Get fresh
Jean Evans
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
A project on fruit will encourage the children to explore colours, patterns and taste, as well as promoting a healthy diet, says Jean Evans Adult-led activity
Adult-led activity
Fruit salad days
Share Oliver's Fruit Salad, or a similar book, to stimulate children's interest in fruit.
In the story, Oliver compares his mum's tinned pears and bottled juice unfavourably with the fresh fruit that his grandfather grows. Not that Oliver wants to eat any fresh fruit, though. However, he is persuaded to try the real thing after making fruit salad together.
Key learning intentions To listen attentively and respond with enjoyment to a story To investigate and make comparisons between different fruits To respond in different ways to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel Adult:child ratio 1:4
Resources
*Oliver's Fruit Salad written by Vivian French and illustrated by Alison Bartlett (Hodder Children's Books, 4.99) *two large plastic trays *story props *muesli *dried apple flakes *small plastic bottle of blackcurrant juice *tin of pears *jar of jam *small quantities of red apples, pears, blackcurrants, cherries, strawberries, plums, bananas, grapes and a pineapple *fruit pie made of salt dough *a large bowl *four chopping boards *four aprons *four kitchen knives (not too sharp) *small serving bowls *teaspoons
Activity content
* Arrange the story props on two trays, with the packaged food on one tray and the fresh fruit on the other.
* Share the story with the children, pausing to hold up the props at appropriate moments.
* After reading the story look again at the props and talk about them.
* Suggest that the children make some fruit salad, just as Oliver did.
* Put the tray of fruit, apart from the pineapple, and a large bowl in the centre of the table. Invite the children to choose a piece of fruit to cut into small pieces and put into the large bowl. Help as necessary, perhaps by cutting the fruit into manageable sizes and removing pips and stones.
* Finally, cut the pineapple up as the children watch and give them small strips to slice.
* Suggest that the children put portions of their fruit salad into bowls for the rest of the group to enjoy.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
The names of the fruits, salad, dried, tinned, bottled, fresh, sweet, sour, crunchy, crisp, soft, juicy, raw, cooked.
Questions to ask
* Where do apples grow?
* What colours are apples?
* How can you tell what is in this tin?
* Do you like the smell of this jam?
* Have we made enough fruit salad for all of the children?
Extension ideas
* Invite the children to taste and compare raw and stewed apples.
* Invite the children to spread two jams of contrasting colours, textures and flavours on to bread and then taste them to decide which they prefer.
* Explore unusual fruits from different countries, such as pawpaws, mangoes and lychees.
* Make your own fruit juice.
* Examine the seeds in different fruits with a magnifying glass. Grow some seeds in small pots.
* Serve fruit at snack time and emphasise the importance of fruit in a healthy diet.
Child-initiated learning
Encourage the children to develop their own ideas and interests across the curriculum by adding fruit-related resources to your usual play areas.
Creative area
Additional resources
*Put laminated pictures of fruit and plastic fruit alongside malleable materials such as dough to encourage children to represent different fruits using this medium.
*Collect pips and stones from fruits and put them in separate containers on the collage table. Provide PVA glue, twigs and small branches, and encourage children to create seed sculptures.
*Leave examples of fruits on the paint-mixing table along with paper, brushes, water pots, small dishes of powder paint and plastic palettes.
Encourage the children to mix their own colours before painting pictures of fruit.
Possible learning experiences
* Exploring shape and form in two and three dimensions.
* Discovering the pleasure of expressing ideas through different creative media.
* Finding out what happens when colours are mixed.
* Beginning to recognise patterns.
The practitioner role
* Replenish supplies of materials regularly. Ensure that children have wide choices of paper sizes, textures and colours, paint colours and fruits.
* Ask questions to encourage children to talk about their discoveries, creations and preferences.
Role play Include fruit catalogues, pictures of fruit, recipe books, and plastic or papier mache fruit in a bowl in your home area to stimulate fruit- related conversation and activities. Set up an indoor or outdoor fruit stall, in addition to your regular home area, so that children can make shopping expeditions.
Additional resources
Home corner: *pictures of fruit *recipe books *plastic or papier mache fruit in a bowl
Outdoor fruit stall: *plastic or papier mache fruit *plastic containers *paper bags *shopping baskets *purses *plastic money *balance scales *weights *till *fruit posters
Possible learning experiences
* Exploring similarities and differences as plastic fruit is sorted into containers.
* Making comparisons of quantity as fruit is weighed. Discovering what is meant by 'balance'.
* Counting objects as purchases are put into bags and coins are exchanged.
* Working as a group, sharing and taking turns and forming relationships.
* Using language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences.
The practitioner role
* Ask the children to help you to sort the fruit into separate containers.
* Take on the role of a customer to model appropriate behaviour and pose simple problems involving simple addition and subtraction.
* Encourage the children to use scales to measure quantity.
Investigative area
Additional resources
*Leave whole, halved and sliced examples of one fruit on the table along with pictures and books about fruit, magnifying glasses, writing tools and paper.
*Have an 'apple table' with apples of different sizes and colours and a set of balance scales.
*Set up a 'citrus table' with lemons, tangerines, grapefruits and oranges to smell and handle.
*Leave bowls of grapes and raisins or plums and prunes on a small table along with balance scales and scoops.
Possible learning experiences
* Developing observational powers when making comparisons between the flesh and seeds of different fruits.
* Discovering that fruits with the same name can be different in appearance.
* Finding out that apples have different weights.
* Identifying fruits by their smell.
The practitioner role
* Provide the children with new and exciting experiences daily to stimulate their senses.
* Discuss with the children the differences between dried and fresh fruits.
* Towards the end of each session cut up some of the fruits so that the children can enjoy tasting them freely and exploring them in different ways.