Senses Activities for Kids

In this set of activities adaptable for grades K-3, parents and educators will find ideas for teaching about the five senses. These activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Senses topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Classroom Activities for Teaching About the 5 Senses

What’s that Sound?
Take your children on a walk and have them bring along papers and pencils. Ask them to find a safe place to sit, close their eyes, and just listen carefully. What do they hear? Have them write down or draw what they hear. They may want to keep track of the sounds and write a poem using onomatopoeia. You can repeat the activity and have students focus on their sense of smell or sight.

Touch and Go

Give partners a small handkerchief or a blanket. They can also use a piece of clothing such as a jacket. Have one partner choose an item and place it under the handkerchief. Then have the other partner feel the object with their hands and describe it in words. Remind them to use complete sentences to describe how the mystery item feels. Then have the partner make a guess. Was he or she right? Have partners switch roles.

Body Language

How can people understand each other without making a sound? Explain that people who are deaf or hard of hearing have a difficult time hearing sounds. Some communicate by using sign language. If possible, teach your students the alphabet in sign language and a few key signs. Then have students act out and mime different stories using their own kind of sign language.

Family and Homeschool Activities for Teaching About the 5 Senses

Blind Tasting Test

Blindfold your child and have him or her taste different foods. Choose items that vary in texture and temperature, in addition to flavors. Have your child guess what the food is. Which food was the sourest? Which was the sweetest? Compare and contrast different foods.

Music to the Ears

Listen to different music with your child. You may wish to turn on the radio and scan stations to listen to different genres. Challenge your child to pick out different instruments or count the number of different sounds he or she hears in a song.