Updated for 2025: Spring Sensory Celebration Spring is here, and with it comes OutGrown’s Spring Sensory Celebration! This season, we’re inviting families to explore the outdoors through all five senses—starting with taste! While we often focus on what we see or hear outside, taste is another way to deepen our connection to nature—when done safely. Whether sampling fresh food at a farmers market, foraging for wild berries, or cooking with edible flowers, there are many ways to experience nature through taste. While wandering through nature, we take in our surroundings using our senses. We smell flowers, touch tree bark, listen to bird calls, see details (like an ant trail on a tree), and even taste some of the natural objects we come across (think berries or edible flowers). While investigating nature in this way comes naturally to most children, sometimes we forget to allow children the time and space they need to do it. We share five ways to explore each of the five senses with children. So get outside as a family, slow down, and explore nature with your senses together!     Photo Credit: Ashley Schneider Exploring Nature Through Taste Taste may not be the first sense that comes to mind when exploring the outdoors, and as parents, we often work hard to keep little ones from putting everything in their mouths. But when done intentionally and safely, tasting nature can be a fun and educational experience. Children as young as 2-3 years old can begin to understand the difference between edible and non-edible plants (though supervision is always essential). Teaching kids about where their food comes from helps them build confidence, curiosity, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Five ways to slow down and experience the sense of taste in nature: 1. Taste the Farmers Market Farmers markets are a great place to introduce kids to fresh, local foods. Let them pick a new fruit or veggie to try at each visit—it’s a fun way to connect food with nature and the people who grow it. Encourage kids to compare flavors: Is this apple sweeter or more tart than the one we had last time? How does a fresh tomato taste different from one at the grocery store? Small moments like these build lifelong curiosity about food and nature. 2. Go Foraging (Safely!) Foraging is a fun and educational way to connect children with nature. It teaches them about edible plants, seasonal changes, and responsible harvesting. Wilderchild’s Foraging for Wild Edibles with Kids guide offers practical tips on getting started, safety essentials, and ways to engage young explorers in hands-on learning. From identifying beginner-friendly plants to fostering a sense of stewardship, this resource helps families build confidence in the outdoors while creating meaningful nature experiences. 🌿 Read the full guide here: Foraging for Wild Edibles with Kids – Wilderchild. 3. Cook with Edible Flowers Dandelions, violets, and nasturtiums are edible flowers that can be used in fun recipes, such as cookies, syrups, and salads. Cooking with flowers is a great way to make tasting nature a safe and delicious experience! 4. Visit a U-Pick Farm Foraging isn’t for everyone, but U-pick farms provide a similar experience with less guesswork. Children can pick their berries, apples, or vegetables—tasting them at their absolute freshest. Many kids are likelier to try new foods when they pick them themselves. To explore local options, check out [Find a U-Pick Farm Near You](Here). 5. Play "What’s That Taste?" Turn taste into a fun game! Gather fresh food items—herbs, fruits, veggies, or nuts—and blindfold your child. Give them small bites of each item and let them guess what they’re eating. Mix in familiar flavors with new ones for a fun challenge! Need hints? Try: It grows in the ground! (Carrot) It’s red and juicy! (Strawberry) It smells like pizza! (Basil) This is a great way to encourage kids to try new foods while making taste exploration fun and interactive! Keep Exploring! Want to engage all five senses? Join our Spring Sensory Celebration! 📢 Share your outdoor taste adventures using #SpringSensory and tag @WeAreOutGrown! Then check out our other sensory guides on smelling, hearing, touching, and seeing to keep the exploration going! About OutGrown OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to creating a world where every family can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We work to remove barriers and provide families with babies and young children opportunities to take their first steps into nature. Since our grassroots start in 2013, OutGrown has grown into a thriving community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Community Hub Leaders. Learn more about our programs at WeAreOutGrown.org. Editor’s Note: Help Us Keep This Content Free We hope you enjoyed this post from OutGrown. We work hard to provide families with valuable content, resources, and inspiration to make outdoor exploration easier and more accessible. If you believe in our mission, please consider contributing. Your support helps us create free resources, develop engaging programming, and expand our reach to families everywhere.  

Updated for 2025: Spring Sensory Celebration As we step into a new season, we’re refreshing this post with new insights and activities for our Spring Sensory Celebration! This annual initiative encourages families to slow down and experience nature with all five senses. Whether you’re a longtime follower of OutGrown or discovering us for the first time, we hope these ideas inspire fresh ways to explore the outdoors with your little ones. While wandering through nature, we take in our surroundings using our senses. We smell flowers, touch tree bark, listen to bird calls, see details (like an ant trail on a tree), and even taste some of the natural objects we come across (think berries or edible flowers). And, while investigating nature in this way comes naturally to most children, sometimes we forget to allow children the time and space they need to do it. As part of OutGrown’s Spring Sensory Celebration, we’re sharing simple, engaging ways to activate each of the five senses outdoors with young children. Photo Credit: Michelle Pearl Gee Exploring Nature by Touch Touch is one of our most immediate ways of experiencing the world. Every moment outside offers a chance to notice new textures and sensations, from the sun's warmth to the rough bark of a tree under our fingertips. Though we take almost all of our touch sensations for granted and do not think much about them, one minute outside can feel like this: You touch the doorknob to let yourself outside and immediately feel the warm air and a slight breeze on your skin. You step outside, and your bare feet feel the warm cement ground. You walk toward your front yard and brush your arm up against a bush. You touch some flowers right before your feet touch the cooler grass. You take a moment to relish the feeling of the grass before you sit down and feel the soft ground under your body and maybe a slight itchy feeling on your legs. We often take these sensations for granted, but when we slow down and focus, we can turn everyday outdoor moments into a mindful, sensory-rich experience. But, if we slow down outside, practice a little mindfulness, and think about each feeling as it touches our body, it can shift any outdoor experiences greatly. Five ways to slow down and experience the sense of touch in nature: Create a touch box. A touch box is a fun, hands-on guessing game that helps kids explore nature through feel alone. Gather natural objects, such as pinecones, feathers, and smooth stones, place them in a box, and have kids guess each item by touch. You gather some simple natural items and put them inside a box. Don’t let your children see what is in the box and have them guess what nature item it is based on touch alone. You can put one item in at a time (good for younger children) or all at once to make it more challenging. Walk barefoot in nature. Our feet are packed with nerve endings, making them perfect for sensory exploration. Walk barefoot on grass, sand, or dirt, noticing how each surface feels differently. When you intentionally think about each sensation your feet feel, the whole experience of walking barefoot shifts just a bit. Find different textures in nature. Try a texture scavenger hunt! Challenge kids to find something rough, smooth, soft, bumpy, cool, or warm. You can also just have the ideas in your head and have the kids search for one at a time while you meander your favorite trail. Some examples of easy-to-find nature textures are rough, smooth, cold, warm, wet, dry, hard, soft, etc. Hug a tree. Tree-hugging isn’t just for fun; it’s a great way to explore texture and size. Notice whether the bark is rough or smooth, warm or cool, thick or thin.. Are you able to wrap your hands all the way around? Is the bark rough or smooth? Count the skin sensations. Pause for a minute and count all the sensations on your skin, the breeze, the sun, and the feeling of the ground beneath you. You’ll be amazed at how much you notice when you focus! The wind on your skin, the sun's warmth, the feeling of the ground under your body, the fly that landed on your leg, and so much more. It is hard to focus on only the sense of touch, but how many different things our skin can feel in just one minute is fantastic. Ready to explore more? Join our Spring Sensory Celebration! Share your sensory nature experiences with us using #SpringSensory, and check out our other posts on hearing, taste, smell, and sight for more ways to engage with nature.   About OutGrown OutGrown is a national nonprofit working to ensure that every family, especially those with babies and young children, can experience the benefits of time outside. Since our grassroots beginning in 2013, we have supported more than 300,000 families with the help of thousands of volunteers across the country. We believe nature belongs to all of us from the very beginning. That means creating opportunities, removing barriers, and supporting families in finding their way outdoors, whether that starts with a stroller walk, a community outing, or a quiet moment under the sky. You can learn more and explore our programs at WeAreOutGrown.org. Editor’s Note Thank you for reading. At OutGrown, we believe content should offer more than information. It should create a connection, support real-life caregiving, and reflect how families grow together through nature. Everything we share is made with care by our team and volunteer community. If this piece inspired you or helped you feel more confident in your outdoor journey, we invite you to support our work by donating today. Your contributions help us keep resources free and accessible to all families. Please remember that the experiences and tips shared in this article are for general information only. They are not a substitute for professional medical, mental health, or safety advice. Always consult with a qualified provider if you have specific concerns or questions. We are glad you are here. We are growing something meaningful together.