Touch is the first sense among the twelve that Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf Education, developed and introduced about 100 years ago.

The sense of touch is a lower sense, classified as physical, inner, or a sense of the will.  We are affected inwardly by touching outwardly.  This begins with birth and continues through our whole lives.

We can help our children develop this sense with awareness of what they touch.  Providing a variety of experiences including temperature, texture, and location will strengthen this sense.  A strong sense of touch as a child will give way to young adults who are empathetic and have social graces.  They will be good team players and sense the needs of others well.

 

How does this relate to Unitarian Universalism and Religious Exploration?

The Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism are the ideas which we affirm to “hold as strong values and moral guides.”

I identified twelve key concepts that appear throughout them.  These are:

Dignity

Worth

Justice

Compassion

Acceptance

Encouragement

Freedom

Conscience

Democratic process

Peace

Respect

Connectedness

 

When we make a conscious effort to fortify the sense of touch, we will in turn be developing awareness of dignity, worth, compassion, respect, and connectedness.

 

What can you do to fortify this sense?

• Drawing on backs
• Hand clapping games
• London Bridge with rocking
• Simon Says
• Wrestling/roughhouse games
• throwing and catching, especially with a partner
• try to solve a wooden puzzle using only your sense of touch.
• Take two trees of different species and examine them visually. Then go to each tree and touch the trunk. Describe the difference. You could also do this exercise with other objects instead of trees.

References

http://tomvangelder.antrovista.com/the-twelve-senses-123m50.html

https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles

http://www.movementforchildhood.com/uploads/2/1/6/7/21671438/12sensesmfc.pdf