Activity of the Week – DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles

Written on July 18, 2011 by in Activities - Sensorial, Activity of the Week, Montessori Homeschool Classroom and Materials, Montessori Monday
21 Comments - Leave a comment!
DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles (Photo from To the Lesson!)

DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles (Photo from To the Lesson!)

If you have a Montessori homeschool classroom or are planning to start one in the fall, you’ve probably been focusing on finding and/or making Montessori materials. A Montessori sensorial material you can make easily and inexpensively for preschoolers at home (or school if you’re a preschool teacher) is a set of smelling bottles.

To the Lesson! has directions for making an attractive set from spice bottles.

DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles (Photo from Counting Coconuts)

DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles (Photo from Counting Coconuts)

Counting Coconuts made another attractive set of smelling bottles using a different type of spice bottle.

Homeschool Mo also used glass bottles and extracts. She tells about her experiences with them as well.

Because some of the extracts used for the scents can be identified by sight, you will need a blindfold for the activity or could hide the cotton balls in muslin tea bags found in natural food stores (a suggestion in one of the comments at To the Lesson!).

September has easy-to-prepare DIY smelling bottles using baby food jars, colored construction paper to hide the jar contents, cotton flour sack cloth, and herbs.

Montessori Primary Guide  and Montessori World have directions you can use to present the smelling bottles.

Smelling Bottle Extension (Photo from Leptir)

Smelling Bottle Extension (Photo from Leptir)

Leptir has a wonderful extension of the smelling bottles by matching the bottles with pictures of the fruits and plants that are the source of the extracts/essential oils.

I have a post on “How to Make Your Own Montessori Materials” with resources for making lots of other Montessori materials.

Have fun – and let me know about your DIY Montessori projects! :)

Linked with Mommy Club Resources and Solutions and Every Day Sensory Play.

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Related posts:

  1. Monday’s Activity of the Week
  2. Activity of the Week – Montessori-Inspired Decorating the Christmas Tree Activity
  3. Activity of the Week – Montessori Education Week Peace Lesson
  4. Activity of the Week – Observing Nature Close Up
  5. Activity of the Week – Color Walk
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21 Responses to Activity of the Week – DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles
  1. Sasha
    July 18, 2011 | 5:36 am

    Hello Deb! Thanks so much for featuring my Smelling Bottles (and my blog). I always enjoy your posts and appreciate your ideas! Hope you are enjoying your summer…. Take care, Sasha
    Sasha recently posted..Who Needs a Slip-n-Slide….My Profile

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    • Deb
      Twitter:
      July 18, 2011 | 4:41 pm

      Thanks so much for your kind words, Sasha – and for the wonderful ideas you share through your blog! I’m having a fabulous summer and I hope you are, too. Congratulations on passing your Oral Exams … I’m sure that makes your summer all the better! :)
      Deb recently posted..Montessori-Inspired Pond UnitMy Profile

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  2. Leptir
    July 18, 2011 | 8:35 am

    I have Smelling bottles from Nienhuis, but I made extension: matching bottles with photos (end of the post: http://leptir-mojpribor.blogspot.com/2009/10/bocice-za-percepciju-mirisa.html )

    Nataša
    Leptir recently posted..Posjet Aquariumu / Visit to the AquariumMy Profile

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  3. Lori
    July 18, 2011 | 11:18 am

    I definitely need to make time to make smelling bottles (among everything else I have to plan) for our next school year. Busy time of year! :) Thanks for the idea.
    Lori recently posted..Montessori Monday – Summer EditionMy Profile

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    • Deb
      Twitter:
      July 18, 2011 | 4:47 pm

      Thanks for your comment, Lori! I can imagine you must be very busy! I always found this time of year busy with preparations when I was a Montessori teacher – even when I didn’t have kids yet. Good luck with your planning and projects! :)
      Deb recently posted..Montessori-Inspired Pond UnitMy Profile

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  4. Ameera
    Twitter:
    July 18, 2011 | 3:46 pm

    Ok so I’m heading to the store now LOL. I love ideas that are quick, simple and educational. My children will love this and I will be sure to blog about our experience and link it back to here! Thanks for the awesome idea

    Reply
  5. Heidi from Mom's Crafty Space
    July 19, 2011 | 10:33 am

    My boys LOVE smelling bottles! We made our own set from glass salt shakers we picked up at the dollar store. To keep the scent in, we just put a cicle label on top that they peeled back when they wanted to do the job. For color coding we added star stickers to the bottom of our shakers. I wish I had a picture to share with you – just another idea for those who might not have an excess of spice jars around! :)

    Reply
  6. Ann
    July 21, 2011 | 7:24 am

    Hi Deb,

    I added this link to the bottom of my recent post about Sensorial. Thanks so much!

    Ann
    Ann recently posted..The Presence of Mindfulness in Montessori: SensorialMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Joanna
    Twitter:
    July 24, 2011 | 7:21 am

    I loved seeing this in the email! Great ideas and love the tutorials.
    Joanna recently posted..Recipe: Sugar-free Strawberry Jam with TruviaMy Profile

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  8. Nicole
    July 24, 2011 | 4:04 pm

    What great ideas and a good reminder that I need to do that lesson with the boys soon. Thanks for linking up to Montessori Monday!
    Nicole recently posted..Doghouse DispatchMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Aimee
    July 27, 2011 | 8:45 pm

    What a fantastic way to get the senses going. What a great round-up of ideas! Thank you for linking up with us on The Sunday Showcase
    Aimee recently posted..From Provo Craft: Late-Night Fun LampMy Profile

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  10. Maureen Sklaroff
    January 20, 2012 | 11:59 am

    Thanks for the wonderful post and the link-up!
    Maureen Sklaroff recently posted..Montessori Monday–Smell BottlesMy Profile

    Reply
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