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SATURDAY

Of the five senses, smell is the least appreciated. It is more often damned than praised. Bring up the topic, and chances are good that your first thought will be pejorative: You will question your freshness. Any embrace of pleasant smells is usually a result of the flight from bad ones. Americans are particularly smell-obsessed, spending billions annually to fight every natural odor we produce or encounter. We’ve developed the new religion of “aromatherapy” to comfort ourselves against unwanted whiffs. Of course, this is not an entirely bad thing. Consider: France. To encourage young citizens to think with their noses, the Capital Children’s Museum is hosting “Sense of Smell Day.” Activities include a “Smelling Bee,” the opportunity to create scented art, and something they’re calling “pot-pourri,” which smells fishy to me. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today and Sunday at the Capital Children’s Museum, 800 3rd St. NE. $6. (202) 675-4125. (Dave Nuttycombe)