5 Senses ESL Activity for Vocabulary, Writing or Speaking

This five senses ESL activity is perfect for helping students work on their vocabulary skills. It can easily be done through writing or speaking. Either way, it’s a fun activity to try out and it can be done over and over again with different objects throughout the course of a semester. Challenge your students to expand their descriptive vocabulary with this 5 senses activity.

5 senses vocabulary activity

5 Senses Activity

Skills: Writing (or speaking)
Time: 5 minutes/round
Level: Intermediate-advanced
Materials Required: An object(s)

This activity is a fun way to help students work on descriptive writing (or speaking). Bring in an object to class like a piece of chocolate or a carrot. It should be something that you can eat in order to do the “taste” sense.

In groups, students have to write down a few descriptive words for each sense (see, smell, feel, hear, taste). Obviously, “hear” will not be easy for a carrot, but you could tell students to think about what happens when you snap a carrot in half.

When the time is up, each group can share 2-3 of their most interesting words with the class. You can also do this activity with another object if you wish. It works well as a daily warm-up in a writing class if you bring in something different each day.

Procedure for this Five Senses Activity:

1. Bring an object to class that you can eat or drink.
2. Put students into small groups and they have to think of a few words for each of the senses related to that object (see, smell, feel, hear, taste).
3. At the end of the allotted time, each group can share a few of their most interesting words with the class.
4. Do another round with a different object if you’d like. Or, make it a regular warmer activity.

Teaching Tip for 5 Senses

You may prefer to have students do this individually, especially if working on writing. In the past, I’ve had students do this activity a couple of times in groups so that they can get the hang of it and then, later on, do this as a solo writing activity.

Another thing to consider is whether or not to allow students to use dictionaries or their cell-phone to look up words. In general, I ask students to do this activity without them. The reasoning behind this is that it replicates real life as well as testing situations. You usually can’t stop what you’re doing to keep looking up words you can’t remember!

What is the Five Senses ESL Game?

The “Five Senses” ESL game is an interactive activity designed to teach and reinforce vocabulary related to the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. In this game, students engage in various sensory experiences and describe them using English language skills. The game helps learners connect language to real-life sensations and experiences, making the vocabulary more memorable and meaningful.

Here’s how you might conduct a “Five Senses” ESL game:

1. Sight: Show students a series of pictures or objects. Ask them to describe what they see using adjectives and complete sentences.
2. Hearing: Play different sounds, such as animal noises, musical instruments, or common environmental sounds. Have students guess and describe the source of the sound.
3. Touch: Provide a variety of textured objects or materials. Blindfolded students can feel the objects and describe their texture using touch-related vocabulary.
4. Taste: Offer a selection of foods with different tastes (sweet, sour, salty, etc.). Students can taste and describe the flavors and sensations in their mouths.
5. Smell: Provide scented items or substances (like herbs, spices, or flowers). Students can smell and describe the different scents they experience.

Throughout these activities, encourage students to use adjectives, adverbs, and descriptive phrases to communicate their sensory perceptions. This helps them develop their language skills while exploring the world through their senses. The “Five Senses” ESL game can be adapted to different age groups and proficiency levels, making it a versatile and engaging language learning activity.

Did you like this 5 Senses ESL Activity?

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Have your Say about ESL Five Senses

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Five senses vocabulary activity

Last update on 2025-04-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API