This is the best time of the year for exploring the sense of smell. So much smells so good. While this may not seem like a readiness for kindergarten activity, before children go to school is the critical time for brain development. As kids learn about their senses they are growing their brains and making all kinds of connections. At school, we watched a DVD that told us that babies can smell even in the womb!
Here are some fun activities for stimulating the sense of smell. Put a few things on a dish or tray for your little ones to smell, such as a slice of lemon, an orange peel, a bit of chocolate, a pinch or two of cinnamon and peppermint, and maybe a pine tree branch. Talk about them with your child. What smells good? Has your child smelled that before? Which one tickles noses? This connects language and smells. Poking some whole cloves in an orange smells twice as nice, but is challenging for little hands.
Cinnamon playdough is very easy to make. Put equal amounts of applesauce and cinnamon in a bowl and mix it together. It the mixture is too dry, add a bit more applesauce or too wet, add cinnamon. This is a lot of cinnamon so check out the bulk section at the store for a better price. This can be used like regular playdough, or help your child roll it and cut it with cookie cutters. This dries in a few days to make wonderfully aromatic ornaments, but remember to put a hole in each one for hanging. They last for years, too. Kindergarten readiness never smelled so good. Can you smell the learning?