Enabling Environments: Let's explore ... our senses

Every day, throughout the year, there are opportunities for early years adults to support the young child's natural disposition to learn using all their senses. This involves practitioners in doing what they already do well: observing, listening, following and facilitating as children go about the business of exploring their world. Responding in this spontaneous way enables adults to meet the individual needs of all children in their care, adapting experiences where necessary.

This article doesn't present 'the senses' as a topic or theme. It is concerned with acknowledging and celebrating the here and now and being aware and available to share the enjoyment and pleasure of the wonders that are all around.

WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY?

The weather, rain or shine, offers wonderful opportunities for children to explore using all their senses.

Rain, rain, go away

Watch the rain trickle down the windows. Follow the trickles with a finger. Cover up and go outside. Feel the rain on upturned faces and outstretched hands. Taste raindrops on lips and fingers. Run and feel the force of the rain. Stop, and listen to the sound of the rain. Hear it pattering on the ground, splashing in puddles, trickling down drainpipes, gushing into drains. Look at raindrops glistening on leaves and branches and watch as they drip. Touch the shiny surfaces and smell the wet leaves, twigs and grass. Collect rain in tins, jars, buckets. Listen to the sound as the containers fill up. Smell the air during and after a downpour. Hear and feel the grass squelch as booted feet explore, and see soil transformed to mud to be stamped in and stirred with sticks. Jump into puddles and hear the splash. Drop stones in and see circles appear. Push leaf and twig boats across the surface. Look for rainbows when the sun shines. Put up umbrellas and hold tin trays over the children's heads. Watch the rain come down. Listen, touch, see, smell, taste.

Jack Frost is about!

Feel the icy nip on faces and see the warm breath hang in the air as it is exhaled. Look at ice patterns on leaves, grass, branches and paths. Take time to look more closely. Smell, taste, touch. Watch ice melt when warm water is poured on it, and water under broken ice. Look and wonder at icicles. Watch as they melt and drip when the sun comes out. Leave containers outside overnight filled with water. Add leaves, sticks and other natural objects and see if they have become frozen in ice the next day. Observe frost on spiderwebs. Stand still and listen to the sounds of a wintry outdoors. Crunch over frosty grass and leaves. Walk over frozen puddles and listen to the crackle of ice breaking. Smell the outdoors in winter - crisp, fresh, cold.

It's snowing!

Feel the excitement of seeing the first snow. Watch the snowflakes falling. Run, jump, slide, smell and feel. Look up to see soft flakes floating down. Feel them on faces and watch as they land and settle on hats, mittens and coats. Gather the soft, white powdery snow in un-gloved hands. Feel the cold, then the warm glow. Hold it close to faces to smell and taste. See how different everything looks under a covering of snow. Mould into snowballs to throw and build a snowman. Fill wheelbarrows, crates and boxes and pull along. Sledge down a slope, feeling cool air on faces. See trails and marks made with sticks and footprints. Look for natural patterns made by birds, animals and the wind drifting. Clear spaces to put out food and water for the birds. Watch the sun cast shadows and see the snow sparkle and glisten under its rays. Observe the snow changing to grey slush as it thaws. Listen as it squelches under foot. Smell the melting snow.

Blow wind, blow!

Look at the wind blowing trees, grass and chimney smoke. Listen as it blows things around. Feel the wind on faces and hair, and the strength as it pushes from behind. Indoors, listen as it whistles around the building, howls down chimneys, rattles windows and letter boxes. Smell the air on a windy day, watch the clouds scuttle across the sky and the birds struggling to fly. Run with streamers, chiffon scarves and kites and feel them flowing behind. Throw up leaves and see them scatter. Watch shadows dancing and feel the difference between a gentle breeze and a strong gale.

The sun has got his hat on

Experience how the sun changes through the year. Feel the warmth in spring and summer. Compare it with the cooler, brief rays in winter. See how the sun moves round during the day by observing shadows. Play shadow-chasing games. On warm days, feel the grass on bare feet. Find shady places to sit and listen to the sounds of summer. Hear birds singing, leaves rustling, insects buzzing, water trickling. Lie under a tree and see the blue sky and high white clouds through the branches. Smell the heavy perfume of flowers, and of newly cut grass, and the air after a summer shower.

LIVING THINGS

Trees

Get to know the trees in and around your setting, and watch the changes through the year. Hug a tree! With eyes closed, feel the bark. Smell the trunk. Listen to the sounds around the tree. Hug different trees and compare the textures, smells and sounds. Collect prickly conker shells to open up and reveal smooth, shiny seeds wrapped inside. Watch leaves changing colour in the autumn and see them falling to the ground. Catch them as they flutter. Run, jump, stamp and roll in the fallen leaves. Hear the rustling and crunching. Feel and smell the dead leaves. Sweep them into piles and kick them down. Load them into wheelbarrows, boxes and baskets and move them. Tip them out and start again. Compare them with the look and feel of evergreen leaves.

See the trees become bare before their winter sleep. Look at the shapes of bare branches, and branches with a covering of frost or snow. As dusk falls, see the shapes of trees against the sky. Watch as buds fatten. Feel sticky horse chestnut and soft pussywillow. See the brown twig shapes gradually change to shapes of green. Listen to branches creaking, leaves moving. Hear birds singing, squawking, cheeping. See them in spring building nests, feeding babies, pulling worms out of the ground. See the colours of their feathers, and watch as they preen. Hear the flapping of their wings. Make bird cake, thread peanuts and put out water and seed. Watch as they feed and hear them splashing in the water.

Flowers and creatures

Watch buds form and burst into flower. Look closely at the flowers. Study the shapes of petals, the delicate forms and shading. Smell the different scents and compare the different colours. Look for the long, thin stalks in the middle, and see the powdery pollen. Explore wild flower habitats, garden habitats, woodland flowers and waterside flowers. Explore the smells and tastes of a herb garden. Listen for insects searching for pollen. See how many different kinds of minibeasts there are on a plant. Carefully lift a log to see woodlice, centipedes and beetles. Feel the tickle of a spider, a creeping caterpillar, a slimy snail. Look closer. Get down on hands and knees to see the tiny creatures in the grass. Watch a spider spinning its web, worms wriggling, a snail head coming out of its shell. See it move slowly, and the silver trail it leaves. Look at the spots on a ladybird and see it lift its wings and fly away. Hear a bee humming, a fly buzzing, a caterpillar eating a leaf. Be quiet and gentle. Treat all living things with care and respect.

ADULT ROLE

• Follow the health and safety policy at all times and do appropriate risk assessments.
• Create an exciting outdoor space where adults and children can experience the seasonal year.
• Be available every day to engage with children spontaneously.
• See, hear, touch, feel and smell alongside the children.
• Nurture an awe and wonder at the seasons and living things.
• Ask open-ended questions and introduce new descriptive vocabulary.
• Wonder out loud and put into words what is being observed and experienced.
• Make the learning visible by documenting experiences throughout the year, taking photographs with the children, jotting down their responses.
• Revisit experiences on a regular basis, using the documentation, and share with parents and carers.
• Take small groups out to visit as many contrasting environments as possible, making use of whatever is available locally - parks, gardens, a hill, farms, woodlands and forests, ponds and streams. Do this throughout the year so that comparisons can be made as the seasons change.
• Provide a good selection of fiction and non-fiction books as well as poems, songs and rhymes linked to the weather, seasons and living things.
• Through continuous provision, make available resources such as weather boxes, gardening resources, selections of containers for collecting, tools for digging, pattern makers and brushes for sweeping, but most of all, time.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

The learning that comes from sensory explorations of the weather and living things spans the whole curriculum and includes:

Personal, social and emotional development

• Showing an interest through observation and participation
• Responding to experiences, showing a range of feelings
• Showing care and concern for living things and the environment
• Working together as part of a group
• Continuing to be interested, motivated and excited to learn

Physical development

• Moving spontaneously in a variety of ways
• Showing an increasing awareness of space
• Developing control and co-ordination
• Recognising the changes that happen to the body when active

Expressive arts and design

• Responding in a variety of ways to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel - for example, twisting and turning in response to the wind
• Enjoying songs and rhymes linked to the seasons and living things

Communication, language and literacy

• Listening and responding to experiences using their whole bodies eg jumping up and down with excitement, and with facial expressions, gestures and expressive sounds
• Using descriptive language such as 'squelch,' 'soft,' 'cold', trickle, 'blustery'
• Exploring mark-making in frost, snow and mud
• Developing dexterity and hand-eye co-ordination through sensory investigations
• Knowing that information can be obtained from books

Mathematics

• Exploring patterns and shapes in the natural environment
• Beginning to use mathematical language to describe shape, size and position
• Using language such as 'heavier' and 'lighter' to compare quantities
• Developing counting skills eg spots on a ladybird, falling leaves

Understanding of the world

• Using appropriate senses to explore objects, natural materials and living things
• Showing curiosity by exploring surrounding environments
• Looking closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change
• Asking questions about why things happen

RESOURCE BOX

The main resources are the children, adults and their interaction with the environment. However, having the following quickly at hand will help to extend and develop the experiences.

• 'Finding out' theme boxes such as Windy Weather, Wet Weather, Snow and Ice and a Bird Feeding Kit
• General investigation resources like magnifiers, bug boxes, mirrors, binoculars, torches, colour paddles and sunglasses
• Also useful are containers with lids and trays for collections, spoons, and empty plastic jars/tanks for minibeast habitats - for example, a wormery
• Cameras for both adult and child use, and a child-friendly tape recorder
•  A good selection of appropriate fiction and non-fiction books, songs and rhymes (see Book Box)
• Many of the basic continuous provision items available outside, such as buckets, spades and rakes, wheelbarrows, sledges, baskets, boxes and sacks, can all be made available to enhance sensory play possibilities.

BOOK BOX

James and the Rain by Karla Kuskin and Reg Cartwright (Hodder Children's Books) - This story in rhyming text tells how James goes walking in the rain and collects some animal friends that he can play excellent rainy-day games with.

Stormy Night by Hubert Flattinger and Nathalie Duroussy (North-South Books) - The commonest of things can appear very scary at night, but this reassuring picture book will help to banish children's bedtime fears.

One Windy Wednesday by Phyllis Root and Helen Craig (Walker Books) - One day, the wind blows so hard that it blows the noises out of the animals and mixes them up - making the duck say 'moo' and the cow say 'oink'!

F-Freezing ABC by Posy Simmonds (Red Fox) - Anteater, Bear, Cat and Duck are freezing cold, and so go on a journey in search of somewhere warm and cosy. On their way, they meet some weird and wonderful alphabetical creatures and sights, such as yaks playing xylophones.

Snow Bear by Piers Harper (Macmillan Children's Books) - On the first day of spring, Little Snow Bear leaves his den to explore the world outside. Exploring is fun, but Snow Bear begins to worry when he realises he is lost.

Sunshine by Jan Ormerod (Frances Lincoln Children's Books) - It's morning, and the first rays of sunlight shine into a little girl's bedroom and wake her up. A wordless picture book.

Mrs Mopple's Washing Line by Anita Hewett (Red Fox) - On a very windy day, while Mrs Mopple is indoors making the dinner, her washing is blown into the most unlikely places.

The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins (Atheneum Books) - The wind blew so hard, it took everything with it: Mr. White's umbrella, the twins' scarves, even the wig on the judge's head. But just when the wind was about to carry everything out to sea, it changed its mind! This is told in rhyming verse.

Kipper's Snowy Day by Mick Inkpen (Hodder Children's Books) - Kipper the dog finally succeeds in getting his friend Tiger to play in the snow - in the most unexpected way.

Splosh! by Mick Inkpen (Hodder Children's Books) - Join Kipper as he has fun in the rain, sploshing and splashing and squelching!

Alfie's Feet by Shirley Hughes (Red Fox) - Alfie loves jumping in puddles - not a good idea in his brown shoes. He has a great time wearing his new yellow boots, but there's still a problem - they're on the wrong feet.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle (Picture Puffin)

Spot's Rainy Day Sound Book by Eric Hill (Frederick Warne Publishers)

The Drop Goes Plop by Sam Godwin (Wayland)This is the story of the water cycle as told by a mother bird to her inquisitive youngster.

Winter Trees by Carole Gerber and Leslie Evans (Charlesbridge Publishing) Join a boy and his dog on a wintry nature walk

Sanil Trail by Ruth Brown (Red Fox)

The Rainy Day by Anna Milbourne (Usborne Publishing)

Under the Ground by Pascale De Bourgoing, Gallimard Jeunesse and Daniele Bour (First Discovery Books, Moonlight Publishing) - Peel back each laminated page to reveal the unexpected.

Worm, Spider, Snail, Bee, Ladybird, Snail (Bug Books series, Heinemann)

Changing Seasons by Henry Pluckrose (Lets Explore, Franklin Watts)

Listening & Hearing, Looking & Seeing, Sniffing & Smelling, Touching & Feeling by Henry Pluckrose (Senses series, Heinemann)

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter (Images series, Heinemann)

Tasting and Smelling by Katie Dicker (Evans Brothers) - This and the three other Senses titles in the Sparklers series - Seeing, Hearing and Touching and Feeling - include suggestions for activities.

SONGS AND RHYMES 

Out and About by Shirley Hughes

Mini Beasties by Michael Rosen (Picture Puffin)

Of Frogs and Snails by Yvonne Winer and Lyndall Stewart (Belair Publications)

Popular rhymes 'Jack Frost', 'Rain, Rain, Go Away', 'Let's Go Fly a Kite', 'Wiggly Woo', 'I Hear Thunder', 'Incy, Wincy Spider, 'Sing a Rainbow', 'The Sun Has Got His Hat On'.