Fruits and vegetables are essential to a kid’s diet, yet many don’t like eating them. Encourage preschoolers to eat healthily by introducing fruit and vegetable-themed activities to class.
The activities listed below will help preschoolers learn about fruits and vegetables in a fun, creative way. These will also pique their interest and give them more reasons to love eating fruits and vegetables regularly!
Great Fruit and Vegetable Activities for Preschool
1. Reading Books on Fruits and Vegetables
Before introducing activities to the class, start with the basics first, like reading books on fruits and vegetables. This will help preschoolers understand the importance of fruits and vegetables.
Use books that feature fruits and vegetables on your next read-aloud session. Make the session interactive by asking questions to the class as you go through the pages and provide examples.
Here are some great reading books on fruits and vegetables:
- Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert
- Go Greenie! Are You Eating Something Red? by Ryan Sias
- How Are You Peeling? by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers
- Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace
- Vegetables in Underwear by Jared Chapman
- Veggies with Wedgies by Todd H. Doodler
Check out kidorzo.com to learn more fun ways of teaching fruits and vegetables to preschoolers.
Use this activity to introduce fruits and vegetables to the class and supplement lessons on planting and harvesting. It also helps the young ones build their matching skills.
To begin, print the fruit and vegetable matching mat and cards on cardstock and put the clear side of clear Velcro dots on top of each picture on the mat.
Next, have the class fill the show box with a gallon of black beans. Place the fruit and vegetable cards into the black beans. Finish the box by adding miniature fruits and vegetables.
Instruct the class to dig their farm sensory bin to look for the matching cards on their mats. Once they find all the hidden fruits and vegetables hidden, encourage imaginary play by adding a tractor and a farmer.
Supplies:
- Black beans
- Cardstock
- Miniature fruits and vegetables
- Old shoe box
- Velcro
For other engaging activities, visit lifeovercs.com.
Help children learn more about fruits and vegetables by sorting them. You can turn this fun activity into a match and give a prize to the winning team!
For the first sorting activity, prepare plastic fruits and vegetables and label two baskets with “fruits” and “vegetables.” Ask the class to look at the labels and instruct them to sort the fruits and vegetables by placing them in the correct basket.
The second sorting activity uses a worksheet and will require the class to cut pictures of fruits and vegetables and glue them to the correct column. This allows them to practice more on sorting, as well as their cutting and gluing skills.
Supplies:
- Baskets
- Fruit and Vegetable Sort Worksheet
- Glue
- Plastic fruits and vegetables
- Scissors
Visit iheartcraftythings.com to download the worksheet for this activity.
Let the class have fun playing with fruits and vegetables by setting up a farmers’ market for them. This encourages creative play and will surely keep the class busy for hours!
Provide a selection of fruits and vegetables to the class and help them set up a stall. Use old boxes or any containers to display the fruits and vegetables. Have the class write or draw the labels and prices of each item and assign who will sell and shop.
With this activity, preschoolers will learn the names of different fruits and vegetables fast!
Supplies:
- Containers
- Markers
- Papers
- Plastic fruits and vegetables
Jamiekay.com has more activities to help teach fruits and vegetables to preschoolers, so head to their site today!
Discussing the names, colors, and textures of different fruits and vegetables will be more fun with this activity. Just remind the class that the fruits and vegetables will be used for painting, not eating!
Start by cutting the fruits and vegetables to create a flat surface with interesting patterns and shapes. Pour paint on paper plates; make sure to use a separate plate for each color to prevent the colors from getting mixed.
Next, show the class how to dip the fruits and vegetables in paint and press them onto paper. Leave the papers on a flat surface to dry. Once they’re completely dry, have the children hang and display their artwork in the classroom.
Supplies:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Paint
- Paper
Head to lowell.macaronikid.com to see how colorful this project looks!
Since preschoolers love playdough, this activity is sure to be a hit! It’ll teach children how to make their playdough using simple, safe ingredients.
Start by letting the class combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Have one child add oil and the water-juice-zest mix while another stirs the ingredients together.
Scoop the dough out of the bowl and let the class knead with their hands until they reach the right consistency. Add flour if the mixture is too sticky.
Once the playdough is at the perfect consistency, invite the class to play. You can also use multiple scents and have the class smell them and guess!
Supplies:
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or coconut oil
- 3/4 cup hot water + ¼ cup fresh orange juice + 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
Learn more about this unique and fun activity on prekprintablefun.com.
This activity is perfect for teaching preschoolers the alphabet. Here, you’ll use pictures of fruits and vegetables and have the class identify their beginning sounds.
Print picture cards of different fruits and vegetables and a sorting mat for each letter of the alphabet. Have the children glue the picture cards to the correct section of the mat by identifying the first letter of the fruit or vegetable.
Supplies:
- Glue
- Picture cards of fruits and vegetables
- Scissors
- Sorting mat
Find more fruit and vegetable activities for preschoolers on mrsmamabird.com.
8. Exploring 5 Senses with Fruits and Vegetables
Using the five senses is a unique and fun way of introducing fruits and vegetables to preschoolers. It’ll also help them identify the similarities between some fruits and veggies.
Fill up a large plastic bag with different fruits and vegetables. The class will take turns reaching inside the bag to select a piece of produce. Instruct them to keep their eyes closed and let them smell or shake the item they’re holding to guess what it is.
After they’ve guessed the item, have the children open their eyes and describe the produce they’re holding. Encourage them to discuss the firmness, scents, texture, shape, and size of the fruit or vegetable.
Supplies:
- Plastic bag
- Fruits and vegetables
Head to learnplayimagine.com to learn more fun activities you can give to preschoolers!
This is a simple science experiment that allows preschoolers to observe how new life can form from something old. It’s easy to set up since you don’t have to grow carrots, just the top leaves.
Chop off the top of the carrot, place it in a shallow dish, and add enough water to cover the base of the carrot stump. Instruct the class to water daily and observe it grows.
Extend learnings from this activity by teaching them about gardening. Have them monitor the water in the dish and check if the carrot receives enough light and warmth during the day.
You can also tell the class to start a simple nature journal where they can draw the carrot as it grows. Or let them take pictures as the carrot grows and paste them on their journals.
Supplies:
- A shallow dish
- About an inch of the top of a carrot
- Water
Check out rainydaymum.co.uk for more simple plant experiments for preschoolers.
This activity takes weeks or months but will be worth it once the class sees all the fruits and vegetables they’ve grown. It also offers tons of benefits for the little ones!
To teach the class how to garden, begin by choosing what to plant. Carrots, green beans, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and peas are easy to grow, so consider planting them.
Next, show the children how to dig the soil and fertilize the garden. Teach them how to water the fruits and vegetables properly and the amount of water they need to use.
If you don’t have a big plot of land outside the classroom, use containers or hanging pots. Strawberries, radishes, and tomatoes thrive well in containers and pots as long as they receive sufficient sunlight and water.
Supplies:
- A plot of land
- Various seeds
- Water
- Containers/hanging pots (optional)
- Shovels
For additional tips on how to grow a garden with children, visit runwildmychild.com. We also have more recommended preschool garden activities you may want to check out!
Conclusion
Letting preschoolers complete the activities presented in this article will encourage them to associate fruits and vegetables with something positive. Over time, this can contribute to healthy eating habits — which parents will surely love!
We regularly feature different themed activities perfect for preschoolers, so make it a habit to visit our site often!
