Aims to explore the five senses and be more aware of them

Aims
To explore the five senses and be more aware of them
To learn that God gave us five senses to experience joy

Materials
1. Large pictures of nose, ear, mouth, eye and hand
2. My Five Senses, by Aliki (ages 3-6)
3. Five Senses chart
4. Empty chart
5. pictures to cut out
6. Objects to explore the 5 senses

Lesson Outline
1. Introduction
2. My Five Senses, by Aliki
3. Discussion
4. Activities – senses tasks, matching pictures, walk, song
5. Review aims of lesson
6. Prayer

1) Introduction
Show large pictures of the eye, ear, nose, mouth and hand. Ask the children what we can do with each one. Introduce the five senses – see, hear, smell, taste and touch

2) My Five Senses, by Aliki

I can see! I can see with my eyes
I can hear! I can hear with my ears.
I can smell! I can smell with my nose.
I can taste! I can taste with my tongue.
I can touch! I can touch with my fingers.
I do all this with my senses. I have five senses.
When I see the sun or a frog or my baby sister, I see my sense of sight. I am seeing.
When I hear a drum or a fire engine or a bird, I use my sense of hearing. I am hearing
When I smell soap or a pine tree or cookies just out of the oven, I use my sense of smell. I am smelling
When I drink my milk and eat my food, I use my sense of taste. I am tasting.
When I touch a kitten or a ballon or water, I use my sense of touch. I am touching.
Sometimes I use all my sense at once. Sometimes I only use one. I often play a game with myself. I guess how many senses I am using at that time.
When I look at the moon and the stars, I use one sense. I am seeing.
When I laugh and play with my puppy, I use four senses. I see, hear, smell and touch.
When I bounce a ball, I use three senses. I see, hear, touch.
Sometimes I use more of one sense and less of another. But each sense is very important to me, because it makes me aware.

To be aware is . . . .
to see all there is to see . . . .
hear all there is to hear . . . .
smell all there is to smell . . . .
taste all there is to taste . . . .
touch all there is to touch . . . .
Wherever I go, whatever I do, every minute of the day, my senses are working.
They make me aware.

3) Discussion
* Discuss the book by thinking about what we experience around as we sit together.
– What do you notice?
– How many things can you see in this room?
– What sounds can you hear?
– What can you smell?
– What things can you touch?
– Is there something we can taste?
* Pick up objects and explore them. How many senses are you using at one time?
God gave us five senses to experience joy. What do you see that makes you happy? What sounds do you like to hear? What do you like to taste? What do you like to smell? What do you like to feel?
How would you feel if you didn’t have all the senses? You would be very sad. We should thank God each day for the gift of our five senses.

4) Activities
* Try doing a simple task without using all of the senses.
e.g. Tell someone what you had for breakfast without making the sound of words
e.g. Eat a piece of apple and hold your nose. Can you taste anything?
e.g. Walk around the room with your eyes closed
e.g. Feel an object in a bag. What is it? Can you say what you can feel?
* Look at the pictures. Ask the children which picture goes with which sense. Cut out and stick the pictures under the correct heading
* Go for a walk. When the children come back ask them what they experienced with their five senses. What did they see, hear, smell, touch and taste?
* Sing “Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes”

5) Review the aims of the lesson
To explore the five senses and be more aware of them
To learn that God gave us five senses to experience joy

6) End with a Prayer
Thank God for giving the gift of five senses through which we can explore the world and feel joy