There are few things better than a frothy cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Though I discovered recently that there’s even more to be gained than a warm belly.
A Handful of Fun: Why Sensory Play is Important for Preschoolers
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Shaky Egg Sound Match
Here’s a quick, easy, and inexpensive way (music to a teacher’s ears, right?) to create a great tool for incorporating music and auditory discernment. Whoa, back up the truck, what was that? “Auditory discernment” is the ability to hear the differences and similarities between two sounds. It can be as simple as hearing the difference between a bell ringing and a horn honking, but it’s also the groundwork for hearing the difference between the sounds in words, like the short e sound and the short i sound. Phonemic awareness is a critical reading skill, and it is completely auditory. So building auditory skills actually paves the way for reading skills. OK, so back to the project at hand!
Fruity Scented Kool-Aid Playdough
I love cinnamon scented playdough, which I listed here, but I also love the fruity scent of Kool-Aid scented playdough! Adding an extra appeal to the senses could hardly be easier! Start with the Classic Playdough Recipe. Add a packet of Kool-Aid to the water before adding it to the pan. Ta-da! Simple, right? Now, if you already have a batch of playdough made up, you can also knead the powder right into the dough. It takes a bit of time to get it mixed through, but because it hasn’t been cooked, the scent may actually be stronger that way. Just be sure that the powder has been worked in completely. You may even want to let it sit overnight to be sure that the powder has been fully absorbed.
Introducing the Five Senses!
As I mentioned before, the purpose of teaching about the five senses in preschool is not for the children to be able to recite the five senses, but to build sensory awareness. Whenever I introduce the five senses, I like to start out with the book, My Five Senses by Aliki. It does a great job of simply introducing each of the senses, and then pointing out how we may use several of them at the same time, and that we use them to be aware of what’s around us. It’s very brief, very simple, and right to the point.
Unit Theme: Exploring the Arts through Our Senses
Introducing the new unit theme! Dat-da-da-dah! “Exploring the Arts through Our Senses”!
Scented Playdough–Cinnamon Spice!
If you want great scented playdough, that smells like an actual, natural food scent, try this one out! It’s probably my favorite scented playdough, in large part because it makes your whole room smell like a bakery! In fact, you’ll have to remind your children that in spite of the great scent, it is still not for eating!
Make a Texture Collage for Pictures They Can Feel!
Many young children aren’t trying to make something when they do an art project. They are trying to experience something. They enjoy being in control of their project, making the choices about what to use and how to use it. They enjoy the process of manipulating materials and watching their “canvas” change. A texture collage is a great activity for those experiential artists, because it adds a tactile aspect to the activity. Provide a wide array of materials with a variety of textures. I usually just cut them in random, geometrical shapes, and provide scissors in case the children want to alter them. Some favorite materials: sandpaper (cutting it actually sharpens your scissors!), feathers, fuzzy fleece, tulle, corrugated cardboard (with one side peeled off, exposing the bumpy ridges), foil, tissue paper, silky fabrics, ribbons, acetate (overhead paper). As the children glue the pieces on to their papers, you can ask them about which textures they like, and how they feel, exposing them to new vocabulary like rough, smooth, silky, bumpy, ridges, wrinkly, and more! In addition to language skills, this activity promotes creativity, small motor skills, and sensory awareness.