Materials Required:
Cotton balls
Scented oil (e.g., peppermint oil)
Unscented cotton balls
Containers to hold the cotton balls (optional)
Open space in the classroom
Steps Involved:
Introduction: Begin with a discussion about lions and their keen sense of smell. Explain how lions use their noses to track prey and navigate their environment.
Preparation: Soak some cotton balls in a natural scented oil (e.g., peppermint oil) and leave others unscented. Place these cotton balls around the room, hiding them in various locations.
Instructions: Tell the children that they will be pretending to be lions on a scent hunt. Their goal is to find the scented cotton balls by using their noses, just like lions do in the wild.
The Hunt: Students crawl around the room, sniffing the cotton balls they find. When they find a scented one, they can place it in a designated area or hold onto it until the end of the activity.
Discussion: After the hunt, gather the students to discuss their experience. Ask them how they could tell the difference between the scented and unscented cotton balls and what it was like pretending to be a lion.
Reflection: Conclude by reinforcing how important the sense of smell is for lions and other animals. Discuss any challenges they faced during the activity and what they learned.