Activities

Play an upbeat song that children enjoy and encourage them to dance in any way that they choose. When the music stops, the children should freeze in place like a statue. This could be done in large group.

Bring in a variety of fruits and/or vegetables for the children to taste such as papaya, kiwi, melons, strawberries, cucumbers, zucchini and carrot sticks. It's fun to have unusual varieties they might not have seen before.

Have the children sit on the floor, in a circle. Sing the “Strawberry Song” with the children.
Yummy, yummy strawberries, So red and sweet and plump.

Bring in actual fruits, such as oranges, apples and blueberries, and discuss the vitamins in each. During small group, cut the fruits open and discuss the parts inside. Consider planting the seeds and tracking the growth process.

Have the children prepare a fruit kabob for a snack to eat outside, during outdoor time. Slice up fruit in small pieces and have children place their choices on a skewer. The sharp tip can be cut off if needed.

After washing hands, give the children plastic knives and fruit to cut, such as bananas, oranges and pears. Under direct supervision, encourage them to cut the fruit and place it in a large bowl.

During outdoor time, set up a produce stand or a drink stand for the children to role-play the exchange of goods and services.

Set up a produce stand or a drink stand for the children to role-play the exchange of goods and services, during outdoor time.

Prepare a variety of melons such as cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew and pique the chilldren's interest by asking what they think it will taste like:  sweet or sour.

Instead of a baby doll in the sensory center table, give children either plastic or real fruit to wash. Add scrub brushes to use on the fruits and vegetables.

During outdoor time, teach this version of Duck Duck Goose! Change the name depending upon which food you are learning about – Grain, Grain, Dairy

Use a poster board to graph a taste test. Title the graph “Do You Like the Taste?” and draw three columns. In the first column, list a variety of fruits that the children will taste along with a picture of each one.

Using a pushpin, poke four to five holes about an inch above the bottom of a clean water bottle.  Have the children predict what will happen when you fill the bottle with water.  Next, fill the bottle with water and quickly screw the top on.

Sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider" while using hand motions for the children to imitate.

Bring in a variety of fruits that may be unfamiliar to the children for them to taste. Examples may include star fruit, mango, kiwi and pomegranate. Encourage the children to use language to describe the look, smell, feel and taste of each fruit.

When the rain comes down

Drip, drop, drip, drop 
(move fingers back and forth)

Windshield wipers

Flip, flop, flip, flop 
(move arms back and forth)

And boots in puddles

Plip, plop, plip, plop 

Create a prop box for recreating a day at the beach. Include beach towels, chairs, empty sunscreen containers, umbrellas, floaties, picnic supplies, beach balls, sea shells, buckets and shovels and use during outdoor time.

Provide a variety of dolls, small doll beds, doll clothing, blankets, combs, small bowls and plastic spoons. Encourage the children to select dolls and play with them. Use the dolls to model dressing, feeding and sleeping routines.

Create a book of familiar animals. Include the pets of children in the class and common animals like squirrels or classroom pets, such as goldfish. Look at the book with the children. Point out the animals and say where you might see them.

Make various props available in the different center areas for the children to explore their uses. Include telephones, old cell phones, a keyboard and mouse, and a CD or MP3 player with music.