Touch and Go

Health Math Science
Time 30 minutes
Age 7-10
Group Size Less than 10
Tags Minimal Materials, Pens, Senses,   more...
Touch

How accurate is our sense of touch?

Children’s bodies are undergoing constant change. By getting to know their own bodies better, these changes can be less mysterious. Children who are in tune with their own bodies can use all of their senses as tools as they explore and try to understand the world around them. This activity helps children learn more about their sense of touch.

Preparation

Gather enough ballpoint pens or washable markers so that each pair of students will have 2 pens or 2 markers, each of a different color.

Touch and Go
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Suggested Materials

  • Two different-colored ballpoint pens or washable markers (1 set per team)
  • Ruler (1 per team)

Optional Materials

  • Blindfolds (1 per team)
1

Make it Matter

Opening Discussion

Ask your students how we know where to scratch when we feel something itching us. Can we figure out exactly where it is, or do we just sort of know, and we scratch all around it?

The Challenge

Test how accurate your sense of touch is.

2

Make it Happen

Doing the Activity

  1. Divide your students into teams of 2.
  2. One person in each team will be the “Tester”, and the other will be the “Senser”. The Senser should sit in a chair with their arm on a table and close their eyes or wear a blindfold so he or she can’t see what the Tester is doing.
  3. The Tester should touch one of the pens somewhere on the Senser’s arm, leaving a light mark.
  4. Ask the Senser to touch the tip of the other colored pen to the place where he or she just felt the Tester’s pen.
  5. Measure the distance between the two dots and record the results.
  6. Switch roles so every child has a chance to try the activity.
3

Make it Click

Let’s Talk About It

After every child has tested their skin, stop your students and bring them together to share their observations with each other. Did anything surprise them? How close were they to guessing where the pen touched them? Do they think they’d get the same results on different parts of their body?

4

Make it Better

Build On What They Talked About

Have them repeat the experiment on different parts of their bodies and record the results. The Senser should choose which parts of his or her body are tested.

Suggestions

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