Here’s a delightful experiment to try with kids to identify different tastes. Even my picky-eater-9-year-old loved this one, and he is the quintessential picky eater!
Is your tongue “mapped”? Test your taste buds with a bit of sugar water. Use droppers with sugar water and place it on different parts of the tongue, such as the sides, front, back, and middle. While not everyone’s taste buds are exactly the same, many people can taste salty and sour on the sides, sweet on the front, and bitter in the back. See if your tongue matches these areas – some do, some don’t! Try it with pickle juice and lemon juice as well.
Try the same experiment as with our post on smell. Have your child hold his or her nose and taste foods to see how different it is – part of tasting is smelling! Try it with condiments, such as barbeque sauce, ketchup, mustard, relish, and mayonnaise.