I’ve always thought that in our culture, we extol the virtues of one sense – seeing – over the others (hearing, taste, touch, smell). So when my kids were little, I took every opportunity to help them develop these other senses, which strike me as just as essential as that of sight. It stands to reason that using all five senses allows for the fullest appreciation of what’s around us. The following are some examples of the kinds of things I used to do with my kids in order to help them refine their four neglected senses:
Hearing: While out on a walk, I’d stop and ask one of my sons to close his eyes and then tell me what he heard. Inevitably he’d say, “Birds.†Then I’d suggest that he listen harder. Was there anything to hear other than the sound of birds? He might hear the drone of an airplane; a distant lawn mower being powered up; a siren; a dog or cat. Today Jack and I were waiting for the school bus, and the wind was picking up dry leaves and sending them down the street. They made a beautiful, percussive sound as they hit the pavement.
Taste: This one is tough, because so many kids are averse to trying new foods with potentially unfamiliar tastes. But if you make this a game, and it has nothing to do with mealtime, your child will likely be up for experimenting a bit. There are four basic tastes we recognize: sweet, salty, sour (pickles, lemons), and bitter (tonic water, banana peel). More complicated taste sensations are simply mixtures of these basic ones. You can ask your child to close her eyes and guess whether what she’s tasting is sweet, salty, sour, or bitter, or some combination, or you might let her come up with categories of her own to describe what she is tasting.
Touch: All you need for this exercise is a brown paper bag. Find objects around the house with interesting textures and shapes, and see if your child can reach into the bag with one hand and identify an object through touch alone. It’s more difficult than you’d think!
Smell: This is another kitchen-based activity. Can your child identify some of the stronger smelling items in your fridge or cupboard – without using his eyes? Coffee, pickles, oranges – all work well here. Some of the more common spices and ingredients for baking are also fun to try (e.g., cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla).
I believe that it’s important for all of us to understand that there’s not just one way to “see†the world. The more of our senses we use, the more we can appreciate our planet in all its richness and complexity — and the readier we’ll be to protect and defend its beauty.
[tags]kids, children, parents, parenting, senses, sight, view, look, hearing, ears, smell, nose, taste, tongue, mouth, touch, hands, mind expansion[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by christopherdale, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
13 responses so far ↓
Laura Storrie // Nov 8, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Very interesting.
The other day, while puddle jumping my almost 3 year old said,: Mom, I love rain cause it makes puddles and it tastes like cookies, it feels like Ferber (his beloved bed toy) and smells like you, and I really like those things.”
We all need to step back and experience life with all our senses. Thank you for this wonderful reminder.
Monica // Nov 8, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Oh, what great activities. I love them! I’m going to steal this and do this with Andy. Hell, I’d like to just do them with my husband because they sound like fun. I’m so glad I stumbled across your blog (through Niobe) just in time to actually use some of these things.
InTheFastLane // Nov 8, 2007 at 4:39 pm
I think sometimes kids are good at using their senses, but we (adults) are not always good and building on their experiences. This made me think.
janet // Nov 8, 2007 at 5:54 pm
We used to play the touch game on those long, dreadfully cold winter days. It was great fun!
Lori at Spinning Yellow // Nov 8, 2007 at 6:40 pm
All good SM! While learning about my son’s Sensory Processing Disorder I realized how important these other senses are. Helping to develop (and regulate) them is key to experiencing life fully.
Try the other two “hidden” senses too, vestibular (your sense of balance and body position) and proprioception (the way your muscles get input). For instance, what happens when you play dizzy bat? hang upside down? and is something heavy or light? hard to push over or easy?
You knew I couldn’t resist a little extra input on this topic, right?
WorksForMom // Nov 8, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I have read so much on the importance of using all the senses as soon and as much as possible. You took away the science of it and added the beauty to it. Love it SM.
Amy Y // Nov 8, 2007 at 11:22 pm
You are brilliant, SM, just brilliant!
Thanks for some great Family Fun Night ideas!!!
JCK // Nov 8, 2007 at 11:40 pm
You have just given me some fun weekend activities to try! What a lovely way of looking out at the world and acknowledging all the elements.
Heidi // Nov 9, 2007 at 3:44 am
We’ve actually done the tasting with a blindfold. The kids love it! I’ve never thought about doing the touch test, but I imagine that would be an equally good game.
Great post!
Heidi
cce // Nov 9, 2007 at 6:03 am
Apparently they’ve discovered that while the old stand bys:, salty, sweet, bitter, sour still prevail, there’s one more taste sensation that our tongues can distinguish, something called ‘meatiness’. I guess if you’ve ever tasted a good osso bucco you know that savory taste sensation! Know try getting a kid to taste anything meaty and I’ll give you a prize.
DaniGirl // Nov 9, 2007 at 7:52 am
Why is it the simplest things are the best – and often the least obvious or easiest to overlook? I love these ideas – thanks!
christine // Nov 9, 2007 at 9:27 am
great ideas!
on great smell idea is making a “pie” with spices. cut out a circle of orange paper (for pumpkin) and spread white glue over it. sprinkle with different spices.
b*babbler // Nov 9, 2007 at 7:13 pm
This is fabulous. When Peanut is a little older, I’ll definitely be doing this with her.
It reminds me of Kim’s Games that we used to play in Girl Guides when I was little.
Leave a Comment