Unlocking the Power of Smell in Your Child's Play

by Natalia Kucirkova |  View Bio

Natalia Kucirkova

Natalia Kucirkova is Professor of Early Childhood Education and Development at the University of Stavanger, Norway. Her work is concerned with social justice in children’s literacy and innovative uses of technologies. Her latest research project uses participatory approaches and examines the value of children’s sensory, and, in particular, olfactory engagement in stories.

In today's busy world, carving out meaningful playtime is a priority for many parents. As a professor specializing in child development, I often receive questions from parents seeking advice on the best investments in resources, such as books or apps, to enhance their child's play experience. However, what if I told you that for meaningful playtime, you don't necessarily require expensive resources, or any resources at all, for that matter? All you need is your nose.

The world of scent-based play can captivate your child's imagination, spark creativity, and lead to unforgettable learn-through-play experiences. My research on children’s engagement of their sense of smell suggests that it is a sense that can be trained and strategically stimulated for the child’s play and learning benefits. Research from the LEGO Foundation suggests that meaningful learning occurs when the activity (1) is experienced as joyful, (2) helps children find meaning in what they are doing or learning, (3) involves active, engaged, minds-on thinking, (4) as well as iterative thinking (experimentation, hypothesis testing, etc.) and (5) social interaction.

Based on research-backed six key characteristics of playful learning, here are some tips for parents:

Engaging: Children are naturally curious, and one of the most effective ways to engage their imagination is through sensory experiences. Consider incorporating various activities involving smells, both natural and abstract, in your child’s everyday experience. Whether it's exploring the scent of freshly bloomed flowers, baking cookies together, or concocting a unique "mystery smells" game, engaging their senses will open a world of possibilities. You can use both natural and artificial smells. For example, in your garden or local park collect leaves, flowers, or herbs, and ask your child to identify and describe the aromas. You can also use scent-emitting devices like diffusors or scented candles that replicate various natural scents. These allow your child to make further associations between smell and experience. So, for instance, you can add some vanilla essential oil to the diffuser or candle during bedtime reading. Or you can choose storybooks that have scents embedded in them, like scratch-and-sniff books.

Meaningful: Creativity thrives when children are given opportunities to explore and exchange ideas freely. While engaging in scent-related activities, encourage your child to use their imagination. Ask questions like "What if we mixed these two scents together?" or "How would you describe the smell of a rainy day?" This not only supports their creativity but also strengthens their vocabulary and communication skills. Smells are difficult to describe in children’s own words, so you can teach your child new words based on the notes in individual aromas. Or you and your child can invent your own little dictionary with made-up words for your favourite smells.

Remember that creative activities do not need to include only traditional crafts or digital apps. Children can explore their creativity by experimenting with scents and crafting their own perfumes! So that your child can create their own natural scent blends, provide them with aromatic ingredients from the kitchen like orange, coriander, or mint, and let them experiment.

Socially interactive: Smelling and sniffing may be perceived as an individual effort, but scented play can be very much a collaborative effort. You can encourage social interaction during scent-related playtime by involving siblings, friends, or family members. Children can exchange ideas and opinions about different smells, fostering a sense of collective wisdom. This not only makes learning more enjoyable but also teaches them the value of teamwork and shared experiences. Organize a "scent swap" playdate where children bring natural scents they have collected, trade them, and guess each other's aromas. The kindergarten or playgroup that your child attends might be interested in joining and engage in scent-sharing as part of their circle time. This is a terrific way of involving all children as although some children might not have as advanced language skills, they might surprise you with their sniffing skills.

Joyful: Learning should be joyful and filled with laughter. So do not shy away from unpleasant smells - bad smells are great to inject humour into play. In one of our studies, it was the bad smell of a pigpen that brought adults and children together. Good smells are great too, of course. Next time you have dinner, play a fun game with your child. They can close their eyes, and you'll pass different food smells under their nose for them to guess. Or you can have lots of fun outside if you use augmented reality apps that identify flowers or trees and provide information about their scents.

Iterative: Iterative learning through experimentation and trial-and-error helps your child develop problem-solving skills. For example, when you bake cookies or bread with your child and add ingredients like cinnamon, or citrus zest, discuss how the scents change with intensity and quantity and how essential (or not) they are for an enjoyable experience. If you add the wrong ingredient, can your child detect it by smelling it? Through repeated attempts, children will learn the unique aroma of specific ingredients.

Active: Research is clear that active engagement is key to effective learning. Instead of just presenting various scented objects to your child, involve your child in creating DIY scented playdough or going on a nature scavenger hunt to collect different smells. Hands-on experiences like these provide valuable opportunities for your child to develop their olfactory skills, all while enjoying the benefits of being outdoors. Although some VR experiments already have scent-emitting capabilities, these are nowhere as good as the palette of scents one can experience in the natural environment. So, when you go for a walk, remember that the slow process of breathing in damp earth after rain or the scent of pine trees is a fantastic way to be present, and mindful.

By following these principles of engagement, meaningfulness, hands-on exploration, social interaction, joyful discovery, and iterative learning, you can unlock the magic of smell in everyday moments. So, go ahead and embark on a scent-filled play adventure with your child – you will not be disappointed!

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