Sensory processing and our 8 senses .... yes, 8 not 5!

This week the children were using the 5 senses we usually think of: sight (visual), taste (gustatory), touch (tactile), hearing (auditory), and smell (olfactory).

But they were also getting input from another 3 that we're possibly not so familiar with: vestibular (balance), proprioceptive (movement) and interoceptive (internal).

Vestibular input gives us information about where our head and body are in relation to space. It helps us stay upright when we sit, stand and walk. It gives us a stable field of vision and sense of equilibrium.

Proprioceptive input tells us where our body parts are in relation to each other, it helps us to feel grounded and know where we are and what we are doing. It gives us information about how much force to use when carrying out an activity eg. cracking an egg while not crushing it.

Sometimes called the hidden sense, the interoceptive system gives us the ability to feel what is happening inside our body, influencing emotions and sense of wellbeing and detects changes eg hunger and fullness, thirst, heart and breathing rates, social touch, sleepiness and much more.

https://sensorystreet.uk/about-the-project/the-eight-senses/

The weather, as always, provided us with lots of opportunities to use our senses this week from using brushes to create froth on the flagstones, to catching rainwater to help fill up the pond for the boats and ducks.

The sun allowed us to explore shadows and colours and the ingredients found in the mud kitchen were ideal to create smelly cocktails!

Our loose parts were put to great use with the construction of houses and other dwellings which then led onto the children creating their own stories that included thunderstorms, tigers and elephants.

Valentines day is just around the corner. I wonder what the children will love doing next week?