I came home from the market with fresh mint, and Veronika was immediately intrigued with the smell. So we turned the morning into a little chance to explore peppermint with all our senses! It’s fun to pick one ingredient like this on occasion, and focus on it closely.

First up I asked her to use her eyes/sight, and notice that the plant was green and leafy. But more importantly, she wanted to explore with her nose/smell. First we smelled a peppermint teabag and then the fresh leaves.

Next came taste! I brewed a pot of peppermint tea and cooled down cups for the kids with ice cubes. They both loved it, and also sampled the fresh leaves, which big brother Travis loved dropping right into his tea.

Now it was time for hands/touch. Mint has that great slightly fuzzy texture and Veronika loved holding the leaves or ripping it into smaller pieces with her fingers. We decided to glue some of this confetti down to make mint art!

I suppose we didn’t really “hear” the peppermint, unless you count the sound of it crumbling between our fingertips.

Finally, I tied together a few sprigs for Veronika as a whimsical bouquet. She loved this “tiny tree” and played with it for a while. I thought it looked a bit like a magic wand, too! So perhaps the sixth sense we used today was our imaginations.

This was a nice way to pause and focus on just one food, as opposed to making a recipe together. I loved seeing her wonder as she explored the peppermint with every sense.