April 27: Sensational Senses for Kids

We met at the Sunflower Hill Trailhead and headed up to our first sensory station: smell and taste! At the smell station Ms. Anna and Ms. Kim had containers, each with a different smell. Each child closed their eyes and smelled the contents of the containers, guessing what was inside. Everyone did a great job of guessing! We then imagined what the forest might taste like, and together, made a word map of the different tastes in the forest, which included vanilla, smoky, dusty, chocolate, and pink. 

We then wandered to our next sensory station: touch! At the touch station, Ms. Anna and Ms. Kim hid items in bags that each child reached in to feel. Next the kids played a game of memory, pairing the items they felt in the bag with a matching item that they could see. The beaver jaw was especially cool! 

On our way up the Sunflower Hill trail, we went on a scavenger hunt, using our sight to notice what was around us. We were all especially excited about the first arrowleaf balsamroot flowers of the season greeting us as we walked! 

At the top of the hill, we stopped to take in the view, eat a snack, and listen to Ms. Anna read a story about the sounds of the forest. On the way down, we found bird stuffies hidden along the trail, and we listened to the bird songs that they made! It made the walk down a little more exciting and manageable on tired feet. 

Thank you to Ms. Kim and Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook for partnering with us for this outing!