5 Senses

Not only are these types activity fun for most ages (kids and adults), they are useful in stimulating the different areas of the brain as well!  Learning new things is very important in keeping your brain fit at all ages. These activities can be done over and over just be using different objects.

Sight – make sure to pick up everything that you could step on around the house. With a blind fold on lead the person around the house slowly guiding them so they won’t fall or run into anything, have them say out loud from memory where they think they are or what objects are around them as they move about from room to room.  As the person is more and more familiar with the area, a more advanced version would be to allow them to go around blindfolded on their own and then change the position of 1 piece of furniture and see if they can determine the change.

Sound – Gather 5-7 items that have a distinct sound such as a zipper, tin foil, Velcro, 2 spoons clanking, pouring water into a cup, tearing a piece of paper, breaking a potato chip,  shutting a door, clicking a pen….

Have a group of people write down what they think each sound is as it is made. Or take turns having each person saying out loud what they think each sound is made from.

Taste- This can be done with beverages, candies, and other foods(make sure it is edible and not poisonous in anyway. Also,make sure that it in no way could be a choking hazard. This can be a way to also get your kids to try different foods or eat some veggies! Some examples include: 5 different Soda’s; kinds of cheese; adults could try mixed drinks; flavors of yogurt; fruits or veggies.

Smell –This one is the same as the others with blindfold on the person being tested – offer different non-harmful objects that have a smell:  dryer sheets; lotion; gum; spices; candles; soap; 

Touch- It isn’t necessary to be blindfolded for this test, instead use a small paper bag and place an object in it having each person put their hand into the bag to feel what it is that might be in there. Examples: ball of tape; wooden block; Lego; super ball; silly putty; bobby pin; paper clip; toy car