What are sensorial activities for preschoolers?
Sensorial activities for preschoolers include building the pink tower, grading the brown stair and red rods, matching and grading colour tablets, matching sound cylinders, feeling and pairing fabrics, smelling bottles, tasting jars, weighing baric tablets, and identifying objects by touch in a mystery bag. Each focuses on one sense and one quality.
What this means in practice
Many activities can be made cheaply at home or in a nursery.
Activities by sense
- Sight: colour matching, size grading
- Touch: fabric matching, mystery bag
- Hearing: sound shakers, bell matching
- Smell: spice jars
- Taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter tasting
- Weight: matching heavier and lighter
Making it local
Use local spices for smelling bottles, local fabrics for touch, and local fruits for tasting.
Practical next steps
- Choose one sense.
- Prepare a matching activity.
- Add grading when ready.
- Teach vocabulary.
ExampleA nursery in Kochi makes smelling bottles with cardamom, cinnamon, clove and pepper.
What to keep in mind
Check allergies and use small, safe amounts.
Common follow-up questions
Are sensory bins sensorial?
They are sensory play, not Montessori sensorial work.
What age?
About 2½–6.
Sources
Examples are educational illustrations with made-up names. How these answers are prepared.