One Mile Arts facilitators designed an activity for preschool students ages 2 to 6 who were able to fully participate; children from age newborn to 2 participated/ observed the activity as they were able to; staff were encouraged to play the game/ activity after the kids had a turn.  

Facilitators met with small groups of 10-15 students.  Facilitators talked about the brain and senses to the audience.  Facilitators had pictures of the brain at preschool learning level displayed and accessible for children to touch and ask questions.  Facilitators used Dana Foundation handouts including Truth or Myth activities that helped to prompt discussion of the brain and our senses. Participants then took turns selecting from 1 of 26 repurposed decorated containers that had contents inside. No one could tell what was inside from looking at the container.  

Participants then chose to wear a blindfolder or close their eyes and agreed there would be “no peeking.”  Participants were given the container by a facilitator.  Participants shook the container to try to use their sense of hearing to guess what was in the container.   Audience was asked not to shout out contents if they wanted to guess what’s in the container.  If Participant could not correctly guess contents with shaking, they were encouraged or had assistance to remove the lid of the container and were encouraged to use their senses of smell and sense of touch to identify contents and encouraged to describe what they felt or smelled and guess contents.  Participants were discouraged from tasting items in containers.  No one put the contents in their mouths.  Some examples of items included crayons, spaghetti, playdough, leaves, rocks, yarn, chalk etc. 

After participant was done their turn, they were able to select paperwork sheets that included coloring, seek and find or word search activities about the brain and senses.  

Participants seemed very excited about the activity and did not want it to end! 

After the activity facilitators sent follow-up information to parents/ guardians through email about accessing other brain awareness activities and received positive feedback from parents and guardians about the event including what the children learned that they can do to keep their brains safe and healthy.

** More photos coming soon! **