What You Need

• Assorted spices like cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, coriander, cumin, oregano, and coffee
• Small hand broom and dust pan

How to Do this Activity

Encourage your child to help you set up: put the spice jars out on the table, and pour a small amount of each spice into its jar’s lid or onto a napkin. Then, ask him to match the spices in the lids or on the napkins to the spices in the jars. Give him time to experiment and see what attributes he goes for first in an effort to make a match. Talk to him about smell, color, and texture, and if he’s having trouble matching, ask questions like “Can you point to the one that looks like cut up leaves?” and “Which one is so dark that it almost looks black?” Once you’re done, encourage him to help clean up with the broom and dust pan.

What Your Child Learns

Through this activity, your child develops his power of observation by noticing differences in the appearance, texture, and scent of each spice or herb. He makes connections and solves problems by asking questions and discussing his thoughts with you.