The 4 Senses for the Early Years
1)Sense of Movement: Relates to language. Children under 5-6 are still
Discovering their bodies and mastering through their own movement.
Starting and stopping, gross motor and fine motor skills are coming about.
They need opportunities for that:
Example: Holding a pitcher of water and pouring.
Example: Sit in a chair or a bench in an upright position.
When a child knows where they are, they are able to hear where someone
Else is.
2)Sense of Touch: Physically where they meet the boundaries. Things are separate from
me and different. They touch and learn where they begin and end.
Separation anxiety can be that first awakening that “I am my own person.”
How to provide nourishing touch opportunities:
Example: Wooden and natural toys, soft, smooth
Example: Human touch, living objects, plants, garden, animals
When a child has a sense where they begin and end, they can perceive another person.
They are able to be in a group easier when they receive a lot of human connection as a
child.. Relates to Ego.
3)Sense of Balance: Develops through walking, swinging, rolling, twirling,
Example: blindfold games or peek-a-boo
Example: 5-6-7yrs bicycle or see-saw
When child is balanced, they can be balanced socially and rounded.
4) Sense of Life: Sense of our own health and inner condition. How we feel. Are we
hungry, tired, bodily functions working.
Example: potty training, are they stressed
Example: Sleep- are they getting proper sleep/naps
Nature helps secure this sense of life. Rhythms also strengthens
their sense of life. Quiet time to play. Warmth of the home enriches
child’s sense of life.