Spotlight on Sensory Awareness

As Valentine's Day approaches, we are reminded of the warmth that springtime will usher in. Before you know it, March will be here! As the seasons change, all of our senses are engaged - from the sunrise, to the fresh smell of rainfall, to the crunch of leaves underneath our feet - there are so many 'events' that our senses take part in. Teach children to appreciate nature by simply taking the time to celebrate the changing of the seasons and make each a learning opportunity about the five senses.

Find several FREE age-appropriate activities for your young learners for developing sensory awareness at Infant and Toddler QuickSource®.

Here's an activity to try today, called That Smells. This experience correlates to correlates to Developmental Guideline: EA6: Notices Differences in Temperature, Smell and Taste.

Experience: That Smells

Let's Get Started:
1. The caregiver should always give children an opportunity to experience different smells.

2. Choose smells that are not strong, but pleasant and make an attempt to allow the child to smell the fragrance.

3. For example, the teacher can let a child smell a particular food or flower and comment on the smell. The caregiver may want to model smelling the smell.

4. The caregiver should try to avoid using strong or unpleasant smells with the infant.