Next Half Term Topic - The Five Senses

[Guest]

We redesigned our curriculum in September and it is The Five Sense across Foundation and Key Stage 1. I've got Rception and Year 1 and have been desparetly trying to implement a more child initiated curriculum for all of them!! Under lots of scruitiny from the LEA at the moment (Key Stage 1 SATs resluts are not as good as they should be) I am Key Stage 2 trained and been teaching Receptin and YEar 1 for 3 years....Have you got any exciting ideas for the five senses??

 

BIG THANKS

 

Sarah

[Inge]

Try previous posts here

 

Inge

[Guest]

We did textured painting last year as part of a senses topic.

Over the week we mixed different things into paint (sand, salt, porridge, then some were scented using frangranced oils, jelly crystals, herbs and spices)

Once they were dry the children were encouraged to find things to stick onto their painting to give some more textures. Each child took a bucket or bowl and roamed around the nursery looking in collage pots, out in the garden for leaves and twigs and so on. Each collage pot contained a certain texture, shiny, rough, smooth, furry, and so on. They stuck their bits on and finally we punched a hole in one corner and hung a small bell from each picture so that they could be heard too. They were hung by the main door and the staircase so that the constant movement would make the bells ring.

 

The only sense I couldn't get on there was taste, although we could have tasted the spices etc before we mixed them into the paint. Link it to the story Lucy's Picture.

 

Lucy's Picture ISBN is:

ISBN: 1852139552

[SueFinanceManager]

Hi

 

I did senses as a circle time activity.

 

Have attached my plans for you to look at. Just so you know, Spike is a puppet and Nita was a 'cultural puppet' dressed in a sari.

 

Sue

1st_Planning_Spring_2004_term.xls

[Guest]

So glad you've asked about the senses Sarah-thats our topic next half term so I've got some lovely ideas-thanks everyone My problem now is deciding which ones to do in such a short term! We have 6 weeks but the last one (and maybe more as we're a catholic school) is all about Lent and preparing for easter so we've decided to take a sense a week. We have a big non-fiction book called 'My senses' not sure who by but i'll find out if you like. We're having a Clinic as our structured play and are hoping to visit our local clinic so we can come from the angle of looking after ourselves eg when we do sight we'll also talk about the importance of looking after our eyes by getting plenty of sleep and we'll have an opticians in our clinic. We're having a 'sound area' outside which I've heard other schools have done (also in this months Nursery Ed-pots and pans etc hanging down for children to bang with spoons/ladels etc) also gonna put wind chimes outside and use cds as mobiles. Just thought-been meaning put bark chippings in outdoor sand tray and now I've found a reason why!-sense of touch-what can you find/feel that's hidden in the chippings? (could blindfold them). Hearing-pass sleigh bells or bunch of keys around circle. Blindfold one child when you ask the children to stop passing keys can blindfold child identify where they are? We link smell/taste as they really go together so this time we're making Gingerbread men. another nice thing to smell is Joss Sticks.

thanks for attching your plans sue-don't know if just my computer but the objectives were masking some of the activities and couldn't read it properly. Managed to read some though so thanks anyway

Zim

[Susan]

hi Zim

dont want to be a wet blanket but do be warned--one of my sons got a nasty splinter from handling wood chips in a playground ( the other one, badly broke his arm when he feel off a swing into a hole created by kicking feet on a woodchip saftey surface,) so not my favourite material!

Also Joss sticks give me a migraine.

[Guest]

We made salt dough and added different textures - porridge etc. Also added different colourings and scents - lemon, vanilla, and chocolate. The salt dough was really popular and the children discussed the textures and smells so were using the vocab they'd been learning and were demonstrating that they were using their senses.

 

Harricroft

[Guest]

Thanks susan-will have to re-consider the bark chippings. Anyne got anyideas for what they're useful for other than this?

Never heard of oss sticks migraines

[Sue R]

Well, Susan, if the ones that give you a migraine are like the ones my son is currently using!! They smell like burnt, old, chicken feathers Steve!!!!! Where's the 'sick bag' one??

 

Sue

[Guest]

Dear Sue,

Couldn't agree more about the joss sticks - have never been able to find a pleasant smelling one - musty old socks - makes me feel heady too but not in the pleasant way that wine does.

 

We make blossom trees - old twigs collected from our nature walks and stick round circles of tissue paper which we (the adults) impregnate with aromatherpay oils. The children can choose them from the selection and we put them on. The smell lasts for weeks and the parents have now started requests for different coloured tissue papers to match their home decor and requests for smells as they find it a good room freshner. Possibly a too succesful activity!

Nikki

[Guest]

Saw a really nice 'sensory tent' at a pre school I visited - dark cloth covered area with a different focus each week - boxes with smells, lights of various kinds, children were asked about how different smells, sounds and lights made them feel