Five Senses Food Exploration: Look, Touch, Smell, Listen, Taste

Children explore a few foods like scientists, using every sense before (maybe) tasting. The goal is curiosity and words, not getting anyone to eat. A child who only looks and sniffs is still taking part.

What children learn

• Describing words for color, shape, texture, smell, sound and taste.
• That the same food can change: a raw pepper strip crunches, a roasted one is soft.
• That it’s fine to explore a food without eating it, and fine to say “no thank you.”

Many children need many calm, no-pressure encounters with a food before they accept it. Sources suggest it can take 8 to 10 tries or more. This activity counts as one of those encounters even if nobody tastes.

You’ll need

Pick 3–4 foods that contrast. Budget and frozen options work well:

• Crunchy: cucumber cut into thin half-moons, or, for children 4 and older, bell pepper in thin pieces no larger than ½ inch. For 3-year-olds, offer roasted soft pepper instead.
• Soft: banana slices, ripe pear, canned peaches (drained), or thawed frozen mango.
• Chewy or textured: small pieces of soft whole-wheat tortilla, or cooked brown rice for children 5 and older.
• Smelly (in a good way): an orange segment (cut into small pieces for children under 5), a sprig of mint or cilantro (for smelling only).

Also: small cups or a muffin tin, napkins, a tray or paper towel per child, crayons, and the Rainbow Tasting Journal if you want children to record what they notice.

Before you start

1. Check allergies. Ask every family about food allergies and medical diets before any group tasting, and follow your school or program allergy plan. The nine major allergens in the U.S. are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Note that whole-wheat tortillas contain wheat. When in doubt, leave a food out. Families with questions should talk with their child’s doctor or allergist.
2. Prepare food safely. Wash produce under running water. An adult does all cutting.
3. Cut for young children. For young children (we use under 5 as a cautious cutoff), cut food into pieces no larger than ½ inch, as the American Academy of Pediatrics advises for young children. Avoid whole grapes, whole cherry tomatoes, whole berries, raw carrot sticks, apple chunks, nuts, seeds and popcorn for this age group. The CDC also lists dried fruit and whole beans as choking risks for young children. Soft, thin pieces are safest.
4. Wash hands. Everyone washes with soap and water, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds (humming “Happy Birthday” twice), then rinses and dries. See Handwashing for Kids, Step by Step.
5. Seat everyone. Children sit while food is near their mouths.

Safety: Adults do all cutting. No double-dipping or sharing bites. Herb sprigs are for smelling only with toddlers. Throw away any food that was dropped, licked or left out more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s above 90°F).

Steps (about 25 minutes)

Do one food at a time. Spend about 5 minutes per food. Use 3 foods for a 25-minute session; 4 foods takes about 35 minutes with handwashing.

1. Look (1 minute). “What color is it? What shape? Is it shiny or dull? Does it have seeds, stripes or spots?”
2. Touch (1 minute). Children touch with a clean finger. “Is it smooth, bumpy, fuzzy, sticky, wet, hard, squishy?”
3. Smell (1 minute). Hold it near the nose. “Does it smell sweet, sour, fresh, like grass, like nothing?”
4. Listen (30 seconds). Snap, squish or bite near an ear. “Crunch, squish, crackle or silence?”
5. Taste — optional (1–2 minutes). “If you’d like, you can lick it, take a tiny bite, or skip this part.” Offer a napkin so children can quietly spit out a bite they don’t want. That’s allowed.
6. Record. Children color the matching row in the journal, circle words, or draw. Younger children can tell you, and you write.

Finish with a short share: “Which food was the crunchiest? Which smelled strongest?”

Word bank

Write these on a board or card. Encourage children to use two words per food.

Non-tasting participation

Every child can join in fully without eating:

• Scientist: looks, touches, smells and listens, then records.
• Reporter: asks other children “What did it sound like?” and writes or draws answers.
• Artist: draws the food in the journal’s drawing box.
• No-food option: use pictures of foods and describe how they might feel or sound.

Never use a taste as a requirement for something else (“one bite and then you can go play”), and never reward eating with treats or praise for clean plates. Praise curiosity instead: “You noticed it smells like grass. That’s a great observation.”

Make it easier / make it harder

Easier (ages 3–4): Use two foods and two senses. Offer picture choices (“crunchy or squishy?”).

Harder (ages 6–8):

• Compare one food prepared two ways, such as raw and cooked carrot (adult cooks; raw carrot as thin shreds for under-5s).
• Compare fresh, frozen and canned versions of the same fruit.
• Have children write a three-word “food poem” for each food.

Inclusive and accessible options

• Sensory differences: allow gloves or a spoon for touching; let children observe from a distance; keep strong-smelling foods covered until needed.
• Limited English: point to pictures in the word bank and invite home-language words. Families might say crujiente, dulce or suave.
• Motor differences: pre-place food in a muffin tin so it doesn’t slide.

Talk about it

• Which sense told you the most about each food?
• Did any food surprise you?
• Which food would you like to explore again another day?
• Can you think of a food that sounds loud when you eat it?

For more ideas on supporting children who are wary of new foods, see Supporting Curious and Cautious Eaters.