Five Senses (part 1: Sight)

The possibilities for teaching the sense of sight in early childhood are quite literally endless. Once they realize they use their eyes for EVERYTHING they do, they will be seeing their senses in a whole new light. Ha! See what I did there?

Some ideas I had were to simply have available tools we use with our eyes. Many of these are out regularly but during our 5 senses unit I made them more obvious. In the science center I had out: color viewers, microscope, kaleidoscope, light table with translucent objects, binoculars, magnifying glasses among other tools.

Art may have been the easiest center to supply during this unit. I put out the easel with bright colored markers and encouraged the children to describe to each other why they were drawing to the peer who couldn’t see their side. Golf ball rolling in paint is one of my favorite process art activities and I included it as well. We get to see the process and the finished piece as different accomplishments. Spin art is another one that while you are watching with your eyes, you have no idea how it will turn out.

For sensory I wanted to focus on something brightly colored so we made dyed spaghetti. It came out wonderfully and the children played with it for longer than I anticipated!

To make simply cook and cool spaghetti. Once cooled separate into zipper bags depending on how many colors you want. Add 1-2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol to the bag and squish. Then add several drops of food coloring. The more color, the darker your noodles will be. Seal your bag and squeeze and squish. (Children can definitely help with this step!) That’s it! Add to a sensory table and let them cut or simply play with your rainbow spaghetti!

Any book would work for circle time as we use our eyes to read and look at books, but we read these books:

Outside time was split between catching giant bubbles in the wind, and a fun outdoor scavenger hunt. Looking for objects was a great way to use our sense of sight in a game.

It wouldn’t be hard to come up with your own scavenger hunt, but this adorable card deck makes it quick and fun. My students loved it!

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Last but never least, music time was split between a balloon catching game and a copy dance game. For the balloon game, of course make sure none of your children have a latex allergy. I used the balloons that balloon artists use, and a pump I blew up the balloon as long as I could, and then without telling the children, I would let it go. The game is they have to pay close attention and use their sense of sight to follow the balloon as it zips around the room. This was fun for all of us!

The copy dance song goes like this: Everybody’s doing it, doing it, doing it, everybody’s doing it just like Max! Then Max does a dance move that we all copy. Max then chooses another classmate and we sing the chant to someone else’s name.

Of course scarves, ribbons, even instruments could be played and we could still incorporate it into a lesson about our sense of sight.

Like I said at the beginning, truly the possibilities for this lesson are endless. I had so much fun! Next up we will be tackling our sense of hearing and I have lots more fun planned!

#alwaysplayingalwayslearning #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhoodeducator #preschoolactivities #5sensesinpreschool