Hobbies And Interests
Smelling Bag
The smelling bag game is fun for children and helps them learn how their noses detect odors. To play the game, divide the class into several groups. Place a variety of strong smells, such as peppermint, cinnamon, crayons, soap, oranges, and crackers, into separate bags. Give each group of children one set of bags. Allow them to smell each bag and try to identify the smell. The winning group is the one that correctly identifies the most smells. A variation on this game is to blindfold the children and have them taste different foods and guess what they are eating.
Blind Man's Bluff
Blind Man's Bluff is an active game that works well indoors and outdoors, and allows children to learn about their sense of hearing -- while also burning off some energy. One child is the "blind man" and wears a blindfold over his eyes. The other players scatter and the blind man calls out, "blind man's" and the other players yell back, "bluff." The blindfolded child tries to find the others by following the sounds of their voices. A variation of this game is Marco Polo, which is played the same way, but in a swimming pool.
Guess What's In the Box
Guessing what an object is by feeling it helps children understand the sense of touch. To play Guess What's In the Box, fill a shoe box or opaque plastic storage container with several different items, such as a pine cone, buttons, noodles, a sock, beans, and plastic interlocking blocks. Be sure that children cannot see through the box, or into it. Set it up high enough that they have to reach over and into it to feel the objects. Divide the group of children into a couple of groups and challenge each to correctly identify as many of the objects in the box in a set amount of time. The winning team has the most right answers.
Sound Walk
Getting out into nature is an ideal learning tool for children because it engages all of their senses. A sound walk is a fun game that allows children to practice listening to sounds around them and teaches them how their ears work. To play, have the children get in a line, walk on paths in the park, and identify the sounds they hear, including birds chirping, children laughing, people talking, ducks quacking and dogs barking. Challenge the children to reproduce the sounds. This game is good for young children because it doesn't have a winner or loser. Play the game at the mall, the grocery store or the airport if the weather is not conducive to a walk.