Published July 18, 2025 Written by [email protected]

Summer sensory exploration: What’s in the box?

Using available resources and guided questioning, this interactive summer sensory exploration activity encourages curiosity, descriptive language and a focus on sensory awareness. Have fun with the sights, sounds, textures and aromas of summer.

What’s in the box learning aims

To stimulate the senses and encourage exploration
To develop expressive language, vocabulary development and questioning
To support reasoning and memory skills.

Resources you will need for this activity

A covered box or bag
Summer related sensory items, e.g. shells, sunhat, sun cream, a spade, herbs, flowers and fruit (strawberries, tomatoes, peaches, plums).

What’s in the box activity outline

Gather the children and set the scene by explaining that they are going to explore the secret summer treasures inside the box/bag using their senses. This could be an opportunity to reinforce what is meant by ‘our senses’
Invite the children to reach into the box and use their senses, minus their sight and taste for now, to work out the object inside – feel, listen, smell
Ask open-ended questions to guide their thinking, such as, “What does it feel like?” Model some descriptive language for them, such as, “Is it bumpy?”, “Does it feel rough?”, “Does it make a sound if you shake it?”, “Can you smell anything?”
Encourage descriptive language and open it up to others to guess from the description
When the child has guessed what it might be, ask them to reveal the item to see if they had made a good guess. Try exploring what had made them think it was the item they named? Has it similar features?
Discuss the item and how it relates to summer, for example, “Have you eaten one and what does it taste like?”, “Where might we see this?” ,“Have you used one?”
Wash and cut up any food used and finally encourage the children to explore with their mouths, describing how it tastes.

How to extend this activity

Create a summer sensory tray for children to continue exploring the objects – add to it throughout the summer.

NDNA products to support you with this activity

Mini Maths Explorers – Outdoors Challenge: Online course

Back to myNDNA

Disclaimer: Activities with children must always be risk assessed, including for allergies or choking. Children must always have adequate supervision. Resources and materials must always be appropriate for children’s age and stage of development.

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