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How to Make DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles

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Want to bring some of the Montessori Method into your homeschool? Look no further than creating your own Montessori-smelling bottles! These DIY sensory bottles are super easy to make and a great addition to your classroom.

Smelling bottles are a classic Montessori Sensorial lesson. Making your own smelling bottles is a simple project that can help engage your kids in a fun, stimulating way that is sure to get their noses twitching.

Not only will this activity provide them with an engaging opportunity to utilize their senses, but it can also be tailored according to each child’s age and interests so they have a unique experience every time they participate.

Regardless of how much you know or don’t know about Montessori education principles, making a set of homemade-smelling bottles is an easy activity that brings countless benefits. So grab your supplies, roll up those sleeves and let’s learn how you can make these amazing scented creations today!

I love the beauty of Montessori materials. While I wish I could purchase them all, I can’t. Thankfully, there are ways to bring Montessori into the home without breaking the bank. One such way is to make the materials, and Montessori-smelling bottles are easy to DIY.

DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles - make your own smelling bottles using a few simple household items

The smelling bottles are a part of the early childhood Montessori Sensorial lesson sequence, focusing on the olfactory sense. Children and adults, alike, can have fun with the smelling jars, and they’re easily adaptable for different seasons and themes.

DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles

Making the smelling bottles is pretty straightforward and can be done with items you already have at home. I found our bottles at a local art supply store, but you can find them in the travel section of your grocery store or online.

For this set of bottles, I used three different extracts we had on hand. The beauty of these materials, though, is that you can choose your own scents based on the season, themes you’re working on, or your child’s interests.

Smelling Bottle Materials:

  • Small bottles
  • Cotton balls
  • Various scents (I used Vanilla, Peppermint, and Lemon extracts)

Smelling Bottle Approach:

To make your own sensory bottles, put a cotton ball into two of the small bottles. Place a few drops of vanilla extract on each cotton ball. Repeat this process with the peppermint and lemon extracts, using two bottles for each scent. It’s best to start with only two or three pairs of bottles.

I placed colored sticker dots on the bottom of each pair. This builds in control of error to the lesson and allows the child to self-correct as needed.

Once the bottles are ready, it’s time for your child to do the work by using a traditional Montessori approach.

Your children will love using these homemade Montessori sensory bottles. Trust me.

Thanks for visiting! I hope that we inspired you.

Marnie

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