Sorting Fruits and Vegetables
Here's What To Do
After grocery shopping, invite your child to help you put away the fruits and vegetables. Place them on the table or countertop.
As you prepare to put the items away, ask your child to find ways to group or sort the fruits and vegetables. For example, they can sort by color, size, or texture.
Have your child find other ways to sort the items. Ask questions such as: “Do they all have the same color? Do they all go in the pantry? Do some go in the refrigerator?”
Help your child put the fruits and vegetables away and then celebrate completing this task together.
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Stand together in the kitchen and take two deep breaths.
Engage:
- “What color is fruit? How about this vegetable? Does it feel bumpy, smooth, or soft?”
- “Which should be put in the pantry and which should we put in the refrigerator?”
Encourage:
- If your child struggles to sort, ask them to describe the fruit/vegetable to help them find the correct group to place it in.
- “I like how you are describing the fruits and vegetables before you put them in a group.”
Reflect:
- “What are the different ways that you like to sort?”
Not quite ready?
Ask your child to sort a smaller number of items and talk about how they are similar and different.
Ready for more?
Ask your child to think of all the different ways they could sort their fruit.
As your child masters this skill...
They will be able to be able to sort items based on different attributes, and explain how they created those groups.