Lesson 20

I Am Thankful That I Can Smell and Taste

Purpose

To help each child appreciate the senses of smell and taste.

Preparation

1. Prayerfully study Exodus 16:11–15, 31 and Doctrine and Covenants 59:18–19.

2. Materials needed:

   1. A Bible and a copy of the Doctrine and Covenants.

   2. One small sample for each child of a pleasant-smelling food (such as fruit, bread, cookie, or popcorn). Put the samples in a bag. Check with the children’s parents to make sure no child is allergic to the food.

   3. Samples of something sour (such as lemon juice), salty (such as salt), and sweet (such as sugar) for the children to taste. Check with the children’s parents to make sure no child is allergic to any of the samples.

   4. Picture 1-35, Gathering Manna.

3. Make the necessary preparations for any Enrichment Activities you want to use.

Note to the teacher: Be sensitive to the feelings of any children in your class who have physical disabilities. Focus on the things their bodies can do, not on their disabilities.

Learning Activities

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Ask the children to close their eyes. Let each child smell the food samples in the bag and guess what food they are. While their eyes are still closed, give the children samples to eat. Have the children open their eyes, and show or tell them what they just ate.

• How did this food smell?

• How did this food taste?

Tell the children that they could enjoy the food even when they couldn’t see it. They were able to do this because Heavenly Father has blessed them with the senses of smell and taste.

We each have a nose so we can smell

• How do we smell things?

Discuss with the children some of the things they have smelled during the week, such as food cooking, fresh air after rain, or flowers. Tell the children that we should thank Heavenly Father for our sense of smell.

• What things do you like to smell?

Activity

Help the children do the following activity verse:

I Have a Nose

I have a nose (point to nose).

It sits on my face (put hands on cheeks),

Right in the middle

In the very best place (use finger to draw an imaginary circle around nose).

My nose can sniff (sniff);

My nose can smell (take a deep breath through nose and let it out).

I thank Heavenly Father (fold arms)

That my nose works so well.

We each have a tongue so we can taste

Explain that Heavenly Father has blessed each of us with a tongue so we can taste. Let the children taste the sour, salty, and sweet things if they wish to.

• Which one is sour?

• Which one is salty?

• Which one is sweet?

• What is your favorite thing to taste?

Show the copy of the Doctrine and Covenants (or the title page of the Doctrine and Covenants in the triple combination). Explain that we are told in this book of scripture that things that smell and taste good are for us to use and enjoy (see D&C 59:18–19).

Story

Show picture 1-35, Gathering Manna. Tell the story of manna, as found in Exodus 16:11–15, 31.

• How did the manna taste? (See Exodus 16:31.)

• Have you ever tasted honey?

• How does it taste?

Explain that there are many things that are not safe to taste: some berries, cleaning supplies, things from unknown bottles or cans, or medicine or pills without parents’ permission. These things can make us very sick. Emphasize the importance of asking an adult before the children taste or eat anything they find.

Testimony

Express your gratitude for a nose to smell things and a tongue to taste things. Remind the children to thank Heavenly Father for their senses of smell and taste.

Enrichment Activities

Choose some of these activities to use during the lesson.

1. Bring some things that have a strong pleasant smell, such as soap, a flower, and a lemon, and some things that have no smell, such as a piece of paper and a toy. Have the children pick out which ones they can smell. Have one child at a time close his or her eyes, smell one of the items, and guess what it is. Let each child have a turn.

2. Let the children look at their tongues in a mirror. Explain that our tongues have lots of taste buds that help us taste things that are sweet, sour, and salty. Have the children taste some water. Explain that our tongues can also help us tell if things are wet or cold.

3. Let each child draw a picture of his or her favorite food. Have the children show their pictures and tell what their favorite foods are.

4. Put out small portions of things that look alike but taste different, such as salt and sugar or flour and cornstarch. Give each child a small taste of each item. Then ask the children how each item tastes. Discuss how some things can look the same but taste different. (Check with the children’s parents to make sure none of the children is allergic to anything you bring.)

5. Sing “A Song of Thanks” (Children’s Songbook, p. 20) or “For Health and Strength” (Children’s Songbook, p. 21).

Additional Activities for Younger Children

1. Draw an oval shape on a chalkboard or piece of paper. Explain that this oval is a picture of a face.

   • What is missing?

     As the children name eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, draw them on the picture. Then review what each part does. Express how thankful you are to Heavenly Father for your body.

2. Point to your mouth and say, “This is my mouth.” Then ask, “Can you show me your mouth?” and help the children point to their own mouths. Repeat for eyes, nose, ears, hands, and feet. Then point to each body part without saying its name and have the children name it. If the children can name all of these parts, you might also ask the names of some body parts less well known to children, such as elbows, knees, wrists, and ankles.

3. Have the children stand and say the following verse, doing the actions indicated by the words:

   Touch Your Eyes

   Touch your eyes,

   Touch your nose,

   Touch your ears,

   Touch your toes.

   Stretch your hands

   Way up high,

   Even higher

   Toward the sky.

   Put your hands

   On your hair;

   Sit down quietly

   On your chair.