Alongside the fun games we try to include in our family time as often as possible, we also love unusual experiments and activities. Whenever they engage several senses and encourage creativity, they immediately move to the top of my list.
I usually recommend strategy and board games, but this time I want to share something completely different—activities that won me over as soon as they appeared on the shelves at our friends’ store, Carousel. They are sensory activities and fascinating science experiments made with eco-conscious materials by the French brand Sentosphère.
Founded by perfume enthusiast Véronique Debroise, Sentosphère creates far more than ordinary games: it offers distinctive sensory experiences.
Sentosphère has only recently arrived on our market, and I was impressed by the care devoted to quality—the products are non-toxic—and by the way its activities encourage children to engage all their senses through creative play.
My children, Adelina (4) and Daniel (9), helped me put these activities to the test for this article.
How Do Sensory Activities Support Children’s Development?
During sensory play, children actively use their senses to explore the world and natural processes. This is important for brain development because it helps build neural connections. It also supports cognitive growth, language development, motor skills, social interaction and problem-solving abilities.
A sensory activity is any activity that stimulates a child’s sense of touch, smell, taste, sight or hearing.
I am a big fan of sensory activities and have tried to offer these experiences to my children regularly. They can sometimes be messy, but the developmental benefits make the effort worthwhile.
“TOP SENT” — Guess the Scent
This sensory game asks players to identify fruit by smell while also using simple maths. It is unlike anything we had played before.
The game is recommended from age 6 because it involves quick addition, but I believe it can be adapted for younger children too.
Adelina, who was almost 5, could already manage simple sums—sometimes with help from her fingers—so we played more slowly or adjusted the rules.
We could even play while I was busy in the kitchen: the children simply brought me the scent capsules to test my sense of smell.
The game includes 12 capsules with different scents, with the name of the fruit written on each lid.
No one may look at the lid. Each player takes a turn smelling the selected capsule and privately deciding which fruit it represents. After the die is rolled, players watch the fruit cards. The first person to tap the pile when the chosen fruit has appeared as many times as the number on the die wins the round. The player who collects the most cards wins the game.
Playing with Daniel was especially entertaining. We often celebrated being first to tap the pile, only to discover that we had identified the scent incorrectly.
Some scents are difficult to recognise at first. As the fruit cards appear, however, the images help the mind connect each fruit with its aroma.
The game is simple, wonderfully fragrant and full of fun.
It develops concentration, observation, reflexes and the sense of smell, while also strengthening maths skills.
Eco-Moulage — Pastry Workshop
This was one of the most interesting activities we have tested, and the final result is spectacular.
Using the creative set and its mould, we made realistic-looking pastry treats: tartlets, baguettes, croissants, jellies, cupcakes and cakes—perfect additions to Adelina’s favourite pretend café and shop games.
My son has a real sweet tooth, and the moment he saw the chocolate doughnut he said it made him hungry.
The effect comes from Popsine, a non-toxic, 100% eco-conscious material made from natural ingredients. It can be reused again and again and is ideal for creating a wide variety of objects.
It is easy to shape: place the required amount of Popsine in the microwave for a few minutes until it melts, then start creating different shapes and colour combinations.
Although the set is recommended from age 7, I did not hesitate to try it with Adelina, who loves every kind of creative process—especially when desserts are involved. Daniel was soon drawn into the activity too.
Multicoloured cakes are more challenging because pouring exactly the right amount of each colour into the mould requires dexterity and concentration. The result is worth the effort.
Our greatest challenge is still to create a cake with several tiers and colours, but we have more practising to do first.
The activity gave Adelina an even wider selection of cakes and desserts for her favourite pretend pastry-shop game—or “Dulcinella”, as she calls it 🙂 I could not resist entering her imaginary world and devouring the treats without the slightest guilt.
Sensory activities and science experiments play an important part in children’s development, and there are many ways to offer them these educational experiences.
Sentosphère provides a wide range of scent-based and creative games, as well as experiments made in France using eco-conscious materials.
This article was originally published on the Planeta Mami blog, where author Natalia Madan shares game ideas that inspire curiosity, laughter and creativity, healthy recipes for children, honest parenting stories and plenty of inspiration for mothers.
We test the eco sensory activities from Sentosphère
Alongside the fun games we try to include in our family time as often as possible, we also love unusual experiments and activities. Whenever they engage several senses and encourage creativity, they immediately move to the top of my list.
I usually recommend strategy and board games, but this time I want to share something completely different—activities that won me over as soon as they appeared on the shelves at our friends’ store, Carousel. They are sensory activities and fascinating science experiments made with eco-conscious materials by the French brand Sentosphère.
Founded by perfume enthusiast Véronique Debroise, Sentosphère creates far more than ordinary games: it offers distinctive sensory experiences.
Sentosphère has only recently arrived on our market, and I was impressed by the care devoted to quality—the products are non-toxic—and by the way its activities encourage children to engage all their senses through creative play.
My children, Adelina (4) and Daniel (9), helped me put these activities to the test for this article.
How Do Sensory Activities Support Children’s Development?
During sensory play, children actively use their senses to explore the world and natural processes. This is important for brain development because it helps build neural connections. It also supports cognitive growth, language development, motor skills, social interaction and problem-solving abilities.
A sensory activity is any activity that stimulates a child’s sense of touch, smell, taste, sight or hearing.
You may also like Activities for Children Aged 12–18 Months
I am a big fan of sensory activities and have tried to offer these experiences to my children regularly. They can sometimes be messy, but the developmental benefits make the effort worthwhile.
“TOP SENT” — Guess the Scent
This sensory game asks players to identify fruit by smell while also using simple maths. It is unlike anything we had played before.
The game is recommended from age 6 because it involves quick addition, but I believe it can be adapted for younger children too.
Adelina, who was almost 5, could already manage simple sums—sometimes with help from her fingers—so we played more slowly or adjusted the rules.
We could even play while I was busy in the kitchen: the children simply brought me the scent capsules to test my sense of smell.
The game includes 12 capsules with different scents, with the name of the fruit written on each lid.
No one may look at the lid. Each player takes a turn smelling the selected capsule and privately deciding which fruit it represents. After the die is rolled, players watch the fruit cards. The first person to tap the pile when the chosen fruit has appeared as many times as the number on the die wins the round. The player who collects the most cards wins the game.
Playing with Daniel was especially entertaining. We often celebrated being first to tap the pile, only to discover that we had identified the scent incorrectly.
Some scents are difficult to recognise at first. As the fruit cards appear, however, the images help the mind connect each fruit with its aroma.
The game is simple, wonderfully fragrant and full of fun.
It develops concentration, observation, reflexes and the sense of smell, while also strengthening maths skills.
Eco-Moulage — Pastry Workshop
This was one of the most interesting activities we have tested, and the final result is spectacular.
Using the creative set and its mould, we made realistic-looking pastry treats: tartlets, baguettes, croissants, jellies, cupcakes and cakes—perfect additions to Adelina’s favourite pretend café and shop games.
My son has a real sweet tooth, and the moment he saw the chocolate doughnut he said it made him hungry.
The effect comes from Popsine, a non-toxic, 100% eco-conscious material made from natural ingredients. It can be reused again and again and is ideal for creating a wide variety of objects.
It is easy to shape: place the required amount of Popsine in the microwave for a few minutes until it melts, then start creating different shapes and colour combinations.
Although the set is recommended from age 7, I did not hesitate to try it with Adelina, who loves every kind of creative process—especially when desserts are involved. Daniel was soon drawn into the activity too.
Multicoloured cakes are more challenging because pouring exactly the right amount of each colour into the mould requires dexterity and concentration. The result is worth the effort.
Our greatest challenge is still to create a cake with several tiers and colours, but we have more practising to do first.
The activity gave Adelina an even wider selection of cakes and desserts for her favourite pretend pastry-shop game—or “Dulcinella”, as she calls it 🙂 I could not resist entering her imaginary world and devouring the treats without the slightest guilt.
Sensory activities and science experiments play an important part in children’s development, and there are many ways to offer them these educational experiences.
Sentosphère provides a wide range of scent-based and creative games, as well as experiments made in France using eco-conscious materials.