Smell and Taste

Is a sense of taste the only thing that lets people enjoy their favorite foods? Surprisingly, no! Smelling food is just as important as putting it in your mouth when tasting. This experiment will show your kids how these two senses are intertwined while providing a fun and thought-provoking activity that they will enjoy.

Activity Instructions

Peel and slice a potato into small, bite-sized pieces. Do the same for an apple, so that they appear and feel similar. Put a piece of apple and a piece of potato on a small plate, one plate for each child. Next, have your kids hold their noses while trying the different foods. After they have tried both foods, have them try to guess which was which. They will probably have a hard time determining the difference between them. Next, have your kids try other sliced fruits and vegetables. For these, have them put a blindfold on so the appearance of the fruit does not give it away. Explain that, because the nose and mouth are connected, they work together to taste the foods that are eaten. The taste buds on the tongue are able to decipher sour, sweet, salty, and bitter, but the sense of smell does the rest of the work.

Materials

• Apple
• Potato
• Various Sliced Fruit
• Blindfolds (one for each child)
• Plates (one for each child)

Outcome

Eating is an activity that nearly all kids love, and this fun science activity for kids will reveal a little bit about why they find it so enjoyable. This activity may also spark questions and further exploration pertaining to the senses.