Young Children Explore Their World Through Taste

We have taste buds on our tongues that tell us how things taste Each food has a particular taste Some foods taste sweet, or salty, or sour, or bitter. Some foods combine these tastes. We may add spices and seasonings to the food we prepare to alter the way it tastes. We like the way some foods taste. We don’t like the way some other foods taste. Sometimes we have to get used to the way a food tastes before we learn to like it.

This can be a fun week for you and your child, as you both discover some new tasty treats. Shake a bit of salt on a clean hand and lick. Shake a bit of sugar and lick. How do they taste? Teach the words “salty” and “sweet”. Are pretzels more like salt or sugar? They are said to be salty. What about cookies? They are sweet. Make lemon-aide together, and teach the word sour. Melt some unsweetened baking chocolate and teach the word bitter. From now on, when you serve a meal, ask your child if something tastes sweet or salty, bitter or sour. Make mealtimes pleasant conversations, and you may find your food battles melt away entirely.

For a really unique art experience, buy some Stick-a-Licks. This is a package of pre-cut geometric shapes, already gummed. The child just licks, and sticks – simple, fun, and relatively mess-free. A great project to save for rainy days, too. A package of 200 shapes is under $2.00, but you’ll pay $5.00 in shipping unless you order enough to total $50.00. You could call your local teacher-supply store, and see if they have some in stock or would be willing to order them for you. They do carry a warning label “not for children under 3″ but no child under five should be doing art projects unattended anyway. Use at your own discretion.

On Friday, you could schedule your young child to visit his or her dentist. If this is not possible, then you can can check out the dental health program offered by the American Dental Association. There are lesson plans, worksheets, and activities for you and your child.

Most of all, don’t forget to have fun! Take come pictures of your child doing this week’s activities and send them to me. I’d love to add them to the end of this post.

Recommended Picture Books for This Week:
You Can’t Taste a Pickle With Your Ear by Harriet Ziefert
Animal Senses: How Animals See, Hear, Taste… by Pamela Hickman
Tasting by Sharon Gordon
I Wonder Why Lemons Taste Sour by Deborah Chancellor
A Taste of Honey by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
How many Teeth? By Paul Showers
Yum? Mmm! Que Rico! Americas’ Sproutings by Pat Mora
I Can Eat a Rainbow by Annabel Karmel

If you’re new to the lesson plans, you’ll want to read:
Working with the Lesson Plans: Scheduling
The Family Meal
Calendar Activities
Play Areas for Encouraging Creativity

Taste Lesson Plans