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- Touch<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sight<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hearing<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Smell<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Taste<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n1. Touch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Preschoolers love exploring the world with their hands, so sensory activities involving touch are always a big hit. One of the simplest and most fun activities is to set up sensory bins for your little one — simply grab a small tub or container and fill it with objects for kids to touch. You might choose items from nature, like rocks or sand, or you might go for some dry foods, like beans or rice. Make things even more exciting by adding spoons or scoops for your child to use!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More easy sensory activities involving touch include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Sandboxes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Gardening and planting<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Beading jewellery<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Water play in the bath or the garden<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Modelling clay<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n
\n \tStretch ‘n’ Smash Pig – Very Funny! ,<\/span>\n £9.99<\/span>\n <\/a>\n £9.99<\/a>\n <\/h2>\n \n
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Funny pig to squish and squash!<\/h4>\n
Perfect for sensory play on the go, this funny pig is filled with tactile sand that holds its shape. Pinch, squeeze and stretch him to change his form and create some hilarious expressions. Even better, toss him on the floor and he lies flat like a pancake! Simply poke him back into shape to play again. Very satisfying and suitably squishy.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n2. Sight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There’s a lot to see in the world, and children love taking it all in with their eyes! One of the simplest ways to activate your child’s sense of sight is to look at picture books together. Make things even more engaging by challenging your child to identify different colours, shapes or objects within favourite books. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additional ‘sight’ sensory activities include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Going for a nature walk<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Playing blindfold games<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Playing ‘I Spy’<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Visiting a museum or gallery to look at art<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Playing with disco balls and light projectors, like this cool animal one:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n
\n \tAnimal Torch and Projector ,<\/span>\n £7.99<\/span>\n <\/a>\n £7.99<\/a>\n <\/h2>\n \n
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Projects images of animal wildlife around your room!<\/h4>\n
This super-cool animal projector torch is a wonderful way for children to use their sense of sight! Darken the room, focus the torch and then see amazing images of animals projected, up to a metre wide, on the walls and ceilings. There’s giraffes, elephants, alligators and many more… It’s like going on a safari! Once you’re done projecting, you can remove the slides and use this handy little gadget as a normal torch. A fabulous sensory toy for animal-lovers!<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n3. Hearing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Want an easy activity to engage your four-year-old’s sense of hearing? The simplest way (and probably the most fun) is listening to music! Put on some of your favourites or try out some new songs — bonus points for genres of music you don’t normally listen to: jazz, world music, classical… Help your child identify the beat and if you’re feeling very adventurous, encourage them to play along by pounding on a drum or shaking a maraca. Music party!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More fun sensory activities to engage your child’s sense of hearing include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Playing with toys that feature sound effects<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Playing ‘listening’ guess games – for instance, have a child close their eyes and guess what you’re doing (tearing a piece of paper, banging a spoon on a mixing bowl, popping a piece of bubblewrap…)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Listening to audiobooks<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Playing musical instruments, like this one:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n
\n \tHarmonica Set ,<\/span>\n £14.99<\/span>\n <\/a>\n £14.99<\/a>\n <\/h2>\n \n
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Learn to play a funky four-holed harmonica!<\/h4>\n
Learn to play seven well-known tunes with this clever set! The colour-coded holes correspond to the notes in the included song book. Simply blow through the metal instrument and come up with a tune! Perfect for beginners and a brilliant introduction to the world of music.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n4. Smell<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Need a fun activity to teach your child about smell? Try making some sensory smell jars! Fill some small jars (baby food jars are perfect) or cups with aromatic items: coffee, dried lavender flowers, cinnamon sticks, lemon juice… Then, sniff away! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
More great ‘smell’ sensory activities include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Encouraging your child to smell spices and other ingredients when you’re cooking and baking<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Going on a ‘smell’ walk, stopping to smell flowers and identifying other scents<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Playing with scratch and sniff toys, like this hilarious book:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n
\n \tFart Book – Rhyming Scratch and Sniff ,<\/span>\n £12.99<\/span>\n <\/a>\n £12.99<\/a>\n <\/h2>\n \n
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The nose knows…<\/h4>\n
Get ready to take in some truly interesting aromas with this hilarious rhyming board book! Kids will love lifting the flaps and scratching away to smell\u00a0the bottom burps of some adorable animals, from a unicorn to a koala. A highly original addition to any four-year-old’s bookshelf, and sure to have both parents and children giggling away!<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n5. Taste<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.wickeduncle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pexels-cottonbro-4712012.jpg\")
Photo by cottonbro<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\nFinally, taste! Of course, the most straightforward way to engage your child’s sense of taste is to encourage them to help you in the kitchen. Allow your child to taste (safe to eat) ingredients when you’re cooking and baking together. Or, for a more formal sensory activity, you could put together a little flavours taste-testing session — a lemon wedge, a slice of sweet fruit, a small piece of dark chocolate… This is an excellent way to begin discussing specific flavours like sour, sweet and bitter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More fun taste sensory activities include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Taste-testing different types of one food: apples, cheese, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Spaghetti sensory play<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
For more brilliant toys & games for 4 year olds, check out what’s popular on our website<\/a>!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nDid you hear about the clown who lived in the desert? He had a dry sense of humour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Sight<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n