Teaching Sense of Smell to Kids | Learning the 5 Senses

Learning Sense of Smell

Teaching the five senses usually begins in preschool and Kindergarten. These concepts will be used later in scientific discovery as kids explore various attributes of objects in the world around them. Before they can begin observing and documenting facts about the world, they need to understand the five sense they use for observation and how those senses work.

Learning about our sense of smell can be fun! Children usually enjoy putting their nose to work and talking about what they discover through their sense of smell. Here are some fun activities to teach sense of smell to kids.

Activities to Teach Smell to Kids

Teaching Kids Sense of Smell and Having Fun Doing It!

1. Ask what part of your body is used to smell. If the child does not identify "nose" as the answer, simply tell them. Model smelling with your nose by sniffing something fragrant. Let them smell it too.

2. Walk around smelling anything aromatic that you can find, discussing what you are smelling and whether the smell is pleasant or unpleasant. Ask the child to describe the smell. Write your observations down in a notebook.

3. Gather several strong smelling household items. Without the child watching, place the items individually into a paper bag. Ask the child to identify the smell inside the bag without peaking. Play this game with several items asking often what part of your body you use to smell.

Other Ideas for Teaching 5 Senses to Kids

More Ideas to Teach After Sense of Smell

Teaching the other senses: hearing, touch, sight and taste.

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