Montessori Smell Games – Helping Children Discover the World Through Scent

Maria Montessori understood the importance of sensory play and that kids learn through their senses. She believed that helping children fine-tune their senses early on sets the stage for everything else they’ll learn later.

So, let’s talk about smell.

It’s one​ оf the first senses​ tо develop, and smell is closely tied​ tо memory and emotion. That’s why some scents can suddenly bring back​ a feeling​ оr a moment from the past. For little ones, this connection helps them start making sense​ оf how they feel and what’s going​ оn around them.

Montessori also saw smell as practical. It teaches kids to notice details, focus their attention, and stay aware of their environment. Simple things, like knowing when food has gone bad or recognizing the smell of smoke with this kind of awareness.

So, when we include scent-based activities early on, we’re giving kids more than just fun experiences. We’re helping them build sharper observation skills and a deeper connection to the world around them.

In short, the olfactory sense is your sense of smell - and while it might not get the same spotlight as sight or sound, it’s kind of a secret superhero when it comes to how kids explore the world.

Montessori education totally gets this. That’s why smell is one of the key senses. But what makes the olfactory sense so special?

It has a direct hotline to the brain’s memory and emotion center. For little ones, that connection is even stronger. A familiar scent can spark a memory, calm a mood, or help them start piecing together how they feel.

And no, it’s not just about sniffing flowers. Strengthening the sense of smell helps kids:

Smelling boxes are a classic Montessori activity, and you can very easily make one at home with simple and safe materials.

Instead of using fragile glass jars, try small cardboard boxes or reused spice tins with lids. All you would have to do is place a little cotton ball or muslin pouch infused with natural scents. It can be something like orange peel, mint, cinnamon sticks, dried lavender, coffee grounds, or cloves.

If you want to encourage independent learning, make two of each scent so your child can play a matching game. You can also add a hidden label under each box or on a card nearby for self-checking, just like in a real Montessori classroom.

These DIY smelling boxes don’t need to be fancy. What matters is giving your child the opportunity to slow down, notice what they smell, and begin to describe their observations.

Introducing smelling boxes the Montessori way is all about letting your child explore at their own pace while you stay cool, calm, and collected - like the sensory guide they didn’t know they needed.

Here’s how to make it fun:

Another cool idea is to create a Montessori sensory bin with things that smell different. The idea here is to pick an item from the box and guess what it is based on its smell.

One of the easiest and probably best ways to explore smells is by doing so in nature. Even something as simple as taking your little one out for “a smell walk” encourages them to notice every scent they come across.

At the park, take a break to smell pine needles, blooming flowers, or freshly cut grass. On a neighborhood stroll, notice the scent of rain, wet leaves, or someone baking nearby. Even at the grocery store, you can explore the scent of the herbs in the produce aisle, soaps and candles in the home section, or the scent of fresh bread.

As you walk, you can nudge them with questions like:

Smell is a powerful tool for language development, especially when paired with rich, descriptive conversation. Instead of simply saying, “That smells good,” Montessori encourages us to slow down and get specific.

So, how can you do that?

The kitchen is a perfect place for scent-based learning, and you don’t need much to get the sensory experience rolling.

Let’s go over a few ideas you can try.

Babies are born with a strong sense of smell, and it’s one of the first ways they connect to the world. For toddlers, scent continues to play a big role in comfort, curiosity, and learning.

Simple ways to explore smell at this age:

• Let babies smell familiar things like your skin, clean laundry, or a soft flower nearby.

• During routines, name scents gently: “This soap smells clean,” or “That’s a lemon, and it’s a little sour.”

• Offer safe, natural scents like citrus peel or vanilla under supervision.

• Avoid strong perfumes or heavily scented products because they can be overwhelming.

At this stage, it’s less about games and more about everyday exposure. Calm, consistent experiences help little ones build comfort and curiosity through scent.

Once your child is familiar with different scents, you can turn that curiosity into playful, hands-on games. These activities build memory, attention, and early thinking skills while keeping things fun and interactive.

Here are a few easy ideas to try:

• Blindfolded scent match: Have your child sniff different scent jars and try to find the two that smell the same. Start with just a few and add more as they get the hang of it.

• Strongest to softest: Line up a few scent jars and ask your child to arrange them by intensity, from bold (like vinegar) to subtle (like lavender).

• Scent-to-picture match: Create simple cards with images, like cinnamon sticks or orange slices, and have your child match each scent jar to the correct picture.

• DIY scent challenge: Let your child choose their own safe ingredients, herbs, citrus peels, or flowers, and create new scent jars for you to guess.