A Touchy Case: Making Observations with Our Sense of Touch

I’ve got a quick little science activity for you today. It focuses on your sense of touch.

Here’s what you need:

Objects to touch {use objects familiar to your children} — Here are a few suggestions:

Sponge
Rubber glove
Animal toy
Marble
Play-doh
Rock
Aluminum foil
Cotton Balls/swabs
Checker

A bag or container in which to place the objects

Procedure:

Place objects in a bag or container. {Children shouldn’t be able to see the objects.}
Have your child reach into the bag and touch an object.
Have him/her describe the object and try to say what it is.

Modifications for younger children:

Don’t use a bag. Select objects with various textures, shapes, and colors. Talk about each object with your little one.

Place just one object in the bag at a time. That way you can tailor your questions to the object in the bag.

Questions to ask:

What does the object feel like? {very open ended}
What shape is the object (is it round, square, irregular…)?
What is the texture of the object (soft, hard, rough, squishy…)?
What do you think the object is?

The Science Behind It:

You are practicing making observation – a valuable science skill. Try to get your kiddos to be as descriptive as possible .

Secondly, talk about your sense of touch. Your sense of touch is found all over your body. You have nerve endings in your skin and other parts of your body. Why are your fingers the most sensitive areas to touch? They have the most nerve endings.

Pair this activity with a touchy feely book (you know the ones with textures or animal fur to touch) for some added sense of touch fun!

Happy Science Learning!