Fabulous Fruits
Objective
Key Teaching Messages
Performance Standards
NIH Health Messages
Printables

There are so many good reasons to eat fruit, and many ways to help children remember them. Reinforce that we eat a rainbow because each color adds a different important nutrient to our diets. Show children images of various fruits and vegetables. Talk about the different shapes and colors. Emphasize that fruits aren’t all the same color.

Learn the importance of eating a variety of fruits every day.

NEW WORDS

Crunchy
Juicy
Sticky
Sweet
Smooth

Did you know that the true nutrition of an orange is in the meat of the fruit?

With natural sugars and lots of nutrients, it’s a GO food. Orange juice is a SLOW food because it’s full of added sugar.

Teaching Health Through

Music & Movement

Pick a Strawberry

Art

Model Magic Fruit Baskets

Literacy

Blueberries for Sal

Music & Movement

The Hello Song

Music & Movement

The Clean-Up Song

Pick a Strawberry is a fun, playful song. Children love acting out the different movements. Have fun substituting other fruits. Ask the children to offer suggestions for additional fruits you can all sing about.

Art Project
Materials
Instructions
Alternate Project
Materials

Before giving children the model magic, talk to them about the different fruits they might want to make, and perhaps demonstrate how a ball can become a cherry or orange, a banana, etc.

Model Magic Fruit Baskets

Featured Book
Overview
Vocabulary
Alternate Books

In this book, children are introduced to the idea that fruit can be eaten fresh OR saved for use later on. The first and final picture in the book is of Sal and her mother in the kitchen, canning blueberries. Ask the children if they have eaten jelly or jam. Explain that berries, tomatoes and cucumbers can become jelly, tomato sauce and pickles, all tasty ways to make sure extra food is not wasted.

Blueberries for Sal

Ask children to share some of the songs they sing at home as part of their bedtime routines. You can also sing a variation of this song, substituting the words good night for hello.

Just like a family meal, clean-up time is a family activity as well. In school, this song can be used with any lesson, and is a nice way to keep children moving through clean-up activities.

Create a Funny Fruit Face
"I Spy" Colors
Ants on a Log

Activities

Use a variety of fruits cut into shapes for mouth, nose, eyes, ears, and hair. Arrange on your plate. The best part is eating the face when you are done!

Fruit Breakfast
Fruit Lunch
Fruit Afternoon Snack
Fruit Dessert

Recipes

Cereal with fat-free or low-fat milk and blueberries.