Perfume Making: A Sensory Learning Experience At Our Stapleford Nursery

This week at our stapleford nursery Jellybeans Childcare, the little  ones enjoyed a hands-on perfume-making activity inspired by natural materials and sensory exploration.

The investigation table was carefully prepared with fresh flower petals, water, jars, funnels and measuring tools. This encouraged the children to pour, tip, squash, peel, fill and drip; giving them ownership of their creations while developing important early skills.

Supporting Development Through Play

Perfume making may look simple, but it offers rich learning opportunities across several areas of development.

Sensory exploration
Children explored a variety of floral scents, noticing how smells changed when petals were mixed or crushed. Engaging the sense of smell helps strengthen memory connections and encourages curiosity about the world around them.

Fine motor development
Using scoops, funnels and small containers required control and coordination. These movements strengthen hand muscles and support early writing readiness.

Language and communication
Describing scents encouraged children to expand their vocabulary and express their ideas. They compared smells, shared preferences and engaged in meaningful conversations with peers and practitioners.

Early scientific thinking
The children naturally experimented by mixing flowers, adjusting quantities and observing changes. They were predicting, testing and refining their ideas; building the foundations for scientific understanding.

Encouraging Creativity and Independence

There was no set recipe to follow. Each child created a unique blend, making independent choices about colours, quantities and combinations. This open-ended approach supports confidence, creativity and decision-making skills.

At Our Stapleford nursery, we at Jellybeans value experiences that combine curiosity, independence and purposeful learning. Activities like perfume making allow children to explore and develop key skills in a calm and engaging environment.

We look forward to sharing more of our learning journeys with you soon. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. 💛