Material name: Smelling Jars (Montessori Smelling Jars)
Area: Sensorial – Olfactory
Purpose & developmental benefits:
Smelling Jars help children refine their sense of smell by smelling, comparing, and discriminating between different scents. Children learn to focus on olfactory perception without relying on visual cues, developing subtle discrimination, olfactory memory, and the ability to express sensory experiences through language. This material supports a strong foundation for science, language development, and holistic sensorial awareness.
Skills supported:
-
Recognizes and distinguishes different scents using the sense of smell
-
Matches jars with the same scent through smelling alone
-
Develops olfactory memory and sustained concentration
-
Practices refined motor skills: opening lids, smelling gently, and closing jars properly
-
Expands language for describing scents (fragrant, strong, mild, cinnamon, coffee, flowers, etc.)
Recommended age: 3–6 years (Casa)
Material & design:
-
A standard Nienhuis set consisting of 12 glass jars arranged on a wooden tray
-
6 jars with red tops and 6 jars with pink tops, forming two matching sets
-
Identical jar shapes ensure children rely only on smell, not visual differences
-
Scents are prepared by the adult in matching pairs (spices, herbs, essential oils, citrus peels, coffee, etc.)
Use in the classroom / at home:
Children arrange the jars in two rows by color, mix one row, and then smell each jar to find matching scent pairs, placing the matched pair together in the center. As skill develops, children may close their eyes or use a blindfold to further isolate the sense of smell.
It is recommended to choose clear, gentle scents to avoid sensory overload and to rotate scents periodically to maintain interest and engagement.
