Kids in pre-K or early elementary school will undoubtedly spend some time on the 5 senses.
For any rusty parents, that’s:
- Sight
- Smell
- Touch
- Taste
- And sound
What better way to learn and demonstrate these concepts than with a 5 Senses themed Show and Tell day?!
The only problem is, as all parents know, you’re bound to get roped into helping your child figure out what to bring and bring (and how to present it) for 5 senses show and tell.
If you’re feeling stuck, here are a few ideas to get you started:
- A drawing or painting (Sight, Touch, or All 5)
- A flower from the garden (Smell, Sight & Touch)
- Their favorite toy (Sight, Touch, Sound)
- A healthy food or snack (Taste, Smell)
- A musical instrument (Sound)
- Scented Play-Doh (Touch, Smell)
- A book about senses (All 5)
- A Mr. Potato Head toy (All 5)
- A magnifying glass or microscope (Sight)
- A collection of different textures (Touch)
Let’s take a look at each of these and some tips to help your child wow their teacher and classmates on Show and Tell day.
A drawing or painting (Sight, Touch or All 5!)
Kids love showing off their own creations, so one unique idea for Show and Tell is to have your child bring in an original drawing.
It can be a drawing of anything, and help them use their sense of Sight to describe the drawing in detail.
What colors did they use? What kinds of lines and shapes are part of the drawing?
You can even have your kindergartener or elementary student draw a person, with an emphasis on the parts of the body that facilitate our 5 senses:
Have them point out the mouth on their drawing (taste), ears (sound), hands (touch), and so on.
Take things up a notch by creating art with three dimensions using different types and textures of material to incorporate Touch into the presentation.
A flower from the garden (Smell, Sight & Touch)
Depending on the season and where you live, a flower from near your house is a perfect Show and Tell idea for the 5 senses.
Your child can start by presenting it to the class and describing it visually — go over the colors, shapes, lines, and patterns on the flower.
Then, have them describe how it smells. Is it a strong smell? Sweet? Sour? Pleasant or unpleasant?
Does the smell remind them of anything else?
If there aren’t any flowers around, look for a pine cone or another fun keepsake from nature.
Their favorite toy (Sight, Touch, Sound)
If you’re in a pinch, grab just about anything from your child’s play area!
No matter what toy they choose, it’s easy to describe:
- What it looks like (colors, patterns, lines, and more)
- What it sounds like (does it make music? Action noises?)
- And how it feels (rough, smooth, hard, soft, etc.)
A healthy food or snack (Taste, Smell)
Approve this with the teacher ahead of time!
Bringing a homemade snack to share with the class, if you’re allowed, is a wonderful Show and Tell idea.
Not too many people will be bringing something everyone can taste!
Have your child describe the taste in detail: Sweet, salty, savory, bitter, sour, sugary, and more.
The snack might even have a smell they can describe, as well.
Some classes won’t allow any homemade treats due to allergy concerns, so look for nut-free pre-packaged snacks from the store. And again, ask the teacher is this is allowed before you send anything to school.
A musical instrument (Sound)
If your child has a simple drum, xylophone, keyboard, ukelele, harmonica, or other small instrument laying around, consider using it for 5 senses Show and Tell.
The obvious choice here is describing the sound it makes: Is it loud or soft? High pitched or low?
Your child can also describe how the instrument looks, feels, or even smells!
Scented Play-Doh (Touch, Smell, Sight)
Bring in a scented Play-Doh creation or sculpture and your child will have plenty to talk about.
Have them describe the feel of Play-Doh: Is it soft or hard, rough or smooth?
Then, how does it smell? Does the smell remind you of anything from real life?
What did they create out of the Play-Doh? Have them describe it visually using shapes, colors, and patterns.
A book about senses (All 5)
Chances are good that you have a few children’s books laying around about:
- The 5 senses
- Or the body parts that facilitate the 5 senses
For example, in our house we love reading the early Dr. Suess books in “My Big Book of Beginner Books About Me” (Amazon link) — with hilarious stories and poems that tackle teeth, feet, ears, eyes, and more.
Have your child practice reading aloud at home so they can put on a stellar performance during Show and Tell.
A Mr. Potato Head toy (All 5)
Do you have a Mr. Potato head toy somewhere in the toy bin?
Dig it out and send it to school!
These toys are perfect as a visual aid as your child demonstrates his understanding of the 5 senses in class.
Let them have some fun by swapping in different eyes, mouths, ears, and more as they share what they’ve learned about our senses.
A magnifying glass or microscope (Sight)
If you have a simple magnifying glass, or a basic microscope that can travel safely, it might be a perfect Show and Tell idea.
Send your child to school with a few cool objects they examine up close, like:
- Coins
- Fabric
- Buttons
- And more
Have them describe what they see using the microscope or magnifying glass.
What textures, shapes, or patterns can they see up close? How does it look different than just viewing the object normally?
A collection of different textures (Touch)
You can also fill a small box with different textured objects from your home.
Include some:
- Cloths
- Towels
- Sandpaper
- Stuffed animals
- Coins
- Playing cards
- And more
Bonus points if you can create a small opening in the top of the box, so kids can reach in and feel around without seeing everything inside.
Have your child pass the box around the class for their classmates to explore their sense of touch.
Wrapping Up
Show and Tell is a wonderful teaching tool that gets every kid in class excited.
It’s no wonder so many teachers use it to demonstrate concepts — if your child is learning about the 5 senses in school, don’t be surprised if they bring home a Show and Tell assignment!
Hopefully these ideas help get your creative juices flowing — but what did we miss? What’s the best 5 senses Show and Tell idea you have?
For more guides like this, check out:
Hope this helps!