Lesson Plan
Mindful Explorer Journey
Students will be able to identify and engage with their five senses to enhance present moment awareness.
Learning to pay attention to our senses helps us understand what's happening around us and inside us. This makes us feel calmer, more focused, and better able to handle big feelings.
Audience
Kindergarten
Time
35 minutes
Approach
Through engaging games and activities, students will explore their senses.
Materials
Senses Safari Slides, What Do You Hear Game, Taste and Texture Detective, Body Scan Adventure, Small objects with different textures (e.g., cotton ball, smooth stone, rough sandpaper, soft fabric), Various foods for tasting (e.g., apple slices, cracker, raisin - check for allergies), and Blindfolds (optional)
Prep
Prepare Materials
15 minutes
- Review the Mindful Explorer Journey Lesson Plan and all linked materials.
- Gather small objects with different textures for the Taste and Texture Detective Activity.
- Prepare various foods for tasting for the Taste and Texture Detective Activity (e.g., apple slices, cracker, raisin - ensure to check for any student allergies beforehand).
- Ensure projector/screen is ready for Senses Safari Slides.
- Familiarize yourself with the script for What Do You Hear Game and Body Scan Adventure Warm-Up.
Step 1
Introduction: Mindful Me Explorers (5 minutes)
5 minutes
- Begin with the Body Scan Adventure Warm-Up to get students centered.
- Introduce the idea of being a 'Mindful Me Explorer' using Senses Safari Slides (Slide 1-2).
- Explain that mindful explorers use their senses to discover the world around them.
Step 2
Hearing Hunt: 'What Do You Hear?' Game (10 minutes)
10 minutes
- Lead the class in the What Do You Hear Game (Slide 3-5).
- Guide students to close their eyes and listen to sounds inside and outside the classroom.
- Discuss the sounds they heard, emphasizing listening without judgment.
Step 3
Tactile & Taste Trek: 'Taste and Texture Detective' Activity (15 minutes)
15 minutes
- Transition to the Taste and Texture Detective Activity (Slide 6-8).
- Have students explore different textures using their hands (and optionally, blindfolds).
- Introduce various safe foods for tasting, focusing on texture, flavor, and how it feels in their mouth.
- Encourage descriptive language for both touch and taste experiences.
Step 4
Wrap-Up: Sharing Discoveries (5 minutes)
5 minutes
- Bring the class back together for a brief discussion (Slide 9).
- Ask students what their favorite sense exploration was and why.
- Remind them that they can be 'Mindful Me Explorers' anytime, anywhere, by paying attention to their senses.
Slide Deck
Welcome, Mindful Me Explorers!
Get ready to use your super senses!
Welcome explorers! Today we're going on an adventure to discover our amazing senses. Let's get ready to notice things around us.
What are our Senses?
We have 5 amazing senses that help us explore the world:
- Sight (eyes)
- Hearing (ears)
- Touch (hands/skin)
- Taste (tongue)
- Smell (nose)
Ask students what senses they know. Briefly introduce the 5 senses.
Adventure 1: The Hearing Hunt!
Close your eyes (if you feel safe and comfortable). What sounds can you hear? Inside the room? Outside the room?
Transition to the What Do You Hear Game. Explain that we're focusing on our hearing sense first. Encourage silence and active listening.
What Did You Hear?
Share the sounds you noticed with a partner or the class.
Were there quiet sounds? Loud sounds? Sounds far away? Sounds close by?
After the listening activity, prompt students to share what they heard. Emphasize that all sounds are okay, and we're just noticing.
Our Ears Help Us Notice!
Our ears are like super microphones, helping us hear so many things! We can practice mindful listening by just paying attention to sounds around us.
Reinforce the idea of mindful listening.
Adventure 2: Touch & Taste!
Our hands and tongue are incredible detectives! They help us figure out how things feel and taste.
Transition to the Taste and Texture Detective Activity. Introduce the idea of using our touch sense first.
Texture Detectives!
Feel the different objects. How do they feel?
- Smooth?
- Bumpy?
- Soft?
- Rough?
- Warm? Cold?
Begin the touch part of the activity. Distribute different textured objects. Emphasize describing without judgment.
Taste Testers!
Now, let's try some food!
- How does it taste?
- What does it feel like in your mouth?
- Is it sweet, sour, crunchy, soft?
Move to the taste part of the activity. Distribute small food items (after checking allergies). Guide students to slowly taste and notice.
You Are a Mindful Me Explorer!
You have amazing senses to explore the world!
Remember, you can be a Mindful Me Explorer anytime, anywhere, by just noticing what your senses tell you.
Conclude the lesson by asking students to reflect on their favorite sense exploration and how they can be mindful explorers every day.
Game
What Do You Hear? A Mindful Listening Game
Explorer Mission:
Your mission, Mindful Me Explorers, is to use your super listening ears to discover all the sounds around you!
How to Play:
- Find Your Listening Spot: Everyone finds a comfortable spot to sit quietly. You can close your eyes if you feel safe and comfortable, or just look down at your knees.
- Be Super Still: Try to be as still and quiet as a statue.
- Listen, Listen, Listen! For the next few minutes, just listen to all the sounds you can hear. Don't try to guess what they are, just notice them.
- Teacher Note: Allow 1-2 minutes of quiet listening.
- Share Your Sounds: When time is up, gently open your eyes. We will share some of the sounds you heard.
- What sounds did you notice inside our classroom?
- What sounds did you hear from outside our classroom?
- Did you hear any sounds that were very quiet? Or very loud?
- What sounds did you notice inside our classroom?
Mindful Explorer Tip:
Remember, there are no "right" or "wrong" sounds. Every sound is just a sound, and our job is just to notice it with our amazing ears!
Activity
Taste and Texture Detective: A Sensory Exploration
Explorer Mission:
Your mission, Mindful Me Detectives, is to use your super hands and curious tongues to explore how different things feel and taste!
Part 1: Texture Treasures (Touch)
How to Explore:
- Mystery Bag! (Optional: Teacher can put objects in a bag for students to reach in and feel without seeing first, or use blindfolds.)
- Feel Carefully: When you get an object, first just feel it with your hands. Close your eyes if that helps you focus.
- What do you notice?
- Is it soft or hard?
- Is it smooth or bumpy?
- Is it rough or squishy?
- Does it feel warm or cool?
- Is it soft or hard?
- Share Your Discoveries: Share with a partner or the class how your object felt. Use descriptive words!
Materials Needed for Part 1:
- A variety of small objects with different textures (e.g., cotton ball, smooth stone, rough sandpaper, soft fabric, wooden block, rubber toy).
Part 2: Taste Trials (Taste)
How to Explore:
- One Bite at a Time: When you get a piece of food, look at it first. What color is it? What shape?
- Take a Small Bite: Put a small piece in your mouth. Don't chew right away! Just let it sit on your tongue for a moment.
- What do you notice?
- How does it feel on your tongue? Is it crunchy, soft, chewy?
- What flavors do you taste? Is it sweet, sour, salty, bitter (a little)?
- How does it feel to chew it?
- How does it feel to swallow it?
- How does it feel on your tongue? Is it crunchy, soft, chewy?
- Share Your Discoveries: Share with a partner or the class what you noticed about the taste and texture of your food.
Materials Needed for Part 2:
- Various safe foods for tasting (e.g., apple slices, cracker, raisin, banana slice, pretzel - ALWAYS check for student allergies beforehand and ensure foods are cut into age-appropriate pieces).
Warm Up
Body Scan Adventure: Getting Ready to Explore!
Get Comfortable:
- Find a cozy spot to sit. You can sit in your chair or on the floor. Make sure your feet are on the ground and your back is straight but relaxed.
- You can gently close your eyes if you feel comfortable, or just look down at your knees.
Our Adventure Begins:
- Feet First: Let's start our adventure by noticing our feet. Can you wiggle your toes? How do your feet feel in your shoes or on the floor?
- Legs and Knees: Now, let's move up to your legs and knees. Can you feel them touching your chair or the floor?
- Belly Breath: Put one hand on your belly. Take a slow, gentle breath in through your nose, feeling your belly get a little bigger. Then breathe out slowly through your mouth, feeling your belly get a little smaller. Do this two more times.
- Hands and Arms: Wiggle your fingers! How do your hands feel? What about your arms?
- Shoulders and Neck: Can you roll your shoulders up to your ears and then let them drop down? Gently turn your head from side to side.
- Your Face: Notice your face. Can you relax your jaw? Gently soften your eyes.
- Whole Body Awareness: Now, notice your whole body, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. How does your body feel right now?
Ready to Explore!
Take one more gentle breath. When you're ready, slowly open your eyes. You are now a super-aware Mindful Me Explorer, ready for our adventure!