Launchpad - Introducing the topic (10–20 mins)
Step 1Begin by discussing the five senses with the child: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.
Focus on touch and taste, explaining how we use these senses to understand the world around us.
Step 2Show the child various objects (e.g. a soft toy, a smooth spoon, a bumpy ball) and ask them to describe how each feels. Encourage them to use descriptive words like soft, hard, smooth, rough, bumpy, etc.
Discover - Exploring the topic (20–30 mins)
Step 1Prepare and place each type of food on separate plates or in small bowls. Make sure the food is cut into small, manageable pieces. Depending on the child’s age, you may like them to see the range of food being used or keep it a mystery.
Step 2Gently put the blindfold on the child, ensuring they are comfortable and cannot see. Explain that they will be using their sense of touch and taste to guess what the food items are. If the child is 2-3 years old, you may like to explain how taste buds on the tongue send messages to the brain to help us understand more about the foods we are eating.
Step 3Hand the child one food item at a time. Ask them to feel the food first and describe its texture. Encourage them to use words like smooth, sticky, crunchy, etc. Then, have them taste the food and describe the flavour. Ask questions like, ‘Is it soft or hard?’, and for slightly older children, ‘Is it sweet or salty?’.
Step 4After exploring each food item, ask the child to guess what it is. Once they make a guess, remove the blindfold and show them the food to see if they were correct.
Step 5Talk with the child about how it felt to use only touch and taste to identify the food. Ask questions like, ‘Was it easy or hard?’ and ‘Which sense helped you the most?’
Showcase
Make
Record a video documenting the activity, including interviews with those involved sharing their insights and reflections. This may include filming each step of the flower-pressing process or the child explaining the parts of the flower that they have labelled on their flower-press diagram.
Compile photos, drawings, and notes from the activity into a scrapbook, highlighting what was learned and enjoyed.
Use materials from the activity to build a model or prototype of something related to the topic, fostering hands-on learning and creativity.
Create a game related to the activity, such as a trivia game or charades, to reinforce learning in a fun way.
Play
Set up simple hands-on experiments or demonstrations that promote repeated practice, discussion and ongoing investigation.
Encourage imaginative play using clothes, toys or props related to the concept and let them role-play scenarios that reinforce their understanding.
Create a sensory box filled with materials related to the topic and let them explore, touch, feel and manipulate the items freely.
Sing songs (known or made up) and encourage dancing or movement in ways that explore or mimic the concepts being explored.
Write
If the activity involved a visit to a museum or community centre, write thank-you notes to any instructors or organisers, reflecting on what has been learned.
Collaborate on writing a fictional story or play inspired by the themes or concepts explored during the activity.
Reflect on what has been learned during the activity and write letters to be opened at a later date, sharing thoughts, goals and aspirations.
If the activity involved outdoor exploration, begin a nature journal to document future outdoor adventures and observations.
Plan
Read the story of ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ with your child. Ask them to imagine the different tastes and textures of the food the caterpillar eats throughout the book. Encourage them to make sound effects as you read, based on whether the caterpillar is eating something crunchy or smooth.
Take time to reflect on how the activity could inspire new goals, discussing ways to incorporate similar experiences into your routine in the future.
If the activity involved a specific topic or field of study, reach out to experts or professionals for interviews or Q&A sessions to deepen understanding.
If you enjoyed the activity, why not share it with other families within your community? Plan a workshop or invite a friend over to re-create the experience and share your new knowledge.