What are sensorial exercises?

Answered by Willian Lymon

Sensorial exercises are activities designed to stimulate and refine a child’s senses. These exercises allow children to explore and make sense of the world around them by engaging their senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. By providing opportunities for sensory exploration, these exercises help children develop their sensory perception and discrimination skills.

One example of a sensorial exercise is a sound matching activity. In this exercise, the child is presented with a set of objects or pictures that produce different sounds when shaken or tapped. The child is encouraged to listen carefully and match the sounds to the corresponding objects or pictures. This activity helps children develop their auditory discrimination skills, as they learn to identify and differentiate between different sounds.

Another example of a sensorial exercise is a smell recognition activity. In this exercise, the child is presented with a variety of scents, such as flowers, spices, or fruits. The child is encouraged to smell each scent and identify it by name or description. This activity helps children develop their olfactory discrimination skills, as they learn to recognize and differentiate between different smells.

Texture exploration activities are also common sensorial exercises. For example, the child may be given a set of objects with different textures, such as smooth, rough, soft, or hard. The child is encouraged to touch and feel each object, describing its texture and comparing it to the other objects. This activity helps children develop their tactile discrimination skills, as they learn to recognize and differentiate between different textures.

Sensorial exercises are often presented in a structured and systematic way, allowing children to gradually explore and refine their senses. Montessori education, for example, emphasizes the importance of providing a prepared environment that offers a wide range of sensorial experiences. This allows children to develop their senses and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Personal experiences with sensorial exercises can vary greatly depending on the individual and the specific activities involved. However, many individuals can recall engaging in sensorial activities during their early childhood education. These activities often left a lasting impression, as they provided a hands-on and interactive way to explore and learn about the world.

Sensorial exercises are activities designed to stimulate and refine a child’s senses. These exercises engage the senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch, allowing children to explore and make sense of the world around them. By providing opportunities for sensory exploration, these exercises help children develop their sensory perception and discrimination skills.