Spring is the perfect time to get outside and explore the great outdoors with creative, guided outdoor play together. Spending time outside together will help your child hone their senses and help them learn to use them, too. As our friends at Nature Cat point out, as grown-ups, we get to act as guides by asking engaging questions and sharing our own wonder and joy at the sights, smells, sounds, tastes and textures of the natural world.
Encourage your child to tune into their senses as they experience the natural wonder of what the world around them smells like, looks like, feels like, sounds like, and even maybe tastes like! How can you and your child investigate what the earth smells like after a spring rain? How can your child describe the way a warm sun feels on their skin on a cool spring day? Nature Cat and his friends often use their senses to explore their natural world. For example, in “The Great Grasshopper Race,” Nature Cat and his friends must track down a grasshopper. But because grasshoppers are small and hard to see, they have to track him using only the sound he makes. Similarly, in “Have A Grape Day,” Squeeks’ uses her sense of smell to determine that her favorite wild grapes are in trouble! Encourage children to think about how they use their senses everyday to explore and figure things out.
Questions to Ask Your Child
- Through the five senses, compare a sunny day to a rainy day with your child: What smells do you notice on a sunny day? A rainy day? How does nature look different on each of these days? What do you hear when it’s raining outside?
- What is your favorite fruit? Can you describe how it looks, feels, tastes, smells, and maybe even sounds as you eat it?
Play and Learn Together With Children 2 to 5
Children at this age thrive when learning about their senses through play. Create a sensory match game by filling a bag with shaving cream and encouraging your child to use their senses to squish and feel their way to finding different hidden objects hidden. Or, make a game of searching for textured treasures! From a prickly pine cone to a soft sweater, everything we touch has texture. How many different textures can you discover inside or outside of your house? Race the clock or race a friend with this printable scavenger hunt.
Learn Along Bingo for Ages 2-5: Five Senses
Play and learn with this activity packet all about the five senses.
Smell Like a Honeybee
Help your child learn how "unbelievably" important honeybees are to the natural world.
Ruff and Smooth Scavenger Hunt
20 min activitySearch for textured treasures! Race the clock or race a friend with this printable scavenger hunt.
Play a Senses Discovery Game
25 min activityChallenge your child to identify objects using different senses!
I Spy… A Match! Sensory Bag
Have your child “spy” sight words, letters, numbers or math problems in this super squishy learning activity!
Make Easy, Two-Ingredient Play Dough
Making play dough is an amazing hands-on activity, science experiment, and boredom buster!
Play and Learn Together With Children 6 to 8
Sensory games are fun learning opportunities for older children, too! Put your nose to the test with this scent matching activity! Our sense of smell is called olfaction, and it can help children make connections with their surroundings. By using their sense of smell, kids can investigate and distinguish between different objects and materials. Or, stay up late and take a field trip together to explore the natural fun outside your front door with your own nighttime observation kit.
Learn Along Bingo for Ages 6-8: Five Senses
Play and learn with this activity packet all about the five senses.
Play a Scent Memory Game
By using their sense of smell, kids can investigate and distinguish between different objects and materials.
Smell Test: Can You Guess This Scent?
This simple, fun activity will get your child thinking about their sense of smell.
Monster Swamp Sensory Bin
30 min activityThis sensory bin is filled with different textures, objects to sort and count, and is just gross enough to delight your kids.
Nighttime is a Great Time to Explore!
25 min activityCreate a nighttime observation kit and discover the mysteries of the night!
How to Make Homemade Slime
30 min activityMake a gooey mixture that is fun to stretch and roll in this easy hands-on activity.
I Spy
The next time you’re on the road or waiting for a meal, give these classic hidden object games a mathematical twist.
DIY Nature Suncatcher
30 min activityTake your child on a nature walk collecting leaves and flowers. When you’re finished, create a suncatcher using the items they found!
Play and Learn By Myself
Elinor's Nature Adventure
Use binoculars, a magnifying glass and more to observe and discover Elinor's world!
Spina-ma-jigger
Pop! Splat! Drop! and Build! Your child can use sight and sound to explore the properties of different materials in this set of eight games from The Cat in the Hat.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
There's so much to explore when you're outside. Go on a nature walk and talk about the things you see.
Read More
The Power of Observation: Empowering Children to Use Their Senses
Inspire your young child to use their five senses to observe the world around them with the help of Elinor and friends from the PBS KIDS' series "Elinor Wonders Why."
Encouraging Kids to Enjoy Nature With All of Their Senses
Try these tips to help your kids fully enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels of nature.
6 Ways to Explore Nature With Preschoolers
Getting outside with preschoolers and exploring nature is a perfect way to learn about science. Here are six great ways from Elinor Wonders Why to explore nature with your preschooler.
How to Explore the Outdoors With Your Kids
Getting outside in the garden, farm, park or playground is good for the whole family. Here are some tips for getting outside and learning about the outdoors.
5 Engaging Questions to Discover Your Child’s Thinking
Inspired by Hero Elementary, here are five engaging questions that will help your child think and talk about their experiences as they explore.
Nature as Stress Relief for Kids
Playing in nature has a number of benefits for children. No matter where you live, here are some ways to reduce stress and anxiety by going outside.
Exploring the Seasons With The Foods You Eat
It’s helpful for kids to understand where their food comes from. The different seasons change what food is available and impact how the food tastes, too!