Five Senses Smell + Art • 3-5 years
What Do You Smell? Five Senses Art
A two-day smell conversation and art project with nose shapes, children’s ideas, and scented flower painting.
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Science Art + Five Senses
Turmeric and Baking Soda Magic Art
This turmeric and baking soda magic art activity is a simple five senses and science art invitation for preschoolers. Children draw with a baking soda and water mixture, brush turmeric hand sanitizer paint over the paper, and watch their hidden marks turn dark brown. The children had so much fun seeing their drawings appear like magic.
Best for: Five senses themes, science art, color-change experiments, process art, observation practice, careful brushing, and cause-and-effect conversations.
Learning Goals
- Observation skills
- Cause and effect
- Creative expression
- Fine motor skills
- Science vocabulary
- Color change exploration
- Listening and following directions
Materials
- White cardstock or heavy paper
- Baking soda
- Water
- Small cup or bowl
- Cotton swabs or small paintbrushes
- Turmeric powder
- Clear hand sanitizer
- Wide paintbrushes
- Tray or table covering
- Smocks or old shirts
- Paper towels
How to Do the Activity
- Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1/2 cup water. Stir well, then let children draw on white cardstock with cotton swabs or small brushes.
- Let the baking soda drawings dry until the paper looks mostly plain again. For a faster version, keep the drawings slightly damp and paint gently.
- In a separate cup, mix 2 tablespoons clear hand sanitizer with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder. Stir until it becomes a golden yellow paint. Add a tiny bit more sanitizer if it feels too thick.
- Invite children to brush the turmeric mixture over the paper.
- Watch the baking soda marks turn dark orange-brown as the turmeric touches them.
- Let children add more drawings, lines, shapes, letters, rainbows, flowers, or quiet little details.
- Place the finished papers flat to dry before displaying.
Questions to Ask Children
- What do you notice when the yellow paint touches your drawing?
- Which lines appeared first?
- Did the color stay the same or change?
- What shapes can you make with the cotton swab?
- How did it feel to watch the hidden picture appear?
Teacher Tip: Turmeric can stain hands, tables, and clothes, so use trays, smocks, and washable table covers. Use clear hand sanitizer only with close adult supervision, keep it away from mouths and eyes, and keep it away from heat or flames. If you prefer to avoid hand sanitizer, test the turmeric with a small amount of rubbing alcohol or warm water first, but the color may spread differently.
