What You Need

• Any type of fresh or canned fruit, such as grapes, apples, orange sections, bananas, pears, or pineapple chunks
• Plastic knives
• Small bowls
• Paper plates
• Bamboo skewers

What You Do Together:

1. First, cut the fruit into a variety of shapes. Your child can help by peeling and slicing a banana, cutting an apple into cubes, pulling grapes off their stems, or pouring out the canned fruits.
2. Together, sort the fruits into separate bowls and have a taste test. Talk about the different flavors and textures. Which fruit does your child like most? Least? Which are your favorites? Then sort the contents of the bowls into shape categories. Which are circles? Squares? Other shapes? Compare the shapes of the cut fruit with their original shapes.
3. Slide the fruit shapes onto bamboo skewers to create different patterns. As you do so, talk about the kinds and number of shapes you're each using and patterns you're creating. Cut new shapes from the fruits, such as half circles from banana slices or grapes, as you go.
4. Enjoy your snack together. Another time, try making vegetable kebabs with carrots, celery, green peppers, or other favorite vegetables. With any luck, your child will love these too!

More Ways to Learn

Shape a game. Together, draw shape patterns on index cards. For example, on one card, draw two circles and two squares. Then draw matching shapes on construction paper. Ask your child to help them out and match the cutouts to the game cards. Later, suggest that she find small items around the house, like coins or buttons, that she can also match to the card patterns.

Categorize your kitchen. Ask your child to help you sort the food in your cabinets or pantry. Let her group items in each category -- boxes, canned goods, spices -- by shape and size. Then create a system together for organizing them. This might inspire more rearranging around the house -- perhaps even in your child's room!

Also available: the Spanish Version of this activity.