Exploring Together - “Pumpkins”
Hi Camp Family!
I hope you all are enjoying this new fall weather that has recently sprung up on us!. Bring on the chilly nights, cozy clothes and all things pumpkin! Speaking of pumpkins, I am going to share a few activities that you can do to engage your child’s senses as well as teach them along the way.
Let’s Do This!
Exploring Together
This month, I will be focused on exploring together through our five senses. Sensory play is any activity that activates one or more of our senses. Petit Learning Journey writes about how this kind of play is incredibly important for learning and development in children and shares benefits that result from sensory play. Here are a few!
Sensory play supports language development! We have all heard that our experiences directly influence our learning. When we present children with the opportunity to think about what they see, hear, touch, taste and smell, they then are more likely to vocalize the thoughts and feelings that are tied to the objects in their environment. This will stimulate learning and language development, especially descriptive words!
Sensory play is inclusive! Sensory activities are not only beneficial for helping with development, but they are also calming and helpful in teaching self-regulation. Sensory play not only provides the much needed sensory input that can help with overstimulation, but can also teach individual coping skills to combat dysregulated states.
Play, using the senses, aids in developing and enhancing memory. Scientists have identified the direct correlation between our memories and the smells associated with them. Incoming smells are processed by the area of the brain that is associated with emotion and memory. Other senses, such as sight and taste do not run through these same areas, which is why smell is so successful at triggering emotions and memories. By encouraging your children to take note of the different smells around them throughout family activities, you could be helping them create memories!
Now onto the fun stuff! I know a pumpkin and it’s insides can be messy, but I encourage you to cut one open and explore the different parts of a pumpkin together! Listed below are a few ideas that you can use to help guide them in their exploration.
Touch - Oh the many textures of a pumpkin. From the hard and bumpy exterior to the slimy seeds and pulp inside.
Sight - Explore the colors and shape of the pumpkin. Talk about how they think a pumpkin grows!
Hear - Let your children bang and knock on the outside of the pumpkin. Help them figure out why it makes that sound.
Smell - Find something “pumpkin” scented in your house and talk about the differences between artificial and real pumpkin scents. Real pumpkins have a fresh, earthy aroma for your kids to experience that is different from a candle.
Taste - While you may not want to taste the raw pumpkin or seeds, you can talk about (and sample!) lots of delicious goodies made from pumpkins and their seeds. Here are some of my favorites :)
Whether your pumpkin fun includes baking and exploration, or just a night of carving jack o’ lanterns, I hope you take this time to connect with your family during this season. We love you all and have a happy fall!