Learn to use the five senses in order to understand how to listen to the body’s nutrition and physical activity needs.
This lesson lays the groundwork, for having children talk about their food likes and dislikes by using their senses and not simply words like yummy or yucky. Encourage children to describe how things look, feel and sound. Share a healthy snack together, and model using descriptive words like sweet and sour.
NEW WORDS
Eyes: See
Fingers: Touch
Mouth: Taste
Ears: Hear
Nose: Smell
Teaching Health Through
Music & Movement
The Five Senses Song
Art
Five Senses Mask
Literacy
Music & Movement
The Hello Song
Music & Movement
The Clean-Up Song
The mask project – with materials like pompoms, pipe cleaners and feathers – offers another opportunity to draw children’s attention to their senses. Ask them to describe how the materials look and how they feel. Emphasize that they are using their hands and fingers to feel and their eyes to see.
Five Senses Mask
With younger children, feel free to read the book only halfway through, as you will have covered the five senses. Make the second half of the book an interactive experience by asking children to describe what they see.
Activities
Place three different foods on a plate. Help children describe how each food tastes, feels, and looks. Example: hard-boiled egg, pineapple slices, and whole grain crackers.
Recipes
Spread fat-free or low-fat cream cheese on whole wheat toast and place apple slices (or banana) on top.