Senses Experiment: Mystery Smells

Senses Experiment: Mystery Smells

(Experimento: Olores misteriosos)

You can recognize a lot of different smells. How many? Try this and see.

  • A grown-up to help
  • A friend or two
  • A blindfold
  • Small, lidded containers that you can't see through
  • Smelly stuff, such as lemons, bananas, orange peel, pine needles, a cotton ball soaked in perfume, chocolate, coffee, dirt, vanilla, garlic, onion, mint, vinegar, rose petals, pencil shavings, or ginger

  1. Have a grown-up poke small holes in the container lids.
  2. Put one "smelly" object in each container.
  3. Write a number on the side of each container.
  4. Tape a label to the bottom of each container to say what's inside.
  5. Blindfold your friend and have him or her smell each container.
  6. Write down the number of the container and your friend's guess about what's inside. Are the answers right? Which are good smells? Which are gross?

What's That Smell? The Nose Knows

Reviewed by: Eric H. Chudler, PhD