Smelling Bottles

 Materials:

  • 4-6 pairs of bottles/jars. The tops of each set should be a different color

  • Box or boxes for the bottles/jars

  • Cotton with oils of the odor/smell applied or cotton wrapped around the substance to mask it from being visually identified

  • Contrasting odors/smells such as lavender, tea tree oil, cinnamon, and garlic. Oils maintain odor/smell for longer

  • Classifications like floral, herbs, spices, etc. may be integrated later 

Purposes:

  • Refinement of the olfactory sense

  • Development of an awareness/consciousness of scents 

Age: 3 ½ and up

Preparation:  The child has worked with the Opening and Closing Bottles

Presentation: Pairing

Introduction: Greatest Contrasts

  • Invite the child for a lesson on Smelling Bottles.

  • Show them how to carry the box with both hands, return it to the shelf, and have them carry it to a table.

  • Remove the white set (for the purpose of this write-up) and place them down the right edge of the table.

  • Select a bottle and place it in front of the child.  Open the bottle and set the lid upside down, lift and waft the bottle under the nose.  

  • Set it on the table, replace the lid, and invite the child to smell.

  • Move it to the left side of the table.

  • Continue in this way to smell the rest of the bottles on the right side of the table.

Pairing

  • Move the black set to the right side of the table.

  • Select a white lidded bottle from the left side and set it in front of the child. Choose a black lidded bottle, to set beside it. Smell the white lidded bottle and close, smell the black lidded bottle, and close.  

    • If it matches, place them together in front of the box.

    • If it is different, put the black lidded bottle into the discard area (right side of the box).  Choose another black-lidded bottle.  Smell base again and close. Smell new black lidded bottle and close.  

  • Move discards to the right side of the table.

  • Bring over a new white lidded bottle and repeat the process. 

  • Complete two pairs, separate the matched bottles on opposite sides of the table and invite the child.

Control of Error: 

  • The child’s own judgment/discrimination of odors/smells

Language: Names of the substances 

Following Exercises:

  • Prepare a Second Set: that has scents or classifications like floral, herbs, spices, etc.

  • Explore the scents of the plants, flowers, and herbs outside. 

Memory Games:

  • Distance Game: one set on one table, another set across the room.

  • Comparing Scents to the Environment: prepare the bottles so there is a match to the scent in the bottle to something out in the environment. 

Pedagogical Notes:

  • Put the lid on the bottle right after smelling it. This keeps the lids from getting mixed up on the bottles and the scents strong.

    • The plastic lids tend to absorb the scents and if they are mixed and placed on different bottles, the scents become distorted. 

  • Do not let your face/expression reveal what you think about the scent you are smelling.  We can influence the child this way.

  • Check and refresh the scents every few days. 

  • Soaking the bottles and lids in baking soda and water will help get rid of lingering scents.

  • Switching out the featured odor/smells in the bottles is exciting for the children and will encourage them to take the exercise more often.  

  • It is possible to overload the child’s olfactory sense, so it becomes difficult to distinguish smells.  Remember, their senses are more acute than ours, they do not need the bottles to be concentrated.