Perception games for children aged six and up
While sensory games can playfully support your child's development, perception games help to further train the senses and make older children and adolescents more aware of the senses' capabilities. They become more conscious of themselves and of others. From about age six you can improve perception with the following games:
Blind orientation:Anyone who has ever been in a dark house during a power outage can imagine what it feels like to do without one's sight. Without our eyes we are pretty helpless—even in familiar surroundings. Completely darken a room and remove objects that could injure the children. Now your child can search for you or an object—and must rely on their sense of touch and hearing.
Tying shoelaces:Older children usually have no problem performing fine motor tasks like tying their shoes. But what if their hands are in gloves? The sense of touch hardly works then—quite tricky!
Barefoot park:When toddlers learn to walk, they are usually still barefoot. That strengthens the muscles and tendons and helps develop a sense for different ground textures. Once shoes go on their feet, however, this feeling is quickly lost. Lay out a path made of various surfaces, such as moss, twigs, gravel and soil. Your child can now walk barefoot over it with their eyes covered and guess what is beneath their feet.
Find pairs:The whole family's shoes are thrown into a pile. With their eyes covered, the pairs must now be found. The children have to focus on the feel, size and shape of the shoes.
Perception games for teenagers
Performance and learning successes are becoming increasingly important even for children. What many parents completely forget is that successes and setbacks go hand in hand. Children must learn to cope with setbacks and not let failures throw them off course.
Blindfolded through the city:It's hard enough to find your way blindfolded in familiar buildings. But how is it in a pedestrian zone, where we don't know the distances, where people approach us and many sounds bombard us? In this game a teenager is blindfolded. Another person leads them through the city. It's surprising what you can perceive even when blindfolded—but also how difficult it is and how much trust it requires!
Eating blindfolded:The meaning of the saying 'the eye eats with' becomes particularly clear here. We associate tastes with the appearance of foods. When our eyes are closed, it's hard for us to distinguish fruits or other foods from one another. Depending on the food chosen, the difficulty can be increased. It becomes especially tricky if you hold your nose while doing it.
Noisemaker chain:Similar to the game "I'm packing my suitcase", one teenager begins by making a sound (e.g. clapping). The next repeats the sound and adds a new one (e.g. stomping). This chain can be continued indefinitely until the teenagers mix up the sequence.
Checklist for perception games
Parents also can't avoid swear words. Most of the time they slip out of us spontaneously, and then don't go unheard by our children. It's important, therefore, to be a good role model for the child. But of course you can't prevent the child from learning swear words at kindergarten or on the schoolyard that you don't like. Here's how you can behave then:
Perception games are ideal for sharpening one's senses. But it's not just about becoming "better"; it's also about becoming more aware of oneself and others.
There is much to discover in nature. It's the best place to try out the senses. Whether listening to animals or orienting yourself blindfolded—the outdoors offers many opportunities for children of every age.
Learning through play: Children learn best when they're having fun. The same applies to perception games: try out different games together with your child and find the one your family enjoys the most.
Not only is perception sharpened. Through the change of perspective (what does it feel like to be blind?) psychosocial competence is also promoted.
