Teach young children about the sense of sight by crafting binoculars. Give each child two empty toilet paper rolls and a 2-1/2 inch by 8-1/2 inch strip of construction paper. Let the children decorate one side of the paper strip with crayons, markers and glitter. Instruct the children to apply glue to the backside of the paper strip and wrap it around the center of both toilet paper rolls to connect them together. Have the children paint the bottom edges of their binoculars and punch a hole in each side of the top. String a piece of yarn through the two holes and tie knots in the ends. Have the children wear their binoculars around their necks and use them to look at different items in the classroom.
Make paper plate tambourines to help children explore their sense of sound. Give each child two paper plates and have them color the bottom sides with paint, crayons or markers. Staple each set of plates together with the painted sides facing outward. Leave a small opening at the top. Provide bowls of dry macaroni noodles, paper clips, fruit loops, sand and rocks. Let the children choose which sound making ingredient to add to their tambourines. Have the children shake their tambourines and describe the sound they make.
Allow young children to experience different smells by creating fragrant cotton ball flowers. Fill a few baby food jars with various scented substances such as perfume, onions, cinnamon, vinegar, lemon juice, vanilla and peppermint extract. Give each child a chance to smell the items and try to guess what they are. Pass out two to three paper cupcake liners to each child. Have them glue a cotton ball to the center of each liner. Let the children choose which scent to add to their cotton balls. Help them sprinkle a few drops of the scent onto each cotton ball. Glue pipe cleaners or straws to the back of the paper liners to form stems.
Familiarize children with their sense of touch by creating texture flip books. Provide materials such as cotton balls, sandpaper, plastic wrap, leaves, yarn, silk fabric and velcro. Give each child a stack of half sheets of construction paper. Help the children glue or staple a different textured item onto each piece of paper. Have the children describe how each item feels and write their words on the page next to the item. Punch holes in the top or sides of the paper sheets and tie them together with strips of yarn to create a flip book. Ask the children to find different textures in their books and have them show you which item they turned to.
Use this craft to give children a chance to discover different tastes. Give each child a piece of paper divided into sections labeled sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Provide food items such as sugar, salt, crackers, strawberries, bananas, chocolate chips, lemons and black pepper. Let each child take turns tasting the different foods. Ask them to describe how they taste and then draw a picture of the item in the appropriate box. Allow them to color their posters and then hang them on a classroom bulletin board to display their work.