Initial ideas
Kindergarten: My Five Senses Museum
Each week, students create one sensory "tool" or "artifact" to display at their final museum.
Week 1: Super Sight (Art & Optics)
Activity: DIY Binoculars. Tape two toilet paper rolls together and decorate them.
STEAM: Go on a "Nature Scavenger Hunt" to find specific shapes or colors in the yard using their new binoculars.
Week 2: Hidden Sounds (Sound Engineering)
Activity: Sound Shakers. Fill plastic eggs or small containers with different items (rice, beans, pennies).
Math: Shake them and try to guess which one is the loudest vs. quietest. Sort them in order of volume.
Week 3: The Big Build (Touch & Engineering)
Activity: Texture Rubbings & Collages. Use crayons to make rubbings of bark, leaves, and bricks. Then, build a "Texture Tower" using different materials like foil, sandpaper, and sponges.
Art: Focus on how different surfaces feel (rough, smooth, bumpy).
Week 4: Scented Science (Smell & Chemistry)
Activity: Scented Painting. Add extracts (vanilla, peppermint) or spice powders (cinnamon) to washable paint.
Science: Discuss how smells can remind us of places or memories. Paint a picture of a "Smelly Garden.
Week 5: Growing Tastes (Biology & Botany)
Activity: Ziploc Bag Gardens. Place a damp paper towel and a bean seed in a baggie.
Science: Watch the roots grow over the week. Talk about how plants give us food (vegetables/fruits) that we taste.
Week 6: The "Sense-Sational" Museum
The Setup: Use a shoebox or a small tray for each student. They place their binoculars, shakers, texture art, scented painting, and bean plant inside.
The Presentation: "The Mystery Box." Give each student 30 seconds to show one item and ask the audience, "Which sense do I use for this?" (e.g., "I use my ears for my shaker!").
Kindergarten STEAM Unit: “My Five Senses Museum” — Materials List
Week
Project
Materials Needed
Week 1
Super Sight (DIY Binoculars + Scavenger Hunt)
Toilet paper rolls (2 per student), tape, markers/crayons, stickers, colored paper, glue, string/yarn (optional for neck strap), sketch pad (draw what you saw on scavenger hunt)
Week 2
Hidden Sounds (Sound Shakers)
Plastic eggs or small containers with snap on lids, rice, beans, pennies/coins, tape (to seal), labels/stickers (optional for sorting)
Week 3
The Big Build (Texture Rubbings + Texture Tower)
Crayons (unwrapped), paper, natural items (leaves, bark), cardboard scraps, aluminum foil, sandpaper, sponges, glue, tape
Week 4
Scented Science (Scented Painting)
Washable paint, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, cinnamon or other spice powders, paintbrushes, paper, cups/palettes
Week 5
Growing Tastes (Ziploc Bag Gardens)
Ziploc bags, paper towels, bean seeds (or similar), water (spray bottle or cups), tape (to hang on window)
Week 6
Sense-Sational Museum (Final Showcase)
Shoeboxes or trays (1 per student), all previous artifacts (binoculars, shaker, texture art, painting, plant), labels (optional), table space for display