Sensory Herb Garden Exploration

Five or more different fresh herbs — mint, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, cilantro, parsley

Small cups of water for rinsing palate between tastings (optional)

Gather your herbs. A home herb garden is ideal, but grocery store herbs work perfectly. You want at least five different types.

Start with mint — it's the most recognizable. Have your child rub a leaf between their fingers and hold it to their nose. "Take a big sniff. What does this smell like to you?" Their description might surprise you.

Move to rosemary. Break off a sprig and let them smell. "This one is really different, right? Woody. Almost like a Christmas tree." Then basil — sweet and peppery.

Explore textures. Mint leaves are smooth and thin. Rosemary needles are firm and spiky. Sage leaves are thick and fuzzy. "Which one feels the most interesting?"

Taste time. Tear off tiny pieces of each herb and let your child taste them. "Which one do you like? Which one makes a face?" Cilantro is often the most dramatic reaction.

Play the blindfold game. Close their eyes and hold a herb under their nose. "Can you guess which one just by the smell?" This builds scent memory and observation skills.

Only taste herbs you can identify with 100% certainty as edible. Stick to common culinary herbs.

Mint is almost universally liked by kids. It makes a great starting point and confidence builder before trying stronger flavors.

Connect the herbs to food. "This is basil — it goes on pizza. This is rosemary — we put it on chicken." It makes cooking more meaningful.

Plant a small herb pot together and let your child tend it. Having "their" herb plant builds responsibility and connection to growing things.