Quick question, mommies and daddies!

How many senses do we have?

Five? 👀👂👃👅✋

That's probably what most of us learned growing up.

But when we talk about how children experience their everyday world, there are actually more than the familiar five senses.

Let's meet the 8 senses in a very simple way!

👀 1. Sight

Your child uses sight to notice colours, shapes, people, movement and everything happening around them.

Think: watching bubbles float through the air.

👂 2. Hearing

From mummy's voice to birds outside or the VERY loud toy they keep pressing. 😂

Hearing helps children notice and respond to sounds.

👃 3. Smell

Flowers, food, soap, fruits — children are constantly discovering different smells around them.

👅 4. Taste

Sweet, sour, salty and all those new flavours your little one slowly discovers during mealtimes.

✋ 5. Touch

Soft blanket. Rough sponge. Cold water. Sticky dough.

Touch helps children experience different textures, temperatures and sensations.

Now here are 3 senses that parents may hear about less often.

🤸 6. Vestibular Sense — Movement & Balance

This sense helps us understand movement and balance.

Think about your child swinging, spinning, climbing or trying to balance on something.

💪 7. Proprioception — Body Awareness

This helps children understand where their body is and how much force they are using.

Pushing a box, carrying toys, jumping or squeezing something all give the body this type of information.

❤️ 8. Interoception — What's Happening Inside

Hungry?

Thirsty?

Need the toilet?

Heart beating quickly after running?

Interoception is about noticing signals coming from inside our body.

Pretty interesting, right?

And the fun part is that children can use many senses at the same time.

When your child plays with water, for example, they may watch it 💧, feel it ✋, hear the splash 👂 and use their body to scoop and pour 💪.

So next time your little one is busy jumping, squeezing, splashing or exploring…

Take a moment and watch.

There may be much more happening than we first realise. 🌱

🦕 Understand. Explore. Play. Notice. Grow.

#8Senses #SensoryPlay #ChildDevelopment #KidsActivities #ParentingTips #SensoryActivities #FirstDino #FirstDinoGrow



A little note from FirstDino: Most of us grow up learning about five senses. Research and occupational therapy literature also commonly discuss sensory systems related to movement and balance (vestibular), body awareness (proprioception), and internal body signals (interoception).


Reference:

Božanić Urbančič, N., Battelino, S., & Vozel, D. (2023). Appropriate Vestibular Stimulation in Children and Adolescents—A Prerequisite for Normal Cognitive, Motor Development and Bodily Homeostasis—A Review.
This review discusses the vestibular system’s role in balance, body position, movement, navigation and development.
Read the study on PubMed

Addabbo, M., & Milani, L. (2025). Measuring interoception from infancy to childhood: A scoping review.
The review describes interoception as the ability to perceive, understand and respond to signals coming from inside the body.
Read the study on PubMed