What to do with this activity?
Talk to your child about the five senses - taste, sight, hearing, smell and touch. Different parts of the body are involved - the tongue tastes; the eyes see; the ears hear; the nose smells; and every part of our body is sensitive to touch.
Our senses help us to enjoy and learn about our world. They can also keep us safe, for instance if we touch something that is too hot. Think about what it would be like not to have one or other of the senses. For instance, your child could:
1) block their ears for a little while to find out what it would be like to be deaf;
2) play a game of trying to find an object while they are blindfolded;
3) taste food while holding their nose and notice how our sense of smell affects the way we taste food;
4) see which part of their body is most sensitive to tickling.
If they are interested in learning more about the senses, have a go at some of these experiments, and have fun with our taste game here.
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Why am I doing this?
Children improve their language by hearing how words are used in everyday life. Chatting to your child helps build their communication skills. Getting your child to tell you stories or explain things, helps them to put ideas in the right order. This is an important skill for listening and speaking.
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How can I do more?
When you’re out and about with your child ask them to recall little things that happened on previous trips. For example, “Do you remember what we saw here yesterday?” This helps your child to recall, listen, speak and to become more aware of their surroundings – good skills for listening and speaking.
But remember, to listen well, first let your child finish what they are saying. Avoid too many questions that might interrupt their train of thought. Try not to think about what you want to say next. Concentrate on what your child is saying. Check with them that you understood, for example, “So what you are saying is…”
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