TOUCH

Gardening is tactile! It’s all about digging in the dirt, sitting down in the grass, and enjoying the cool water from a sprinkler. We tell our children, “Look with your eyes, don’t touch!” when it comes gardening and plants. If space is available, I recommend that children have their own sense garden plot. There will be learning opportunities, mistakes, and lots of fun! Planting your own “Please Touch The Plants” garden of five senses is a great way for little hands to experience a wide range of textures in your yard.

What to Plant?

Many sense garden centers and home improvement stores carry a variety of succulents. There are many options for succulents such as aloe vera, lambs ear and yucca. Avoid cacti that have sharp thorns. Choose a range of textures, heights, and colors. This is a great way to learn about textures and related vocabulary.

Petal Potions Sense Garden Water Table

Sensory play with real flowers petals is great fun! It’s so much fun to give fresh cut flowers a last chance before they go to the compost pile. You can also pick wildflowers outside, or contact your local florist if you have any questions.

Plant mini gourds to make your own fall shakers, keeping an eye on the Fall. The seeds in a gourd can be dried and used to make whites plumbing a beautiful, natural musical instrument.

Plant flowers and other plants that attract songbirds in the meantime. These include daisies, marigolds, sunflowers and asters. National Geographic has a great article about other plants.

A Sound Scavenger Hunt Walk is a great way to get out and about in the nature. Are you able to hear the birds? You can hear bugs like cicadas or bees. Can you hear frogs and toads? Ducks and geese. How about man-made sounds like lawnmowers and hedge trimmers? The garden of five senses is a place we often visit to find peace and tranquility. But it is rarely quiet. You can discover the orchestra in your garden if you let your ears open.