Science ~ Investigate taste with Sherbet

 

 

Science Investigations for very young children are a wonderful way for them to explore their senses and learn new language to communicate their keen observational skills.

 

While making observations in science children are very often able to use their sense of sight, touch, sound and even smell.

Here is a wonderful, fun and interesting way for your little ones to explore their sense of taste!

 

Making Sherbet

 

 

Recipe

 You will Need,

 

1 teaspoon citric acid

2 teaspoons icing sugar

3 teaspoons o f jelly crystals

(you don't need to use the crystals, you can substitute with more icing sugar however it was a great motivator for my reluctant taste tester)

1 teaspoon of bicarb soda / Baking Soda

 

 

Mix all the ingredients together.

 

Touch it~ What does is feel like? Is is wet or dry? Hard or soft? etc

Smell it~ What does is smell like? "yummy"

Look at it~ What does it look like? What colour is it?

 

 

Now taste it!

Miss M was rather confident from her previous observations of touch, sight, smell  that this stuff was going to taste pretty good so she filled her spoon ...

 

 

... Not quite what she expected LOL!

 

 

Talk about what it tastes like. Come up with different words.

Does it remind you of something?

 

How does it feel on your tongue and in your mouth?

What words can we think of to describe it?

 

sweet, sour, fizzing, tickling, zapping, foaming

 

 

Extend this:

 

• If your child is adventurous and will happily try new foods introduce a taste testing platter. Use your senses to taste a variety of different foods. Include sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours to develop descriptive language and discussion on similar and different flavours.  Use a blindfold for older children or disguise the food so they have to guess what it is.
• You could do exactly the same with experimenting with different smells. I will put up a link to an activity we did on smell as soon as I post it!

 

• Miss M is a reluctant trier of new foods, flavours and particularly textures so during our meals we are very often doing alot of investigating of the new foods on the plate. She'll try and touch it (sometimes she does not like to touch but she will pick it up with a fork, spoon or other utensils- children's tweezers or tongs are fun and motivational). Then she will smell it, all the while we are talking about what it smells like- what 'safe' foods it reminds her of. She will often kiss it which is something we have introduced which she has responded very well too. We may get a lick or a nibble from there woohoo, that is a huge success and worth celebrating for us.

 

As a reluctant trier of new foods I was unsure how this activity would go with Miss M. I hoped that it would be enjoyable and would provoke interest in exploring and investigating new foods and textures!

After her first bite I was a little worried as she put so much in it was an intense experience for her senses. I have been very pleasantly surprised, she seems more keen than ever to make things 'to taste'!

We have been very busy in our kitchen lately!!

 

 

For more science investigations for young children that can easily be done in the home please check out these links,

 

Lava Lamps

Milk Fireworks/ Rainbows

 

Enjoy,

 

Play and Learn

 

Katey