"My child is always smelling everything. He puts most items to his nose before playing, eating, or using the item. I feel like he knows what the item is used for, but he keeps smelling items."
The child frequently brings items, toys, food, clothing, or caregiver hands up to their nose to sniff them, exploring surroundings deeply through their sense of smell.
Scented Playdough Bakery: Infuse homemade dough with gentle, child-safe kitchen scents like cinnamon, vanilla, or cocoa. Roll and squish the dough together, holding pieces up to take exaggerated sniffs while labeling the aromas ("Mmm, sweet vanilla!", "Warm cinnamon!") to spark language and joint focus.
Smell & Tell Jars: Place cotton balls dabbed with natural extracts (e.g., orange, lemon, peppermint, or lavender) inside small, ventilated plastic jars. Open one jar at a time, take a deep breath together, and invite the child to react ("Fresh lemon! Do you like it?") to promote turn-taking and expressive communication.
The Lotion Massage Guessing Game: Have 2 or 3 baby-safe scented lotions (e.g., lavender, chamomile, or standard baby powder scent). The caregiver opens the caps, models a big sniff of each, and lets the child smell to pick one. The caregiver then gives a deep-pressure hand or foot massage, bringing the child's hands or feet to their nose and saying, "Mmm, your toes smell like lavender!" This combines calming deep pressure with olfactory input.
Scented Bubble Catch: You can buy non-toxic scented bubbles or simply add a drop of scented baby wash to your regular bubble mix. The caregiver blows the bubbles, and when the child pops one, the caregiver leans in with an exaggerated sniff and says, "Pop! Let's smell!"
Comfort Scent Peek-a-Boo: Often, children sniff blankets or people because they are seeking the regulating scent of their caregivers or home. The caregiver takes a freshly washed towel (strong laundry detergent scent) or one of their own worn t-shirts, drapes it over their head, takes a loud, dramatic sniff, and pulls it off saying, "Peek-a-boo! Smells like Daddy!"
Lip Balm Sniffs & Kisses: The caregiver applies a strongly scented child-safe lip balm (like mint or berry) to their own lips. They lean in close, point to their mouth, let the child sniff, and give a big, exaggerated kiss on the child’s hand or cheek, linking the scent directly to social affection and eye contact.
Outdoor "Nature Sniff" Walk: Take the sensory seeking outside. The caregiver picks up a pinecone, a handful of damp grass, tree bark, or a flower. The caregiver holds it up to their nose, takes a deep breath, and says, "Smell the tree!" before offering it to the child. This builds vocabulary around environmental/nature words.
Scented Marker / Crayon Drawing: Using non-toxic scented markers (like Mr. Sketch) or scented crayons. The caregiver draws a big circle, sniffs the marker, sniffs the paper, and says, "Wow, the pink one smells sweet!" then invites the child to scribble and sniff their own artwork, building joint attention over a shared task.