Skill· 4mo–6mo· 2 min
Explore Scents Together
Parent introduces different gentle scents to baby using cotton balls — baby lotion, cinnamon, vanilla — and observes baby's facial reactions and attention. The agent coaches the parent to watch for olfactory awareness, scent differentiation, and visual attention shifts between scented cottons.
Free to do together whenever you like.
What you'll need
Baby lying on back, alert and calm. Three to four cotton balls, each with a different scent: baby lotion, cinnamon, vanilla extract, or similar gentle, baby-safe scents. Keep cottons in separate containers so scents don't mix. Never hold cotton directly against baby's nose.
How it works
The 3-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneNotices small objectMind· 3mo–6mo· core· Step 3
- MilestoneReaches for nearby objectsBody· 4mo–11mo· core
- MilestoneLooks around a room with interest; visually scans environment for novel, interesting objects and events.Mind· 0mo–11mo· stretch· Step 3
- MilestoneHolds placed toy or rattleBody· 2mo–6mo· stretch
- MilestoneHands together at midlineBody· 3mo–6mo· stretch
Visual example
Coming soon