Today’s preschool storyhour was dedicated to the five senses. We did a reverse storytime: activity/craft first. The reading last.
The normal group was not in attendance which actually worked to my advantage. Since today’s group was smaller there was no pulling of Miss Rachée in 18 different directions.
I set up exploration/discovery stations for each sense and let the kids go. I love stations. (When I go to workshops, classes, etc I always enjoy any where I can move from place to place.) At each station there were stickers for the kids to use on a sheet to mark off each sense that they used.
EARS
Hearing station.
Musical instruments for their pleasure. The library has Grandkits for check-out and the kit I used was the musical kit. Bells, rhythm sticks, a triangle and he like.
SMELL
Scent station.
I gathered some seasonings, labeled them 1-4 and had the group smell each one.
I used cumin, oregano, cinnamon and vanilla.
TOUCH
Feeling station.
There was an example of braille for each kid to touch. Two small paper bags filled with a variety of objects: feathers, pipe cleaners, felt pieces, string, plastic bugs, foam pieces, jingle bells.
The kids were asked to describe what they felt and what other senses they had to use.
SEEING
Art and colors.
I used a variety of books with trick photos to promote seeing: Walter Wick’s Can You See What I See?, Jean Marzollo’s I Spy, Joan Steiner’s Look Alikes. I also had available Menena Cotton’s The Black Book of Colors which is a very cool book about a blind kid experiencing colors. I used the color name game (colors are written in a different color and the kids had to read the name of the color, not what they see).
I also had an activity where the kids could explore colors by decorating bookmarks.
TASTE
While I read Emma Dodds’ Dogs Day Out and Mark Brown’s Arthur’s Eyes the kids had apple juice and strawberries. (Yum)
Crafts:
The shaker eggs that I didn’t make last week (touch and sound) and the book marks (seeing and touch).
I had fun. Since the group was small (a total of 8 kids, 6 adults) but due to the plethora of adults I wasn’t doing my chicken run and was able to mingle.
The kids LOVED the stickers, The musical station and the strawberries and juice. I loved that they were so enthused to visit each station, experience a different type of library event and the adults were into it.
No negatives; since I have been cleaning up as I go it took me all of 20 minutes to get it all together.
Exploring a new taste,
-r
I homeschool and have never thought of the idea of different stations. We do end up “doing” school in different rooms throughout the year, but it might be nice for my daughter if the day were even divided up. Thanks for the idea!
And thanks for sharing with Best Posts!
Thank you Vicki!
I always think that the library should be an experience and I like to mix it up.
I really appreciate the opportunity to participate in BPOTW.
-r
I homeschool and have never thought of the idea of different stations. We do end up “doing” school in different rooms throughout the year, but it might be nice for my daughter if the day were even divided up. Thanks for the idea!
And thanks for sharing with Best Posts!