Really enjoy food
Make a colorful snack plate and a taste journal; try sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, then record your favorite flavors.
About this activity
Make a colorful snack plate and a taste journal; try sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, then record your favorite flavors.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Wash your hands with soap and water until they are clean.
- 2
Step 2
Place your plate five small bowls napkin cup of water paper pencil and colouring materials on a clean table.
- 3
Step 3
Label five spots on the plate or the bowls with the words sweet salty sour bitter and umami using the pencil.
- 4
Step 4
Ask an adult to help cut or portion any food that is hard to bite or needs sharp tools.
- 5
Step 5
Put one small portion of a sweet food a salty food a sour food a bitter food and an umami food into the matching labeled spots.
- 6
Step 6
Make the plate colorful by arranging the foods in a fun pattern on the plate.
- 7
Step 7
Take one small bite of the sweet item.
- 8
Step 8
Draw or write one word or a quick picture in your taste journal about how the sweet bite tasted.
- 9
Step 9
Drink a sip of water to clear your mouth.
- 10
Step 10
Repeat Step 7 to Step 9 for the salty sour bitter and umami items one at a time.
- 11
Step 11
Circle or star the tastes you liked the most in your journal.
- 12
Step 12
Share your finished snack plate and taste journal on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do you make a colorful snack plate and taste journal?
Start by arranging five small portions representing the five tastes—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami—on a colorful snack plate. Invite your child to taste one item at a time, sip water between tastes, and describe flavors using simple words. After each sample, help them record reactions in a taste journal: draw, rate (1–5), or write one sentence. Repeat with different foods, compare favorites, and date each entry to track changes over time.
What materials do I need for a taste journal snack activity?
You'll need a selection of safe, bite-sized foods covering sweet (fruit, yogurt), salty (pretzels, nuts if age-appropriate), sour (lemon wedge, pickles), bitter (dark chocolate, roasted broccoli), and umami (cheese, mushrooms, soy sauce dip). Also gather small plates, napkins, child-safe utensils, cups of water, wet wipes, and a simple taste journal or notebook with crayons or stickers for recording. Optional: portable cutting board and a small tray for tidy setup.
What ages is the taste-plate and journal activity suitable for?
This activity suits ages about 3–10 with adult supervision. Preschoolers (3–5) need small, soft, supervised samples and help writing or drawing in the journal. Early school-age kids (6–8) can taste more independently and rate flavors; encourage descriptive words. Older children (9–10+) can lead choices, compare entries, and try more complex umami or bitter foods. Always avoid choking hazards and allergens; adjust food size and selection for your child's development.
What are the benefits of making a colorful snack plate and taste journal?
Making a colorful snack plate and keeping a taste journal boosts sensory development, food vocabulary, and mindful eating. Children practice describing textures and flavors, which supports language and observation skills. It encourages adventurous eating by normalizing new tastes, builds fine motor skills through plating and journaling, and fosters decision-making when choosing favorites. Journaling also creates a memory of growth and helps parents track changes in preferences over time.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use instead of five small bowls or a taste journal if we don't have them?
If you don't have five small bowls, use a large plate divided into five labeled sections or cupcake liners or spare paper cups, and make the taste journal on plain paper or a notebook with your pencil and colouring materials.
What should we do if flavors mix together or a child can't tell the tastes apart?
If flavors mix or a child can't tell tastes apart, follow Step 8 and drink a sip of water between samples, wipe the mouth with the napkin, and eat a plain cracker between bites so each small bite from Step 7 stays distinct.
How can I adapt the steps for younger toddlers or older children?
For toddlers, use tiny soft portions and ask an adult to help cut or portion in Step 4 and swap the written taste journal for stickers or smiley faces, while older children can add a blindfold and a 1–5 rating in their taste journal before sharing on DIY.org.
How can we extend or personalize this snack-tasting activity for more learning or fun?
To extend the activity, have the child invent a new snack combining two tastes they circled in Step 10, rearrange the foods into a colorful pattern on the plate as in Step 6, photograph the plate and journal, and share it on DIY.org.