Jane Belk Moncure
My five Senses by Margaret Miller
A Tasting Party (My Five Senses) by Jane Belk Moncure
My Eyes Are for Seeing (My Five Senses) by Jane Belk Moncure
Taste (The Library of the Five Senses and the Sixth Sense) by Sue Hurwitz
Busy Bunnies' Five Senses (Hello Reader Science Level 1) by Teddy Slate
Listen! Listen! by Ann and Paul Rand
Listen to That! by H. Klurfmeier Use meal times and cooking as opportunities
There was an Old Lady that Swallowed a Rose for observing and learning!
What colors and shapes do you see?
How does the food smell?
Touch the food. Is it sticky, rough, wet, etc.?
Is it hot or cold? How does it feel in your
mouth?
Does it make a sound? Did it sizzle when it
cooked? Is it crunchy to eat or quiet?

Online games on the 5 senses:

http://www.wartgames.com/themes/ CD-Roms:
humanbody/5senses.html Senses by Inter Act
Learn About Earth Science:
The Senses by Sunburst
Braille is a way for blind people to read. The dots are raised, and blind
people feel them. Each letter is made with dots arranged a certain way.

Braille Alphabet:

a b c d e f g h i
j

k l m n o p q r s
t

u v w x y z

! ' , - . ? Capital
Numbers:

# 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

To download sign language or Braille fonts

onto your computer::
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/fonts.html

100 First Signs in Sign Language:

http://lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-
layout/concepts.htm

Note: Some of the larger sit-down restaurant chains, like Appleby’s, have menus printed
in Braille. Most elevators also have Braille markings as well.

Related Activity: Make dots raised (for children to feel) by placing a dab of glue on each
dot. Let glue dry. Or make holes with a pushpin
 Which Sense Am I?
In part by Betsy Fiero

A boa does this with his tongue,

A cricket does this with his leg,
I do it with my nose.
I do it with my ears.
If someone’s baking cookie dough
I do it when a siren sounds
Then I am sure to know!
Or when people scream and
cheer.
What do I do?
Answer: Smell
What do I do?
Answer: Hear

A cat has whiskers just for this, A bat can use its ears for this.
I do it with my hands I do it with my eyes.
I do it when I pat a dog I do it when I look at a bird
Or feel the silky sand. Or watch a full moon rise.

What do I do? What do I do?

Answer: Touch Answer: See

More Sense Riddles:

If a bird you want to hear An eel does this with its skin,
You have to listen with your ______________ A housefly with its feet.
If you want to dig in the sand I do this with my mouth each day
Hold the shovel in your __________ When I sit down to eat.
To see an airplane as it flies
YOU must open up your __________
To smell a violet or a rose What do I do?
You sniff the fragrance thru your ____________ Answer: Taste
When you walk across the street
You use two thing you call your ____________
East and West and North and South
To eat or talk you use your __________

MAKE UP SOME OF YOU OWN!!!!

 The Story of
Helen Keller (1880-1968)

Imagine that you couldn't see these words or hear them spoken!
But you could still talk, write, read, and make friends. In fact,
you went to college, wrote nearly a dozen books, traveled all over
the world, met 12 U.S. presidents, and lived to be 87. Well, there
was such a person, and she was born over a hundred years ago!

Meet Helen Keller, a woman from the small farm town of

Tuscumbia, Alabama who taught the world to respect people who
are blind and deaf. Her mission came from her own life; when she
was a toddler, she was extremely ill, and she lost both her vision
and hearing. It was like entering a different world, with
completely new rules, and she got very frustrated. By the time
she was 7, her parents knew they needed help, so they hired a
tutor named Anne Sullivan.

Anne was strict, but she had a lot of energy. In just a few days,
she taught Helen how to spell words with her hands (called the
manual alphabet, which is part of the sign language that deaf
people use.) The trouble was, Helen didn't understand what the
words meant — until one morning at the water pump (like an
outdoor water fountain) she “got it.”
Anne had Helen hold one hand under the water. Then she spelled
"W-A-T-E-R" into Helen's other hand. It was electric! The
feeling turned into a word. Immediately, Helen bent down and
tapped the ground; Anne spelled "earth." Helen's brain flew;
that day, she learned 30 words!

From then on, Helen's mind raced ahead. She learned to speak
when she was ten by feeling her teacher's mouth when she
talked. Often people found it hard to understand her, but she
never gave up trying. Meanwhile, she learned to read French,
German, Greek, and Latin in braille! When she was 20, she
entered Radcliffe College, the women's branch of Harvard
University. Her first book, called The Story of My Life, was
translated into 50 languages. (She used two typewriters: one
regular, one braille.) She wrote ten more books and many
articles! How did she find the time?

Helen also did research, gave speeches, and helped raise money
for many organizations, such as the American Foundation for the
Blind and the American Braille Press, which is now called Helen
Keller Worldwide. From 1946 and 1957, she went around the
world, speaking about the experiences and rights of people who
are blind. She wound up visiting 35 countries on five different
continents! Helen also inspired many works of art, including two
Oscar-winning movies, and received dozens of awards, such as the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor that an
American civilian can receive.

Helen Keller became an exceptional leader, an amazing,

inspirational woman, and overcome great obstacles in her life,
once she saw the potential in her own mind.

From: The National Federation of the Blind

 "Life is either a
daring adventure or
nothing. To keep our
faces toward change
and behave like free
spirits in the
presence of fate is
strength
undefeatable."

– Helen Keller
Sign Language
Sign language is how deaf people can talk to each other. They use their
hands to make certain motions that mean things, or letters of the alphabet.
 Songs and Fingerplays
about the Senses
Run Away
I have two eyes to see with,
I have two feet to run,
I have two hands to wave with,
And nose I have but one.
I have two ears to hear with,
And a tongue to say 'good day!'
And two red cheeks for you to kiss,
And now I'll run away.
MY EYES
Here are my eyes,
One and two.
I give a wink.
So can you.
When they're open,
I can see light.
When they're closed,
It's dark like night.
See, Feel, Hear, Smell
By Lois Peters
I can see the little brown bunny
And his cottontail of white.
I can feel the warm sun
When it shines in the sky so bright.
I can hear the songbird
Singing so sweetly in the tree.
I can smell the cookies
Mother is baking
I hope they are for me!
I Have Two Eyes
I have two eyes to see with,
I have two feet to run,
I have two hands to wave with,
And nose I have but one.
I have two ears to hear with,
And a tongue to say "Good day".
Body Parts
Repeat this rhyme many times, using a
different child's name in
Body parts, body parts,
We've got more than a few.
We even have a few
I bet you never knew.
We can touch the ceiling,
Or even touch your shoe.
Now,__________ show us something
we can try and do!
The Smelling Song
Tune: "It's raining, it's pouring"
I'm smelling, I'm smelling,
my nose is busy smelling.
This is the song I like to sing,
When I smell most anything!
 The Five Senses Song
(Tune: "Old Mac Donald Had a Farm") My Head
Action Poem
On my face I have two eyes;
Use them every day.
This is the circle that is my head
They are used to help me see
make large circle with both hands
When I work and play.
This is my mouth with which words are said
With a look, look here,
point to mouth
And a look, look there,
These are my eyes with which I see
Here a look, there a look,
point to eyes
Everywhere a look, look.
This is my nose that's a part of me
On my face I have two eyes;
point to nose
Use them every day!
This is the hair that grows on my head
On my face I have a nose; point to hair
Use it all the time. And this is my hat all pretty and red!
When I sniff it I can tell place hands on head, fingers pointing up
Vinegar from lime. and touching
With a sniff, sniff here,
And a sniff, sniff there,
Here a sniff, there a sniff,
Everywhere a sniff, sniff.
On my face I have a nose;
Use it all the time! A Pickle Is Long
In my mouth I have a tongue; A pickle is long
Use it when I eat.
Tasting with it I can tell And an orange is round,
Sour from the sweet.
With a lick, lick here, But I wonder sometimes...
And a lick, lick there, Is there shape to a sound
Everywhere a lick, lick.
In my mouth I have a tongue; like a whisper
Use it when I eat!
or a whistle
or a laugh
or a sneeze?
Five Senses
(Tune: Where is Thumbkin?) What shapes would you think of

Five senses, five senses for sounds like these?

We have them. We have them.
Seeing, hearing, touching, Vivian Gouled
Tasting and smelling.
There are five. There are five.
Five Senses
Eyes to see with,
Color of Your Eyes
Ears to hear with,
You see me, I see you.
Nose to smell with, Your eyes are blue and mine are too.

Tongue to taste with, Your eyes are big, round, and brown.
They must be the prettiest eyes in town.
Feet to run with,
When I look at you, know what I see?
Hands to touch with, Eyes as green as green can be.

I'm a lucky child, Blue eyes, green eyes,

Brown eyes, hey.
Aren't you?
Your eyes are gray,
And I love them that way.

Five Little Bells

Five little bells hanging in a row,

The first one said, "Ring me slow."

The second one said, "Ring me fast."

The third one said, "Ring me last."

The fourth one said, "I'm like a chime."

The fifth one said, "Ring us loud any time."

Use Your Ears SINGING THE SENSES

Tune: “BINGO”
Use your ears, use your ears,
We use our senses every day
Listen now and hear!
To help us learn and play,
See, hear, smell, touch, taste
Use your ears, use your ears,
See, hear, smell, touch, taste
See, hear, smell, touch, taste
What kind of sound do you hear?
We do these everyday!

I Use My Senses!
I use my senses for everything
I see and hear and touch and smell
I can see the sun up in the sky
I cans see the clouds floating by
I smell cookies in the oven baking
I smell the leaves my daddy’s raking
I love to touch out bunny so soft and furry
And listen to my kitty cat all sweet and purry
Strawberry ice cream tastes so yummy
And apples too are good for my tummy
I hear the birdies sweetly singing
And I run to the phone when I hear it ringing
I use my sense for everything
What do you use your senses for?
By Pam Schiller
All faces have 2 eyes, a nose, and mouth
Still no 2 are the same
How many faces can we make
When we play our “Build A Face” game?
Cut out large ovals and various “facial features”
Uso mis sentidos
(“I Use My Senses” in Spanish)
Uso mis sentidos para todo
Ver, oigo, toco, degusto y huelo
Puedo ver salir el sol en el cielo
Puedo ver las nubes como velo
Puedo oler galletas horneandose y
Puedo oler las hojas que mi papa recogo.
Me gusta tocar nuestro conejito tan suave
y bonito
y escuchar suavemente ronronear a mi gattito.
El helado de frutilla tiene un guesto tan rico
Y las manzanas son un excelente plantillo
Oigo los pajaritos dulcemente cantar
Y voy al telefono cuando lo oigo sonar.
Uso mis sentidos para todo
?y tu? Para que usas tus sentidos?
I USE MY 5 SENSES
I use five senses every day
They help me learn and play
See, hear, smell, touch, taste (2x)
I use them every day.
 My Five Senses
By Marilyn Brock
We all have five senses we use each day (hold up 5 fingers)
Each of us uses them in our own special way.
Our hands, eyes, ears, mouth and nose, (point to each one)
These are all the sense organs, everyone knows.

My sense of sight I use each day, (point to eyes)

Looking at the world when I’m at play.
Seeing all the beauty is lots of fun,
For me, the sense of sight is number one.

My sense of hearing is number two, (point to ears)

I can hear the stomping of every shoe. (stomp foot)
Listening to the music on my radio, (cup hand around ears)
Hearing all the chatter wherever I go.

My sense of taste makes eating a treat, (rub tummy)

Tasting the difference between bitter and sweet.
Using my mouth to taste each bite, (point to mouth)
My sense of taste makes everything right.

I use my hands for my sense of touch. (hold up hands)

I can feel the difference in texture so much,
From the roughness of gritty sandpaper,
To the softness of a duck’s downy feather.

My nose I use for my sense of smell, (point to nose)

It can sniff out odors very well. (sniff air)
I like the smell of flowers so sweet,
But I hold my nose at dirty feet! (hold nose)
 Body
Words in Spanish

Face cara
Mouth boca
Arm brazo
Leg pierna
Knee rodilla
Back espalda
Head la cabeza
Hair cabello/pelo
Nose nariz
Eye el ojo
Foot el pie
Toe dedo del pie
Ear oreja
 For Added Variety, Textures
and Tactile Experiences:

Diverse Tools to Paint With:

Paint brushes * sponges * combs * spools * tooth brushes * paint rollers *
sticks * rag strips * cookie cutters * cooking utensils * paint edgers
q-tips * pine cones * scrub brushes * straws * string * yarn * medicine
droppers * deodorant roll-top bottles * corncobs * crumpled paper * feathers
* potatoes mashers * tongue depressors * Popsicle sticks * fingers *
fruits/vegetables * dental floss * marbles * rubber spatulas * fly swatters *
koosh balls * spray bottles * golf balls * large beads * cotton balls *
evergreen swags * plastic play animal ‘feet’ (prints) * bubble wrap *
old mascara brushes * pipecleaners * corks * an old computer mouse *
nail polish brushes * wheels * kitchen basting brushes * baby bottle brushes

Different Surfaces on Which to Paint:

All Kinds of Paper – colored, computer, newsprint, manila, giftwrap, waxed
paper, old newspapers, typing paper, tagboard, butcher paper, posterboard,
construction paper, fingerpaint paper, easel paper, cardboard, corrugated, etc

Lunch bags * cloth * foil * corrugated cardboard * large tile squares *

rocks * bark * boards * sidewalks * windows * mirrors * plastic coffee lids
* styrafoam meat trays * old placemats * burlap * coffee filters * boxes *
magazines * wallpaper * comic strips * old phone books * plexiglas *
screens * window shades * envelopes * paper plates * paper towels * tin
canvas * paper towel tubes * tissue paper * bubble wrap * doilies * suede *
old shower curtains * sheets * vinyl * cellophane * fabric * T-shirts * pieces
of wood * clay creations * ceiling tiles * paper grocery bags * juice lids
ca02
 Mixers to Add Variety to Paint Texture:
Sand * coffee grounds * baby powder * detergent powder * water (to change
consistency) * rice * glitter * sugar * cornmeal * salt * oatmeal * soap flakes
* baking powder * syrup * cooking oil * shaving crème * glue * confetti *

Medias to Explore at the Easel:

Finger paint * tempera paint (with a variety of textures – see above) *
Watercolors * diluted food coloring * berry juices * dried up markers dipped
in water * chalk * chalk dipped in water * shaving cream * crayons *
oil sticks * colored pencils * markers (thick/thin)* highlighters * scribble
cookies * several crayons tied together * spray bottles with diluted paint or
colored water * graphite pencils * calligraphy pens * charcoal sticks * glitter
pens * colored glue * stamp pads * paint brushes tied together * gel pens

Assorted Collage Materials:

Cut up straws * yarn * fabric scraps * magazines * greeting cards * ribbon
* tissue paper scraps * twine * glitter * egg shells * stamps * small wood
scraps * confetti * packaging materials * bows * streamers * fringe * fake
fur scraps * velvet * wrapping paper * Popsicle sticks * paper scraps *
wallpaper books * pompom balls * googlie eyes * doilies * trim * colored
pasta * cotton balls * q-tips * Easter grass * raffia * catalogs * buttons *
sequins * feathers * felt * foil * lace * rickrack * seeds * shredded paper *
dried flower petals * ceramic tiles * colored wire * spools * crepe paper * *
colored rice * beads * bread bag closures * All types of paper (listed above)

Creative Materials for 3-D Projects

Milk cartons * Paper plates * Paper towel rolls * gift/shoe boxes * spools *
frozen food trays * chicken wire * clothespins * coffee cans * shells *
recyclables * plastic margarine tubs/lids * yogurt containers * nature items
 Sound
Effects!
Sound effects you can have fun making:
Thunder… cookie sheet
Horses Hooves… clap 2 halves of a coconut
Water… bucket of water
Walking up drive… walk on baking pan of gravel
Reading a paper… newspaper
Gunshot… pop a paper bag

Things to Record:
A doorbell Birds singing
A dog barking A door slamming
A baby crying Frightened screams
A phone ringing A creaky door opening
Laughing Eating crunchy foods

Related Activities: Create a “Sound Scavenger Hunt”, making a

list of sounds and then having “teams” (each with a tape recorder)
“find” and record an example of each sound! Or… Make a
“Sound Bingo” game using a tape recording of identifiable sounds
and noises to call out bingo card spaces. (Cards have various
combinations of the corresponding pictures of what makes each
sound that is played on the tape.) Or… Play “Name That Sound!”
with a tape recording of various sounds!
 EARS HEAR
Flies buzz,
motors roar,
kettles hiss,
people snore.
dogs bark,
birds cheep,
Autos honk: Beep Beep!

Winds sigh,
Shoes squeak.
Trucks honk,
Floors creak.
Whistles toot
Bells clang.
Doors slam: Bang! Bang!

Kids shout,
Clocks ding.
Babies cry,
Phones ring.
Balls bounce,
Spoons drop.
People scream: Stop! Stop!

~ Lucia and James L. Hymes Jr

 ‘To Touch or Not to Touch?’
Cut out pictures and glue onto index cards. Cover with contact paper or laminate.
To Do Activity: Children sort/classify the things based on what things are safe for them
to touch, and what things are not. Discuss the concepts of hot, cold, touch, etc. As
always, (when possible) using real actual items is more meaningful to children.
 In Decibels
Rocket engine - 180

Jet takeoff 130 - 150

Jack Hammer - 100

Busy Urban Street - 90

Activity:
Do a categorizing Vacuum Cleaner - 70
activity of sounds that
are loud or soft.
Phone Conversation - 50

Rustling Leaves – 20

Breathing – 10
How does our sense of taste work?
Taste belongs to our chemical sensing system, or the chemosenses. The complex
process of tasting begins when tiny molecules released by the substances around
us stimulate special cells in the nose, mouth, or throat. These special sensory cells
transmit messages through nerves to the brain, where specific tastes are identified.
Gustatory or taste cells react to food and beverages. These surface cells in the
mouth send taste information to their nerve fibers. The taste cells are clustered in
the taste buds of the mouth, tongue, and throat. Many of the small bumps that can
be seen on the tongue contain taste buds.

Another chemosensory mechanism, called the common chemical sense,

contributes to appreciation of food flavor. In this system, thousands of nerve
endings--especially on the moist surfaces of the eyes, nose, mouth, and throat--
give rise to sensations like the sting of ammonia, the coolness of menthol, and the
irritation of chili peppers.

We can commonly identify at least five different taste sensations: sweet, sour,
bitter, salty, and umami (the taste elicited by glutamate - fat - which is found
in chicken broth, meat extracts, and some cheeses). In the mouth, these tastes,
along with texture, temperature, and the sensations from the common chemical
sense, combine with odors to produce a perception of flavor. It is flavor that lets us
know whether we are eating a pear or an apple. Some people are surprised to learn
that flavors are recognized mainly through the sense of smell. If you hold your
nose while eating chocolate, for example, you will have trouble identifying the
chocolate flavor--even though you can distinguish the food's sweetness or
bitterness. That is because the distinguishing characteristic of chocolate, for
example, what differentiates it from caramel, is sensed largely by its odor

How does our sense of smell work?

The sense of smell is part of our chemical sensing system, or the chemosenses.
Sensory cells in our nose, mouth, and throat have a role in helping us interpret
smells, as well as taste flavors. Microscopic molecules released by the substances
around us (foods, flowers, etc.) stimulate these sensory cells. Once the cells detect
the molecules they send messages to our brains, where we identify the smell.

Olfactory, or smell nerve cells, are stimulated by the odors around us--the
fragrance of a gardenia or the smell of bread baking. These nerve cells are found
in a small patch of tissue high inside the nose, and they connect directly to the
brain. Our sense of smell is also influenced by something called the common
chemical sense. This sense involves nerve endings in our eyes, nose, mouth, and
throat, especially those on moist surfaces. Beyond smell and taste, these nerve
endings help us sense the feelings stimulated by different substances, such as the
eye-watering potency of an onion or the refreshing cool of peppermint.

It's a surprise to many people to learn that flavors are recognized mainly
through the sense of smell. Along with texture, temperature, and the sensations
from the common chemical sense, the perception of flavor comes from a
combination of odors and taste. Without the olfactory cells, familiar flavors like
coffee or oranges would be harder to distinguish

From: www.nidcd.nih.gov Related Activity: Do the “Blindfold

Taste Test.” See if you can trick your
mouth by holding your nose!

Song about scents:

http://whmusictherapy.com/2012/01/sense-ational-activities-so-many-scents/
 Name That Sound Game
Cut out pieces and glue onto index cards or hard stock paper. Laminate or cover with
contact paper. To Play: Child picks a card. He/she then makes that noise/sound.
Other children guess what the card is, based on the sound made. First one to guess goes
next. Variation: Record sounds on a tape, to be matched up with picture.
More Activities!

Pictures online that can be printed out and colored (or use for teacher-made games):

http://www.do2learn.com/picturecards/printcards/coloring/largeimages/mouth.htm
http://www.do2learn.com/picturecards/printcards/coloring/largeimages/ear.htm
http://www.do2learn.com/picturecards/printcards/coloring/largeimages/nose.htm
http://www.do2learn.com/picturecards/printcards/coloring/largeimages/hand.htm
http://www.do2learn.com/picturecards/printcards/coloring/largeimages/eye.com

On-line free Downloads (game):

“Facetoon”
Requirements: Windows 95+. Size 817 KB. Free
Site: Canadian Half Pints http://www.canadianhalfpints.com/
http://www.wartgames.com/themes/humanbody/5senses.html

Thumb Print Cookies

Need: 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup oil, 4-5 Tablespoons water
Put all of the ingredients into a bowl. Mix with your hands or a fork.
Roll the dough into small balls. Give each child a ball of dough.
Have children press their thumbs into the center of each ball. Have
children explore their print. (Make chart of whose cookie is whose)
Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 325 degrees F* for 10 minutes.
Let cool and then fill with jam or peanut butter.
While making cookies, allow children to help as much as possible. Use as an opportunity
to discuss math and social studies concepts.

Blindfold Bluff (Hearing)

Blindfold one child. Have the class chant:

Excuse me sir/madam on the bluff
Can you tell who I am? or is it too tough?

Tap one child on the back and have them say “it is I”. The blindfolded child must guess
which child it is.
 How Our Eyes React to Light Activity

• Draw the outline shape of shape of an eye - 2 per child, one on a black
{dark} piece of paper and one on a white {light} piece of paper. Cut out
black circles – some about the size of a pencil eraser, some about the size
of a quarter. These will be the small and large pupils for the eyes.
(Another version of this activity would be to use black paint and small
and larger stamps to make the pupils in the eyes)
• Draw a circle in the center of the eye shape on the white paper. This
will be the iris. On the black piece of paper, you will need to use a white
cutout of the eye shape, drawing the circle in the center for the ‘iris’
• Begin the activity talking about our eyes. Show REAL images of
REAL eyes. Then talk about the pupil and how when our eyes see
darkness our pupils widen to let in as much light as possible, and when
our eyes see brightness, our pupils narrow to prevent too much light from
coming in.
• Turn off the classroom light and use a flashlight to illustrate the point
with the children. Use a small mirror for children to watch their own eyes
change from large to small.
• Introduce the art project. The children can color in the iris’ (circle) of
their ‘eyes’. They will then glue (or stamp) the small circle (pupil) onto
the light piece of paper. They will glue (or stamp) the larger circle (pupil)
onto the dark piece of paper eye.
 Riddles
Children under the age of 6 can rarely understand or appreciate
plays on words, but you can use these as examples of how we use
body words for other things. Ask children if they can see why
something might be named that?, etc. Make up some of your own!

What has eyes and cannot see?

A needle! (or potato)

What has a tongue and cannot talk?

Shoes!

What has legs and cannot walk?

A table!

What has arms but can’t hug me?

A chair!

What has ears but cannot hear?

Corn!

What has a head but no hair?

Lettuce!

What has hands but cannot wash?

A Clock!

What has a shoulder but no arm?

A Road!
 World of Senses

I can see
The sun and sky;
I can taste
A piece of pie;
I can hear
Songs and laughter,
Things you said;
I can smell
Powder, cookies,
Fresh, hot bread;
I can touch
Satin and lace,
With my skin;
With my senses I learn about
The world I'm in!
 5 SENSES DICE
Directions: Cut out dice (all in one connecting piece.) Fold so that it makes
a square. Tape. Children take turns “rolling” the dice. Whatever sense the
picture represents that it lands on, children name something that is done
with it. Ex: “Nose – can smell popcorn.”; Or Roll for a version of “If
Your Happy & You Know It” (Tasting and you know it, use your mouth, etc)

Fold under

F
O
L
D

Child’s Fold under

Choice!
 Sound
Have you heard… sound is all around?

Do you know how we hear things?

Sound travels on invisible wings!

How do you know that it is there?

Sound vibrates through the air!

When the sound reach our ear,

That is when we can hear!

Shhhh! Listen!
Have you heard?
Sound!
MY SENSES TELL MY BRAIN
TO TELL ME SO!
A lemon is sour.
How do I know?
I taste it and my mouth
Tells my brain so.

The toast is burning.

How do I know?
I smell it and my nose
Tells my brain so.

The drum is loud.

How do I know?
I hear it and my ears
Tell my brain so.

The apple is red.

How do I know?
I see it and my eyes
Tell my brain so.

The sandpaper is rough.

How do I know?
I touch it and my hands
Tell my brain so.

Learning is fun!
How do I know?
I use my senses
And they tell my brain so.
My Feelings
When I am sad, I want to cry.
When I am proud, I want to fly.
When I am curious, I want to know.
When I am impatient, I want to go.
When I am bored, I want to play.
When I am happy, I smile all day.
When I am shy, I want to hide.
When I'm depressed, I stay inside.
When I am puzzled, I want to shrug.
When I am loving, I kiss and hug.
Sight
Sight is my most useful sense,
For me, it's number one.
With colors and shapes and sizes and all,
Seeing things is fun!
I can see the blueness of the sky
And the smile on mama's face.
A photograph of flying birds
And the winner of a race.
I watch where I walk to avoid broken glass
And sharp rocks that will hurt.
I see a rabbit nibbling grass
And the color of my shirt.
Touch
I can feel all over my skin
In lots of different ways.
I can feel the cold snow on my cheek
And the warmth of the noon sun's rays.
I can feel the roughness of a rock
And the strength of a piece of leather;
The softness of a rabbit fur,
And the lightness of a feather.
I can feel the goosh of modeling clay
As I squeeze it in my hand.
I feel the hardness of the floor,
And the graininess of sand.
Taste
I like the tart taste of a navel orange
As I eat it piece-by-piece;
Bunches of cherries are sweet on my tongue
And I like bacon fried in grease.
I like the mix of sticky tastes
In peanut butter and jelly.
Spaghetti is spicy and sloppy to eat
And it drips onto my belly.
I like Christmas chicken a lot,
And I gnaw it to the bone.
A cold glass of water tastes good with a meal,
As a cold, sweet ice cream cone.
Hearing
Sometimes I sit and close my eyes
To find what I can hear.
A jumbo jet sounds far away,
And a barking dog sounds near.
I hear the sound of clapping hands
And the noise of stomping feet.
The scrape of a chair against the floor
As I shift within my seat.
I remember the shout of Santa's laugh,
And the purring of a cat;
The sound of the car as dad starts it up,
And the buzzing of a gnat.
Smell
I like the smell of strawberry pie
And roses in the spring;
The scent of a vanilla candle and
Thanksgiving turkey wing.
I like the smell of new-mown grass,
And raked -up leaves in fall.
I like to sniff mom's spice-shelf
And a brand-new basketball.
I like the smell of a sandy beach,
And the salty spray of oceans;
Iand
likemommy’s
the smell baby lotion.books,
of ancient
 My Nose
By C.J. Heck

Right smack dab in the middle of my face,

A nose is growing in that place.

I think it looks real goofy there,

But I can’t move it any other somewhere.

Some are big, but mine is small,

And babies have a bump, that’s all.

It isn’t nice to lie, I know,

My nose might grow like Pinnocchio’s.

With a cold, it’s stuffy, just because.

Near Sissy’s feet ... you wish it was.

Most times, my nose is a friend to me.

It warns, “Mom’s cookin’ broccoli!”

Or other stuff that I won’t eat,

Like liver, that’s a yucky meat.

Sometimes, it works the other way --

“Mom made oatmeal cookies, today!”

We’d sure be missin’, I suppose,

Some real neat sniffin’ without a nose.
If You’re Going to Bake Some Cookies
(Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your ears

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your ears
Hear the mixer mix the dough.
Is it going fast or slow?
If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your ears

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your hands

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your hands
Roll the dough out smooth and flat.
With your hands, give it a pat.
If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your hands

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your nose

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your nose
Smelling cookies bake is fun!
Your nose will tell you when they’re done!
If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your nose

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your eyes

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your eyes
Choose the frosting that’s just right;
Make them such a pretty sight!
If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your eyes

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your mouth

If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your mouth
Eat the cookies when they’re through
Do they taste yummy to you?
If you’re going to bake some cookies, use your mouth

Baking cookies can be a full sensory experience!

Facilitate discussion and the use of descriptive
words with children. Let them participate in each
aspect… and ask open-ended questions!
When you want to remember the order of the colors of the rainbow, think: Roy
G. Biv! Roy G. Biv stands for the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow,
Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.
Basically, a rainbow is a place where light and water meet in the sky. That's why
they usually appear after rain when the sun starts to come out again. When you
see a rainbow, the sun is always behind you.
The colors of the rainbow come from the fact that light is made up of many
colors, and when it passes through the rain it is refracted (or bent) in different
amounts. Red light is bent the least; that's why it's at the top; violet light is bent
the most, so it's at the bottom.

Related Activity: To create a “Rainbow”, while outside, spray a fine mist of water into
sunlight.

Sensory Enhancements
If you add… It will make paint…

Kool-aid smell good

Sand or sawdust rough and gritty
Epson salt sparkly
Shaving cream puffy
Karo syrup shiney and sticky
Liquid soap slimey
Water thinner
Flour lumpy
Glitter sparkly
Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face
Jack Prelutsky

Be glad your nose is on your face,

not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot!

Imagine if your precious nose

were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you'd be forced to smell your feet!

Your nose would be a source of dread

were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair!

Within your ear, your nose would be

an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze!

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,

remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place--
be glad your nose is on your face!
Tommy Tastebud
My name is Tommy Tastebud
And I live here in your face.
I wonder what is coming
As you sit there saying grace.

My friends and all my family

Dwell together on your tongue,
We're soaking in saliva
When the dinner bell is rung.

The roast beef is a little bland,

We know it's not your fault.
But you could lighten up our lives
With just a pinch of salt.

While you're having turkey

Slip lots of dressing in.
We like noodles and the gravy,
That drips out, and down your chin.

Put ranch dressing on the salad

Drop some ketchup on the fries,
Spread some steak sauce on the T-bone.
Steaks!--We taste buds idolize!

Please don't send us tapioca

But that apple pie is nice,
With that goop around the apples
And the crust with tasty spice.

Oh, pizza is a favorite.

We love sausage, gooey cheese,
Pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms--
Hold those anchovies, please.

You have good taste in goodies.

And we enjoy a nice big mac.
We have a lot of faith in you
And now I must go back.

Forgive me please for speaking,

I'll stay quiet from now on,
If, when you eat OUR hot dogs,
You will use some grey poupon.
--Grandpa Tucker
Copyright ©1998 Bob Tucker
Counting Senses!
I see with my eyes,
I hear with my ears.
Two eyes, two ears!

I taste with my mouth,

I smell with my nose.
One mouth, one nose!

I touch with my hands,

I feel with my toes.
Two hands, ten toes.

My senses tell me
I’m truly alive!
Senses – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

By Risa Jordan
 Super
Wolves hear so

Sense-ative!! well that they can

hear a watch
ticking over 25
Animals often have better senses than we do! feet away!
This helps them survive and find food!

Certain kinds of male

moths can smell a
female moth up to
several miles away
with their super-
sensitive antennae!
Because moles live
underground, they
don’t see very well.
They don’t need to!
They feel and smell
Bats send off their way around in
sounds that echo the dark!
and bounce off of Frogs have long,
things. That helps sticky tongues that
them find dinner! are very fast so that
they can catch
insects!
Flies can taste with
their feet! That lets
them know if they’ve
landed on food!
 Five Senses
(tune: If You're Happy and You Know It)
When you look and when you see, use your eyes.
When you look and when you see, use your eyes.
When you look and when you see
All the things there are to see,
When you look and when you see, use your eyes.
When you listen and you hear, use your ears.
When you listen and you hear, use your ears.
When you listen and you hear
All the things there are to hear,
When you listen and you hear, use your ears.
Important Things
(Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Seeing, hearing, touching, too,
Are important things to do.
Smelling, tasting something new,
Helps us learn the whole day
through.
Seeing, hearing, touching, too,
Are important things to do

When you touch and when you feel, use your hands.
When you touch and when you feel, use your hands.
When you touch and when you feel I Have Feelings
All the things there are to feel, Tune: "Frere Jacques"
When you touch and when you feel, use your hands!
I have feelings; I have feelings.
When you eat and when you taste, use your tongue. Look at me, and you'll see.
When you eat and when you taste, use your tongue. Sometimes I feel [mad];
When you eat and when you taste Really, really [mad].
All the things there are to taste, Look at me, and you'll see.
When you eat and when you taste, use your tongue!
Sing, naming other feelings. Make
When you sniff and when you smell, use your nose. corresponding faces.
When you sniff and when you smell, use your nose.
When you sniff and when you smell
All the things there are to smell, Related feelings song: “If Your
When you sniff and when you smell, use your nose! Happy and You Know It”

Use Your Eyes (game)

Is It Bumpy?
Use your eyes, use your eyes,
Is it bumpy?,
You can look and see;
Is it bumpy?
If you have on brown shoes;
Smooth or soft?
Come and stand by me!
Smooth or soft
Tell us how it feels.
Tell us how it feels.
Tell us (child's name),
Tell us (child's name).
Senses I Use My Five Senses
Little eyes see things we’ve found (Tune: The Farmer in the Dell)
Little nose smells what is sweet
Little ears hear pleasant sounds I use my eyes to see, I use my eyes to see,
Mouth likes yummy things to eat! And when I want to see a star,
I use my eyes to see.
I use my nose to smell, I use my nose to smell,
Two Little Eyes And when I want to smell a flower,
I use my nose to smell.
Two little eyes that open and close
I use my tongue to taste,
Two little ears and one nose
I use my tongue to taste,
Two little cheeks and just one chin
And when I want to taste a peach,
Two red lips with teeth closed in!
I use my tongue to taste.
I use my ears to hear, I use my ears to hear,
And when I want to hear a bird,
I use my ears to hear.
I HAVE SO MANY PARTS TO ME I use my hands to touch,
I use my hands to touch,
I have two hands to clap with (clap)
And when I want to touch a cat,
One nose with which to smell (sniff)
I have one head to think with (tap head) I use my hands to touch.
Two lungs that work quite well (deep breath)
I have two eyes that let me see (point to eyes)
I have two legs that walk (walk in place)
I have two ears that help me hear (cup hands to ears)
A mouth with which to talk. (point to mouth)

What Do You See With?

(Tune: Frere Jaques)
What do you see with what do you see with? (point to eyes)
Tell me now, tell me now.
These are what you see with,
these are what you see with.
These are your (Kids answer “Eyes!”) Making Faces! Cut out many
2. What do you smell with? (point to nose) eyes, mouths, ears and noses from
3. What do you taste with? (point to mouth) magazines Add a magnet
4. What do you clap with? (point to hand) strip to the back of each. Children
5. What do you snap with (points to finger) can make various ‘faces’ on a
6. What do you kiss with? (points to mouth) cookie sheet!
7. What do you walk with? (points to feet)
Sing a Song of Senses
(tune: Farmer in the Dell)

We use our tongue to taste.

We use our tongue to taste.
We taste the flavors in our food.
We use our tongues to taste.

We use our ears to hear.

We use our ears to hear.
We hear noises loud and soft.
We use our ears to hear.

We use our eyes to see.

We use our eyes to see.
We see colors all around.
We use our eyes to see.

We use our noses to smell.

We use our noses to smell.
We smell flowers and perfume.
We use our noses to smell.

We use our hands to touch.

We use our hands to touch.
We touch things both smooth and rough.
We use our hands to touch.

Music on CD:
The Five Senses by Barney
Do Not Disturb My Olfactory Nerve by Sandy Offenheim
Salty Sweet

Bitter Sour
 The Five Senses Song
Tune: This Old Man

With my eyes, I can see

Robins nesting in a tree.
Chorus:
I see and hear, and smell, and taste, and touch.
With my senses I learn so much!

With my ears, I can hear

Distant noises and sounds quite near.
Chorus

With my nose, I can smell

Fragrant flowers in the dell.
Chorus

With my mouth, I can taste

Donuts which are chocolate glazed.
Chorus

With my hands, I can feel

Bananas with a slippery peel.
Chorus
I see and hear, and smell, and taste, and touch.
With my senses I learn so much!
 5 Senses Alphabet!
We learn about the world around us by our senses –
touching, smelling, hearing, tasting, and seeing.

See an airplane.
Taste a banana.
Smell cookies baking.
Touch a dogs fur.
Hear an egg crack.
Smell a flower.
Taste granola.
Touch a hammer.
See an insect.
Hear a jet.
Touch a kitten.
Taste a lemon.
Hear music.
See a newspaper.
Taste an orange.
Smell pizza.
Touch a quarter.
Hear a rhyme.
Make up your
See the sun.
own list!
Taste a taco.
See an umbrella.
Hear a violin.
Smell a waffle.
See an x-ray.
Touch yarn.
See a zebra.
Senses
Note:
Laminate and use for
your Word Wall; &/Or
let children practice
tracing with dry erase
markers in the writing

See
center.

Hear
Smell

Touch

Taste
childcaredivaú

Apologies for unknown/uncredited sources. These ideas have been

collected throughout my 30+ years in the field. If you are aware
of the origin of anything included, please contact me so proper
credit can be given.

For use by individual programs only. Not for resale,

redistribution or multi-site use.

Thank you to Joni Levine and childcarelounge.com

For info on additional thematic units, contact Cathy at:

childcarediva@yahoo.com