Tasting Jars

Tasting Jars
Sensorial - Sense of Taste
Level	Primary
Age	4+
Materials	4 or more pairs of dropper bottles flavored liquids tray cups for water spoon paper or cloth napkins

In this activity the child matches paired bottles of different flavored liquid. This helps the child refine their sense of taste.
Although it is still widely believed, it is not true that different areas of the tongue taste different flavors. The concept came about because of some misunderstood data from the beginning of the 20th century. We've known this was wrong since 1974, so please stop teaching kids the tongue map.

Presentation

This material should be set up on the shelf with a stack of napkins, a container with several spoons, and several cups.

1. Take the tray of tasting bottles to a mat or table. Take a napkin and a spoon to the workspace. Take a glass and fill it half-way with water, then take it to the workspace.

   

2. Take the first dropper bottle from the left side. Set it below the tray of tasting bottles and unscrew the lid. Hold the spoon in the other hand and drop a few drops of the liquid into the spoon.
3. Put the dropper back in the bottle. Then taste the liquid.
4. Swish the spoon in the water to clean it, then dry it on the napkin.
5. Take the first bottle from the right side of the tray. Set it below the tray. Taste the liquid using the same procedure as before.

   

6. If it tastes the same as the liquid from the first bottle, place the pair in the upper left corner of the workspace. If it does not match, set it to the right of the tray and taste the liquid in the next bottle. Be sure to clean the spoon each time.

   

7. Continue until all of the bottles have been matched.

Material

Where to Buy

Prices and links checked: 23 January 2022

4 Pairs
Store	Price
Affordable Montessori	$29.00
Alison's	$19.89
Bruins	$47.00
E & O	$30.60
IFIT	$25.00
Kid Advance	$28.99
Montessori Outlet	$19.95
Montessori Services	$42.00
Montessori Services	$11.50
Nienhuis	$54.60
Thinkamajigs	$29.95
Wintergreen	$21.95

Single Bottles
Store	Price
Bruins white caps	$4.50
Bruins black caps	$4.50

Further Reading

• Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-fives by David Gettman, pages 128-129

  This book describes there being four basic tastes, leaving out umami (savoriness) which was probably not as well known in 1987 when the book was published.