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Rainbow Fruit Salad for Preschoolers

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Inside: Learn about the colors of the rainbow while making this tasty fruit salad with your preschoolers. A fun circle time activity!

 
Preschoolers can have picky appetites, so we like to focus on healthy eating throughout the year, encouraging them to try new foods.
 
When I received a copy of “End of the Rainbow Fruit Salad” from author Eluka Moore, I decided to create 3 circle time activities to go along with it.
 
I love to put together activities from picture books, such as our 10 Rubber Ducks sensory table and our Penguin and Pine Cone winter activity.
 
These activities bring more life to the books, making them very meaningful with the children.
 
 
fruit salad

Rainbow Fruit Salad for Preschoolers 

Full disclosure: I was provided a copy of End of the Rainbow Fruit Salad for review. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

 
End of the Rainbow Activities
 
On the first day, we focused on the colors of each fruit.
 
 
End of the Rainbow Activities
 
 
I gave each child a color card.
 
End of the Rainbow Activities
 
 
Each time we turned the page and saw a new fruit, the children called out the color of that fruit. The children who had that color card placed it in the center of the circle.
 
 
End of the Rainbow Activities
 
I love using our circle times to teach concepts, and the children enjoyed matching their cards together.

On the second day, we focused on counting 1-10, just as they do in the book.

End of the Rainbow Activities
 
I found basic clip art for each fruit that is featured in the book, creating the same amount of each fruit: 1 pineapple, 2 papayas, 3 bananas, 4 raspberries, 5 kiwi, 6 clusters of grapes, 7 spoonfuls of cherries, 8 spoonfuls of blueberries and 9 strawberries. I also printed a picture of a bowl.
 
End of the Rainbow Activities
 
 
I placed the bowl in the middle of the circle and gave each child pictures of the fruit. As I read the story, the children placed the pictures of fruit into the bowl.
 
End of the Rainbow Activities
 
On the third and final day, we made a real fruit salad. I sent a note home asking each child to bring specific fruit to preschool. As it arrived, we sorted them.
 
End of the Rainbow Activities
 
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The preschoolers love showing me the fruit that they brought! This is one of the reasons I often ask for the children to contribute to our cooking activities. I’ve found it to be much more meaningful when they get to bring something from home.
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End of the Rainbow Activities
 
 
 
We assembled this salad during our circle time. I was able to read the story again as we took turns placing our fruit into a big bowl.
 
End of the Rainbow Activities
 
 
 
We mixed all our fruit together.
 
 
End of the Rainbow Activities
 
I divided the fruit salad so that each of them had a bowl. I have to say that this is the very first healthy snack that we’ve made where almost every child not only ate the entire bowl, but asked for more. (Only one child declined.) As they ate it, they proudly told everyone what fruit they brought.
fruit salad

More about the book “End of the Rainbow Fruit Salad”:

Authors: Eluka Moore, Larry Puzniak and Marianne Welsh
Illustrated by Kristen Gau
Website: Kitchen Club Kids
Concepts taught: Basic counting skills, color recognition, rhymes

 

Books by Eluka Moore, Larry Puzniak and Marianne Welsh:

I’ve also reviewed their book Garden Safari Vegetable Soup.

 

TPT farmers market dramatic play printable pack

Expand the healthy fruits theme with a farmers market in your dramatic play area!

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About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

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Comments

  1. Kate Lloyd

    I loved teaching concepts during circle time too. This is a great lesson and I love that they enjoyed the fruit salad at the end. Thanks for this great post.

  3. Anonymous

    At my setting with my 2-3 year olds we collect all types of colored objects pop them in a basket And then take it in turns to place the object in the correct colour bowl brilliant fun the kids live to do this every morning