Five Senses Icons — free printable clipart

The five senses and their sense organs

The five senses are how we take in information about the world around us. Each one has a sense organ that detects something — light, sound, chemicals, pressure — and sends signals along nerves to the brain, which works out what they mean. The pairing below is what a five-senses chart or sorting activity asks students to match up.

Sight

Eyes — detect light

Hearing

Ears — detect sound

Smell

Nose — detects chemicals in the air

Taste

Tongue — detects chemicals in food and drink

Touch

Skin — detects pressure, texture and temperature

What they all do

Carry information to the brain

• Each sense organ contains receptors. A receptor detects a stimulus and sends an electrical signal along a nerve to the brain, so the sensing and the understanding happen in two different places.
• The brain does the interpreting. The eye detects light but it is the brain that recognises a face, which is why the senses are taught alongside the nervous system at older key stages.
• Taste and smell work together closely, both detecting chemicals. Food tastes dull when the nose is blocked, which makes a memorable demonstration.
• Many things are detected by more than one sense at once — a fire can be seen, heard, smelled and felt — so sorting activities work best when students are allowed to use more than one card.
• Five is a simplified set. The body also senses balance, body position and temperature, so asking what is missing is a fair extension question.
• In a classroom these pair naturally with a description task: choosing words for what something looks, sounds, smells, tastes and feels like.