My Magical Fruit Rainbow Skewers

Materials Needed

• A variety of colorful, soft fruits, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks (e.g., strawberries, raspberries, orange segments, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi, green grapes, blueberries, purple grapes)
• Child-safe skewers (blunt-tipped wooden skewers, lollipop sticks, or even sturdy pretzel sticks work well)
• A large plate or cutting board to work on
• Small bowls to sort the fruits by color
• Apron (optional, but fun!)
• Access to a sink for handwashing

Lesson Goals (What We Will Learn Today)

• To identify and name at least four different colors.
• To practice fine motor skills by carefully threading fruit onto a skewer.
• To follow a simple sequence of steps to create a healthy snack.
• To sort objects (fruits) based on a physical attribute (color).

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Warm-Up: The Rainbow Song & Fruit Hunt

   Let's start by singing a song to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star":

   Red and orange, green and blue,
   Shiny, yummy, good for you.
   Let's make a rainbow, sweet and bright,
   And eat it for a big delight!

   Now, let's go on a "fruit hunt"! Look at all our bowls of fruit. Can you point to the red fruit? Great! Now can you find a fruit that is green?

2. Step 1: The Super-Clean Chef

   Before any good chef starts cooking, what's the first thing they must do? Wash their hands! Let's head to the sink and wash our hands with soap and water while we sing the ABCs to make sure they are extra clean.

3. Step 2: The Fruit Sorting Station

   Let's be fruit detectives! Your job is to sort all the fruit into the small bowls by color. Put all the red fruits in one bowl, all the orange fruits in another, and so on. As you sort, let's talk about the fruits. How does the kiwi feel? Is it fuzzy? How does the orange smell? Is the grape squishy or firm?

4. Step 3: Build Your Magical Rainbow!

   This is where the magic happens! Take your special skewer "wand". Your mission is to build a beautiful rainbow on it.

   • Let's practice first: I will show you how to gently push the skewer through the center of a piece of fruit. Be careful to keep your fingers away from the pointy end. Now you try with a soft piece, like a banana or strawberry.
   • Create your pattern: You are the artist! You can make your rainbow in any order you want. Will you make a pattern like red-yellow-red-yellow? Or will you try to make it look like a real rainbow? There is no wrong way!
   • Build it: Carefully thread your chosen fruits onto the skewer one by one until it's full of beautiful colors. You can make more than one!

5. Step 4: The Tasty Test & Show-and-Tell

   You did it! You made a beautiful, healthy, and delicious fruit rainbow. The best part of cooking is tasting your creation. Let's take a bite. What's your favorite fruit on the skewer? Can you taste the different flavors?

   After you've had a taste, let's go show another family member your creation! You can be the teacher and tell them all the colors and fruits you used to make it.

Clean-Up Teamwork

Every great chef cleans their station. Let's work together to put away the leftover fruit and bring our bowls and plates to the sink. You were a fantastic helper from start to finish!

Fun Ways to Extend the Learning

• Math Challenge: Count how many pieces of fruit are on your skewer. How many red pieces? How many blue pieces? Do you have more green grapes or red strawberries?
• Art Time: Get out some paper and crayons or markers. Draw a picture of your fruit rainbow skewer. Can you remember all the colors you used?
• Story Time: Read a book about colors or healthy eating, like "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle or "Eating the Alphabet" by Lois Ehlert.

How We Know We Learned Something New

• The student successfully created a fruit skewer by threading pieces of fruit.
• The student can name several of the colors and fruits they used when asked.
• The student followed safety instructions for handwashing and using the skewer.
• The student participated in sorting the fruits into color groups.