Activity Time: 30 minutes
Recommended Grades: Pre-K - 2
Objective: Explore the sense of touch in this at-home experiment.

• Shoebox-sized cardboard box
• Scissors or box cutter an adult can use to cut hand-sized round hole in side of box
• Old sock with the toes cut off
• Tape to secure cut-off sock to hand hole
• A variety of objects of different textures and shapes to place in the box with some duplicates. To try: keys, small plush toys, Legos, marbles, a piece of paper towel, seeds, coins, a pen cap, lids, yarn, buttons, paper clips, packing peanuts, a piece of sandpaper, rubber band, hair clip, clothespins

1. Make the box. Cut a hand-sized round hole in the box. Cut the toes off an old sock and attach to the hole so that you put your hand through the sock to feel inside the box. Your child may wish to decorate the box.
2. Gather the items to put in the box. This can be fun to do together with your child.
3. Select items to put in the box. Try it first with items your child doesn’t see; include some duplicate items.
4. Have your child feel the items in the box and describe the textures: smooth, bumpy, fuzzy, soft, hard, pointy, slippery, scratchy, etc. You can ask what else feels that way.
5. See if your child can find the duplicate items.
6. Ask if your child can identify the items, and then pull them out to check.
7. Repeat with you child selecting the items for the box, and the adult guessing.

We use all of our senses to explore the world around us. When we take away our sense of sight, we are able to concentrate more fully on how we use our touch receptors. It is important for your child to vocalize the textures they are exploring.

Key Term
Touch receptors – a sensory neuron located in your skin that sends messages to your brain.