Spring is here, the Easter school holidays are coming up fast, longer, warmer days are approaching, so here’s five fun sensory ideas to try with your children to help them get out and explore and think about Spring!
See
Spring is the time when all the wildlife wakes up after the winter. If you have a garden or can get to a local park, you will be able to find all sorts of creatures from creepy-crawlies hiding under stones to beautiful birds, and maybe some animals like a squirrel or even a fox.
See how many different creatures you can find and try drawing a picture of them to help you remember what they looked like. The Wildlife Watch website might be able to help you identify what you’ve seen: https://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/wildlife-zone/identify-wildlife
Hear
Depending on where you live, you might be able to hear birds singing. This can be increasingly common in the spring. If you have a local park, or if birds visit your garden, listen to hear their songs. How many different ones can you hear?
If you want to identify what birds you heard, or if you can’t hear the birds near you because of other noise, here’s the RSPB ‘Bird song identifier’ website that can help you!
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-songs/what-bird-is-that/
Smell
Either in your garden if you have one, or in a local park, find some spring flowers. There are likely to be crocuses, daffodils, maybe even some tulips. Smell their scent and enjoy how lovely it smells. How many different flowers can you find? Take photos of them so that you can remember them all.
To help identify what flowers you have found and smelled, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has a website which can help: https://schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk/Resources/Spotter-Guide/Spring-flower-spotter
Touch
While you are out in the garden or the park, can you find some different things to touch, like a piece of bark, a pine cone, a smooth stone, a snails shell, a dandelion, or some grass to stroke.
Try and find as many natural touch sensations as you can. You could also have a go at the ‘Spring Guess? Bags’ idea here: https://simpleplayideas.com/sense-of-touch-activity-touch-of-spring
Taste
Once you’ve got back indoors from your spring adventure, maybe you could try some taste activities too. Have a selection of different taste sensations, something sweet (maybe some Easter chocolate or some honey), something sour (maybe a lemon or some sour haribos), something salty (some crisps or snacks), something savoury (some cheese).
Have some different fruit and veg options in there too. What taste sensations do they prefer? Here’s a simple tasting exercise that might help: https://www.patiencefruitco.com/en-us/the-patience-club/tasting-exercise/
I hope you have fun exploring Spring through your senses together!
Happy Spring!
Mark
See also:
Spring Is Coming!
https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com/2022/03/04/spring-is-coming/
Make A Natural Autumn Fiddles Box
https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com/2021/11/21/autumn-fiddles-box/
The Additional Needs Blogfather 