Sensory Walk

Materials:

Nature Journal, writing utensil of choice, a nature walk

Activity:

Go on a hike and use all 5 senses to experience nature. Touch the petals of a flower or feel the temperature of a stream, watch a sunset or look up into the branches of a tree in full daylight, listen to the sound of crickets or birds, smell the grass or dirt of the forest floor, and taste berries (if you are confident in identifying them in the wild) or bring along some berries, nuts or seeds local to your area.

Younger: 

Have younger children name their senses as you do each observation.

Older:

Older kids can describe each of their observations in their nature journal with descriptive language or drawings.

Take it Further:

Have a mini-lesson on the senses or how to identify berries in the wild. How we get better information about our environment when we use more of our senses but how we need to be cautious of the things we know are dangerous.

Click the image above for a Free sense worksheet to go with the popcorn activity described in the Take it Further section.

This is also a great chance to teach your children to watch out for poison berries, ivy, devils club, or fuzzy caterpillars. 

The book “My Five Senses” is THE book to read when teaching preschool/kindergarteners about their senses. I personally love to do this book and then pop some popcorn. Ask them what they hear, see, feel, smell and taste as it pops and they sample it.

These walks are really great for ANY age though and older kids will appreciate learning new ways to use their senses to make nature observations. That being said, do not sample any berries in the wild unless you are completely confident in your ability to identify them correctly. I’ve included one of my favorite berry ID books below but often will just bring blueberries or raspberries along as a special treat to make sure we find something to taste that I know are safe.