To Smell And Taste

Your child may not understand what a “sense” is at this age, but she doesn’t need to understand what it is to explore and learn what their nose and tongue can do for her.  Tell him that something smells good or bad and have him smell it. Be prepared to teach and demonstrate how to take a deep breath through the nose. They may take in a deep smell with their mouth wide open or a bunch of little inhales through the nose similar to a dog when it smells for food. Ask your child to take a breath and if she is unable to take a breath with just her nose use this time to demonstrate what the sense of smell can do.

Find a strong fragrant flower or food available to have her practice smelling.  Ask your toddler to tell you if what she smells is good or bad. Take the activity a step further and use new descriptive vocabulary with your toddler as you describe what the items smell like (sweet, sour, stinky, fresh, spicy, rotten, and clean). Asking your child to smell what is in the environment no matter where it may be, at home, the pool, a farm, while berry picking or at grandmas, will help make memories of the events that happened throughout the day. 

Enhancing the sense of taste is fun as well, especially if you make a game out of it.  Encourage your little one to close her eyes and tell her that you are going to play a “tasting game.”  Let her know that you are going to put something tasty in her mouth and see if she can guess what it is!  Put something in her mouth that she knows well, like a banana and see if she can guess what it is! Don’t put something she doesn’t like or bitter because you want to encourage trying new foods and that it is a fun experience!

Without the sense of smell or taste the world may be a little bland and at times indescribable. Allow your child to be exposed to what the nose and tongue does to the world around us!