How Do Our Senses Work?
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore how our senses work through fun examples and engaging conversation!
About this story
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore how our senses work through fun examples and engaging conversation!
What you'll learn
- Identify the five human senses
- Understand how senses help us explore
- Recognize the importance of each sense
Owlo! Owlo! I have the most exciting news. I picked a flower from the garden on my way here today!
Oh, how wonderful, Koko! What kind of flower did you find?
It is a big yellow one. It smells really, really good. I kept sniffing it the whole walk over!
It sounds like your nose was working very hard this morning.
My nose was doing a lot. But my eyes were busy too, because the color was so bright and pretty.
You know, Koko, you just used something very special without even realizing it.
I did? What did I use?
You used your senses! Can you guess how many senses we have?
Umm, maybe three? Smelling, seeing, and... eating?
That is a very good try! We actually have five senses. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
Five whole senses! That is a lot. What do they all do?
Each sense helps you learn about the world around you. Let me show you something fun. Come with me to the science lab!
Here we are! Now, Koko, close your eyes and hold out your hand.
Okay, my eyes are closed. Oh! Something feels bumpy and a little rough. What is it?
That is a pine cone from the garden. You used your sense of touch just now. Your skin felt the shape and texture.
Texture means how something feels, right? Like smooth or bumpy?
Exactly right! Texture is the way something feels when you touch it. Your fingertips are very good at noticing texture.
That is so cool. My fingers are like little detectives!
I love that idea. Now, keep your eyes closed and listen carefully.
I can hear... a tapping sound? And something like water dripping?
Well done! That was me tapping on the table and the sink dripping nearby. Your ears picked up both sounds.
My ears heard two things at the same time. That is pretty amazing.
Our ears are always listening, even when we are not trying. Now, open your eyes. What do you see on this tray?
I see a lemon, some bread, and a little cup of something. Everything looks so different from each other.
Your eyes noticed the colors, the shapes, and the sizes. That is your sense of sight doing its job.
So my eyes, ears, nose, and fingers are all sending messages. But where do the messages go?
They all go to your brain! Your brain is like the boss. It collects all the messages and helps you understand what is happening.
So my brain is getting messages all day long from everywhere?
Every single moment, yes. Even right now, your brain knows the floor is hard, the room smells like paper, and my voice sounds friendly.
Whoa. My brain is really busy. I should probably say thank you to it.
I think your brain would appreciate that very much. Now, before we finish, can you tell me what you learned today?
Okay! So we have five senses. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. They all help us learn about the world around us. Our skin feels textures, our ears hear sounds, our eyes see colors and shapes, our nose smells things, and our tongue tastes. And all the messages go to our brain, which is the boss of everything. Next time I want to learn about how the brain actually understands all those messages. That sounds really interesting!
That was a perfect summary, Koko. Your brain did a wonderful job today, just like always.
