Five Senses for Toddlers: Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue & Skin

Nova: Buckle up, Explorers.

Cosmo: Brains in!

Nova: Wheels up!

Nova & Cosmo: Brain Bus, let's GO!

Nova: You're on The Brain Bus.

Nova: I'm Nova — your driver.

Nova: And today we're heading somewhere amazing.

Nova: We're going inside YOUR body.

Nova: Your nose knows something incredible.

Nova: It can smell more things than there are stars you can see at night.

Nova: More than ALL of those stars.

Nova: Just from your little nose.

Nova: That's because of your senses.

Nova: Today, Explorers, we're learning about the five senses.

Nova: Let's meet your five little helpers.

Nova: Your senses send messages to your brain.

Nova: Your brain reads all the messages.

Nova: And THAT is how you know what's happening.

Nova: Ready to meet them?

Nova: Helper number one — your EYES.

Nova: Your eyes send pictures to your brain.

Nova: Lots of people use their eyes to see colours and shapes and faces.

Nova: And here's something amazing.

Nova: Your eyes actually see everything upside-down.

Nova: The whole world — upside-down!

Nova: But your clever brain flips the picture.

Nova: Right-side-up. Just like that.

Nova: Can you say EYES?

Nova: Great big explorer eyes!

Nova: And your eyes blink all by themselves.

Nova: About fifteen times every minute.

Nova: You don't even have to tell them to.

Nova: Helper number two — your EARS.

Nova: Your ears send sounds to your brain.

Nova: And here's something wonderful.

Nova: Lots of people's ears never stop listening.

Nova: Even when you're asleep.

Nova: Your ears are still there, listening away.

Nova: You have TWO ears for a reason.

Nova: Two ears help your brain know which side a sound is coming from.

Nova: Is it on the left? Is it on the right?

Nova: Your brain figures it out — because you have two ears helping.

Nova: Can you say EARS?

Nova: Two wonderful listening ears!

Nova: Did you know — babies can hear sounds while they're still inside their mum's tummy?

Nova: Your ears have been working for a very, very long time.

Nova: Helper number three — your NOSE.

Nova: Your nose sends smells to your brain.

Nova: And your nose is really, really good at its job.

Nova: It can tell apart more than one TRILLION different smells.

Nova: One trillion. That is such a big number.

Nova: Smells do something extra special too.

Nova: They go straight to the part of your brain that remembers things.

Nova: That's why a smell — like cookies baking, or fresh rain — can make you remember something from a long time ago.

Nova: A smell is like a tiny time machine.

Nova: Can you say NOSE?

Nova: A brilliant, brilliant nose!

Nova: Helper number four — your TONGUE.

Nova: Your tongue sends tastes to your brain.

Nova: It is covered in tiny bumps called taste buds.

Nova: Thousands of them, all over your tongue.

Nova: Each little bump is waiting to send a taste message.

Nova: Your tongue can taste five things.

Nova: Sweet. Salty. Sour. Bitter. And a yummy one called umami.

Nova: Umami is a cosy, savoury, delicious taste.

Nova: Like warm soup.

Nova: But here's the sneaky bit.

Nova: You don't JUST taste with your tongue.

Nova: You taste with your NOSE too.

Nova: If your nose is blocked — like when you have a cold — food tastes like almost nothing.

Nova: Your tongue and your nose are a team.

Nova: Helper number five — your SKIN.

Nova: Your skin sends feelings to your brain.

Nova: Hot. Cold. Soft. Tickly. Rough.

Nova: All of those feelings come from your skin.

Nova: And your skin is your BIGGEST sense.

Nova: It covers your whole body.

Nova: From the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

Nova: Your fingertips are especially good at feeling things.

Nova: Lots of people's fingertips can feel a bump tinier than one grain of sand.

Nova: Can you say SKIN?

Nova: Your amazing, head-to-toe skin!

Nova: So that's all five little helpers.

Nova: Eyes. Ears. Nose. Tongue. Skin.

Nova: All sending messages to your brain at once.

Nova: Like five little notes, all at the same time.

Nova: And your brain reads every single one.

Nova: Time for the Quiz!

Nova: Let's find out what your brilliant brain has been learning.

Nova: Question one.

Nova: True or false — you taste food with BOTH your tongue AND your nose?

Nova: The answer is — TRUE!

Nova: That's why food tastes a bit boring when your nose is all blocked up.

Nova: Your nose helper needs to help too!

Nova: Question two.

Nova: What is the BIGGEST sense you have? Is it your eyes? Or your skin?

Nova: It's your SKIN!

Nova: Your skin wraps around your whole, entire body.

Nova: It's the biggest sense of all.

Nova: Question three.

Nova: True or false — your ears stop listening when you fall asleep?

Nova: The answer is — FALSE!

Nova: Your ears keep listening even while you're dreaming.

Nova: That's why a loud noise can wake you up.

Nova: Your ears were on the job the whole time.

Nova: You are all brilliant, brilliant thinkers.

Nova: It doesn't matter if you got them all right.

Nova: What matters is that you TRIED.

Nova: And every single Explorer gave their brain a great big workout today.

Nova: Three wonderful facts. Ready?

Nova: Fact one.

Nova: Your eyes blink about fifteen times every minute — all by themselves!

Nova: Fact two.

Nova: Babies can hear sounds inside their mum's tummy, even before they're born.

Nova: Fact three.

Nova: A smell can make you remember something from a long, long time ago.

Nova: Because smells go straight to your memory part of your brain.

Nova: Like magic.

Nova: Explorers, it's time to be Sense Detectives.

Nova: If you're not driving — close your eyes.

Nova: Now listen really, really carefully.

Nova: What sounds can you hear right now?

Nova: Now sniff the air gently.

Nova: What can you smell?

Nova: Now wiggle your fingers.

Nova: What can you feel?

Nova: Tell your grown-up what your senses are finding.

Nova: Now here's a big wondering question.

Nova: If you could only keep ONE of your senses...

Nova: Which one would you pick?

Nova: Would it be seeing? Or hearing? Or smelling? Or tasting? Or feeling?

Nova: Have a think.

Nova: Talk to the person next to you.

Nova: Hey, Explorers.

Nova: Come in close for a moment.

Nova: Your senses are working right now.

Nova: Every single second of every single day.

Nova: They are sending messages to your brain.

Nova: And your brain is reading every one.

Nova: That's how you know it's warm in the car.

Nova: That's how you know your favourite song sounds good.

Nova: That's how you know what dinner smells like.

Nova: My senses send messages to my brain.

Nova: And my brain puts them all together.

Nova: So I know what's happening.

Nova: Isn't that something.

Nova: A smell can reach the memory part of the brain in less than a heartbeat — and carry a whole moment from years ago back into the present, fully formed. Before a single thought.

Nova: The Brain Bus is heading back now.

Nova: But next time?

Nova: We're going to meet some animals with senses you won't believe.

Nova: A nose that can smell things from very, very far away.

Nova: And ears that can hear things humans never could.

Nova: You'll want to be here for that one.

Nova: Stay curious, stay clever, and keep that brain working!

Nova: Until the next stop, Explorers...

Cosmo: ...keep wondering.