Jelly Bean Taste Test Science Experiment

This taste testing science experiment is great fun and is particularly well suited to children aged 5 and up. Our whole family joined in and my two kids were very excited that our science experiment involved eating jelly beans!!!

Jelly Bean Taste Test Science Experiment

The experiment explores the relationship between sight and taste. Technically sight is not a part of the sense of taste but the eyes can certainly exert a powerful influence on the way we taste.

In this particular experiment we explore how our perception of colour can impact taste. Regular jelly beans (not the fancy, flavoured jelly belly beans) don’t have much smell and most of them actually taste just like sugar. Funnily enough though, we often attribute a flavour to a jelly bean based on its colour. For example, we might say an orange jelly bean has an orange flavour but does it really taste like an orange? There are a couple of exceptions of course, such as the black jelly bean which generally does taste like liquorice.

For this experiment you will need:

• A packet of jelly beans
• The jelly bean taste testing record sheet (download instructions below) – you need one sheet for each person participating in the experiment
• Coloured pencils or markers to match the jelly beans
• Water
• Pens
• Blindfolds (one per person)

Experiment Procedure:

1. Collect all of your equipment and set up on a table before you begin. Hold the kids back and don’t let them eat the jelly beans before you are ready!

2. Ask your willing taste testers to choose their first jelly bean. Before they taste it ask them to colour in the first jelly bean outline on their record sheet to match their chosen jelly bean.

3. Taste testing time: Let them eat their jelly bean and ask them what they think the flavour is.

You will find that the flavour they nominate in most cases relates to the colour of the jelly bean. When we tried this experiment a green jelly bean was described as ‘pear’ flavoured, red was ‘raspberry, yellow was ‘lemon’. Interestingly my youngest nominated her pink jelly bean as ‘lolly’ (candy) flavour which was probably the most accurate of them all!

4. Ask your taste testers to write down the flavour in the square next to the corresponding jelly bean on the record sheet. Younger testers may need a little help. Feel free to discuss the flavours as a group. You might even find that the taste testers disagree on the flavour of the same coloured jelly bean. In our experiment the red jelly bean was nominated as ‘raspberry’ by one tester and ‘cherry’ by another.

5. Have all testers to ‘cleanse their palate’ with a drink of water before the next taste test.

6. Repeat steps 2-5 twice, each time with a different coloured jelly bean.

7. When all three jelly beans have been taste tested, tie a blindfold around each person’s eyes. Make sure they can’t peek! Collect the record sheets together as this time you will be recording each of the taste tester’s responses in the final blank squares.

8. Start the taste testing again – one jelly bean at a time with a sip of water in between. Be sure to choose the same coloured jelly beans as used in the first round of testing. Your taste testers will find it harder this time, because they cannot see their beans before tasting them. It is really interesting watching and listening as they try to figure out their answers.

9. When all jelly beans have been re-tasted and you have recorded their answers, let them take off their blindfolds and read their answers. There is likely to be looks of confusion and disbelief as in most cases they will have chosen a different flavour for the same colour.

Now is the time to invite discussion about the connection between taste and sight. Ask them whether perhaps they chose a flavour based on the colour of the jelly bean.

I hope you give this a go. It is great fun and invited lots of lively debates about the connection between flavour and colour.

Download Instructions: Jelly Bean Science Experiment

Click here to download: Jelly Bean Experiment Record Sheet. Save the PDF to your computer. Open the PDF to print the pages you require. Please carefully read any printing instructions included within the document. I suggest laminating the picture cards so that they can be re-used.
Having trouble accessing or downloading the file? Please try a different internet browser.

Please note: All Childhood 101 printables are for personal use only, you may not use any part of this content for commercial purposes-that includes selling the document, giving it away to promote your business or website, or printing the file to sell. You may not share, loan or redistribute these documents. Teachers may use multiple copies for students in their own classroom.

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