GAM Tasting Bottles

The Tasting Bottles develop the gustatory sense, the sense of taste. By sampling and comparing prepared tastes, the child learns to notice and tell apart the basic flavours, refining a sense that everyday eating rarely asks them to isolate or think about on its own.

The set includes eight tasting bottles fitted with eyedroppers, four with a black tip and four with a white tip. They are stored in a wooden box with two compartments, which keeps the two matching sets separate and ready for the next tasting session.

As montessori sensorial materials, the bottles are used for matching tastes. An adult prepares the bottles with the four basic tastes, then the child samples each one and pairs the black-tip and white-tip bottles that share the same flavour, focusing entirely on what the tongue detects.

The four basic tastes used are sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Preparing just these clear, distinct flavours lets the child concentrate on telling them apart, building a vocabulary and a sharper awareness of taste through direct, careful sampling of each bottle in turn.

There are two sets of four, one with black tips and one with white tips. Having matching pairs lets the child taste a bottle from each set and find the two that share a flavour, which makes the exercise self-checking as the tastes are paired off.

Yes, a parent can prepare the bottles at home, just as a teacher does in the classroom. Mix the four basic tastes, present the bottles on a tray, and let your child sample and match them at their own pace during a calm, focused activity.

Keep the wooden box dry and wipe it with a soft cloth, and wash the bottles and eyedroppers between uses since they carry food tastes. Store everything away from water and sunlight so the box stays in good condition for repeated sessions.