Is Your Child Observant? | Terra Minds

Why Being Observant Matters

Being observant is an important disposition because it helps your child be mindful of the details and happenings around them and within themselves. The ability to collect critical information empowers them to make better decisions. Being observant accelerates learning. If your child is observant, they will be able to engage their five senses to be aware of and make sense of their surroundings. 

What Are The 5 Senses?

Visual (Sight)

We use our eyes to process everything we see (e.g. shapes, colours, distances).

Auditory (Hearing)

Our ears receive sound signals from our surroundings. Our brain interprets them according to their characteristics, such as pitch (high or low), volume (loud or soft), and direction (near or far).

Olfactory (Smell)

We use our noses to pick up the scents around us. We are able to detect and identify scents based on their intensities (e.g. subtle, pungent) and notes (e.g. citrus, woody, floral).

Tactile (Touch)

Our skin allows us to detect the characteristics of the items we touch. This includes temperatures (e.g. icy or warm), pressures (e.g. hard or soft), and textures (e.g. rough, smooth).

Gustatory (Taste)

We can identify different flavours (e.g. sweet, umami, salty) with our taste buds.

How Do We Nurture Observation Skills @ Terra Minds?

We adopt a hands-on learning approach for preschoolers in our two programmes – Young Scientist Programme (YSP) and Junior Robotics Programme (JRP). We provide guidance and a variety of activities and resources to encourage children to test out their theories, and in the process, make new discoveries.

Look at how immersed our YSP students were in their science experiment!

Our JRP students observing how their codes translate to the movement of the robots!

You Can Play A Part Too!

Here are two hands-on learning activities. Look out for the freebies! 

#1: I ‘Sense’ Game 

Inspired by the classic ‘I spy’ game, here are some ideas to spice things up on your next outdoor adventure.

To increase the challenge, you can…

• Replace the keyword with hints (incorporating other senses)

  • “I smell something tangy on a plant with green leaves!” (Sense: Sight)

  • “I taste a sweet and slimy vegetable…” (Sense: Touch)

  • “I hear the sound of something crunchy…” (Sense: Taste)

• Incorporate science/robotics concepts

  • “I hear something barking on my right!” (Concept: Direction)

  • “I see condensed water vapour in the sky…” (Concept: Water cycle)

  • “I feel a hard twig under my elbow.” (Concept: Body parts)

#2: Nature Bingo

Go on a scavenger hunt with your child with this template. Be creative - explore these items with different senses (where applicable)! Check off the items once you find them.

Of course, you are not limited to these items! Here is an empty template for you to get creative with your child.