Sensorial materials help children refine their senses and form cognitive skills through classification and comparison. Children explore differences in size, colour, texture, shape, weight, sound, taste, and smell. These activities not only support cognitive development but also lay the groundwork for mathematical and scientific exploration by helping children recognize patterns, make comparisons, and develop logical thinking skills.
Key Skill Areas:
• Visual and tactile discrimination
• Spatial awareness
• Pattern recognition
Activity Examples:
Visual Sense:
- Pink Tower – size differentiation
- Brown Stair – width and thickness comparison
- Colour Tablets – exploring colour gradients
Tactile Sense:
- Touch Boards – rough vs. smooth textures
- Fabric Boxes – identifying materials by touch
Auditory Sense:
- Sound Cylinders – matching sounds by pitch and volume
- Bells – differentiating musical tones
Olfactory & Gustatory Sense:
- Scent Jars – identifying scents like lavender, cinnamon, or lemon
- Taste Tests – distinguishing sweet, sour, bitter, and salty
Mathematical Precursor Activities:
- Geometric Solids – understanding 3D shapes
- Knobbed Cylinders – visual and tactile grading of size
