Student Worksheet

Tickles On Your Arm - Activity Instructions

Feeling the wind in your hair can be the most excellent of feelings. You can’t see it but it announces its presence in so many different ways, sometimes soft and wispy, sometimes wild and fierce. But what else is there to feel? To take away one sensory feeling is to enhance the others. Work in pairs and see if you can recognise the touch of everyday objects.

Note: Before completing this activity, read Where Happiness Hides with your parent/caregiver.

Safety advice: This is a sitting down activity; be careful about walking around with a blindfold.

Whilst this is a fun activity to do blindfolded, be aware that some kids will not feel safe or comfortable with the blindfold, if they just want to close their eyes that’s totally okay.

Only use objects without sharp edges! You might like to help your kid/s collect the objects they can use safely.

'Tickles on your arm' - Instructions

Objects are more than what they look like.

Happiness hides in the small things. The brush or scrape of branches or the crunch of gravel underneath your feet. Sensations of smell, sound and touch are often prejudged by what we see; often overlooked by the strength of our sight. We call it a small grey rock, but what of its other properties? Can you recognise an object just by listening to it? By touching it? By its smell?

Wake up to sounds of the birds... listening, not seeing.

Feel your way through the dark depths of your bag to get that much needed object, feeling, searching - not seeing.

Smell the warmth of the cooking in the kitchen, filled with spices and love, not seeing but filling you with happiness.

Together, or separately from your partner, gather some ordinary objects from around the house or the garden. Maybe a leaf, a spoon, a pencil, a candle, a stone, a branch, a book, many stones, water in a cup, a peach, a flower and so on and so forth.

Sit across from each other, on chairs, on the floor.

Decide who will go first based on either amicable agreement, or a rock paper scissors tournament.

The person to go first will then either be blindfolded or close their eyes. The blindfold is recommended but also optional. Then hold out your arm.

'Tickles on your arm' - Instructions for the non-blindfolded person

Note: Even if the blindfolded person guesses what the object is, go through the motions of the ritual and encourage them to use their other senses to describe the object. This isn’t an exercise in guessing the object, it is about experiencing it in new ways.

Step 1.

Pick up your first object and lightly brush it across their arm. Ask them, is it cold? Warm? Smooth? Rough? Uneven? Round? Does it have hard edges? Do you immediately know what it is or is it still a mystery?

Step 2.

Move the object underneath their nose, let them know to smell it. Does it have a strong smell? Describe this.

Step 3.

Next, shake or rustle the object underneath their ears, if it will make a sound. If it is a seashell, hold it still so they can hear the sound of the ocean.

Step 4.

Finally, settle the object into their hands, let them feel it. Can they describe its smell, sound, touch? Do they know what it is now?

Step 5.

Repeat steps 1 to 4 with the other objects.

Step 6.

Swap over and take your turn to be the blindfolded person.

Taking It Further

You could always try this with some food items as well, and the person blindfolded could also taste the object.

Tickles On Your Arm (home learning)

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