Educating the Senses: Smelling Bottles
“We cannot create observers by saying ‘observe,’ but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured through education of the senses.”
– Maria Montessori
The other day I was perusing an inspiring, new-to-me, blog that I discovered, Small Potatoes, when my daughter snuggled up next to me to see what I was doing. When she saw this smelling game, she immediately wanted to “do that project.”
There is something about this activity that captivates children… They love the idea of isolating and exploring just one sense at a time. They also love the mystery of what smell they might encounter next.
Ella decided to create a smelling game for her older sister. I rounded up a collection of bottles, she got out our essential oil collection, and she got to work. I was even amused to see that she snapped some photos along the way (the apple does not fall too far from the tree)!
We had a lovely afternoon filled with soothing scents and fun conversation…
More sensorial inspiration:
- Scent Bottles by Modern Parents Messy Kids
- DIY Smelling Bottles by Counting Coconuts
- Matching Scents Activity by Parents
- Science Investigation: Smell by Playful Learning
