My Five Senses
A playful matching activity introducing children to sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Children use familiar pictures to explore how we experience the world and begin connecting everyday objects with different senses.
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Learn what is needed in order to do this activity
Learn how you can adapt this activity and reuse
Learn the Benefits of this activity
What do you do:
Spread the picture tiles around the board.
Choose one picture together.
Name what you can see.
Talk about which sense you might use to experience it.
Match the picture to the appropriate section of the board.
Continue with the remaining pictures, encouraging conversation rather than focusing only on getting the answer right.
What's Needed:
Five senses wooden board
Picture tiles showing familiar objects
How to Adapt
For younger toddlers: Choose a few very familiar pictures and simply name the object and sense together, such as “banana — we taste it.”
For older children: Ask children to explain their choices and explore objects that could involve more than one sense.
Make it more open-ended: Take the activity into the real world and go on a sensory hunt, finding things children can see, hear, smell, touch or taste.
Benefits of the Activity
Builds understanding of the five senses
Develops vocabulary and communication
Encourages categorisation and logical thinking
Supports observation and reasoning
Builds connections between learning and everyday experiences
