These two taste testing activities will help your students explore and learn about the sense of taste. Check out more of my Five Senses activities here.
Salt & Sugar Test
The salt and sugar test is a very simple, quick activity to explore how our sense of taste can detect a difference between two things when our other senses cannot.
Give each child about a 1/4 teaspoon (or a couple of pinches) of salt and the same amount of sugar. I like to put these on black paper so children can see the white salt and sugar better than against something white.
Do not tell children they have salt and sugar. Ask them to look at both. Ask, how does the first one look? How does it feel? Ask the same questions about the other. Can they tell a difference between the two? Ask children if they can think of any way to tell the difference between them?
Then have children taste the salt and sugar one by one. The easiest way to do this is for the kids to lick a finger, press it in the salt or sugar and taste. (Each child has their own, and we wash hands first.) Ask them if they can name what they tasted, how it tasted (sweet/salty), and whether they could tell the difference between the two.
Milk Taste Test
In this taste test, children mix flavors into milk and taste test each one, either blindfolded or with eyes closed. (Some children do not like blindfolds.) You can use almond, oat, or coconut milk if you have any children who are allergic to cow’s milk. You will also need three small cups per child and a spoon or popsicle stick for stirring.
Powdered flavoring for milk can be purchased in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors.
Children will stir each flavor into each of their three cups of milk. Either blindfolded or with eyes closed, have them taste each and guess the flavor. To do this, just place each cup in their hand to drink, one at a time.
Need natural flavors and no sugar options? Here are some alternatives (Amazon affiliate links):
- For vanilla milk, use a packet of Vanilla Stevia powder.
- For chocolate milk, use unsweetened cocoa and add Stevia or NuStevia Cocoa Syrup
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- For strawberry milk, blend fresh strawberries and milk together. It will probably not need sweetener.
Sense of Taste Links
I also love this taste test activity from Mother Natured, where children taste foods and name the animal that eats that food: Animal Taste Game. I do this activity with my class every year and the kids love it!
Try this Jelly Bean Taste Test from Childhood 101 or the Ice Cream Taste Test from No Time for Flash Cards.