Fruit

StartSmart Pilot School : PLK Fung Leung Kit Memorial Kindergarten

《Fruit: On Plates? On Trees?》
Change of mind, change of life

Stage 1: Introduction

Some parents are not aware of the common misunderstandings among their children. This is an example: Some children have no idea that fruits actually grow on trees; they have no idea about peel, pulp and seeds. Instead, they think that fruits are in the shape of cubes or slices as served by their mothers or maids, without peel or seeds. They never have a full picture of how fruits look like.

In the StartSmart@school.hk Pilot Project, the kindergarten gave children the correct ideas about fruit. Through learning and playing, children learnt about the varieties, shapes and nutritional values of fruit; they liked fruit more and more and ended up eating fruit every day. To arouse their interest, the school organised a series of thematic activities including ‘fruit rhythmic gymnastics’ and physical games.

Family support is also important in fostering a healthy eating habit. The school played its role well too, providing ample opportunities of classroom interaction and handicraft making, which all reinforced children’s understanding of fruit. Meanwhile, it also educated parents on related issues so that they could practise healthy eating with children at home.

Stage 2: Start Smart!

Live: Shall We Dance?

Objective: Children understand the benefits of eating fruit and doing exercise in a pleasant environment.

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: A CD player with music, fruit drawings, paper rings and glue stick.

Let’s GO!

1. Teacher and children read aloud the text of ‘Song of Fruits’. Draw children’s attention to the part of the text about the benefits of fruit, and remind them how much fruit they should eat every day.
   
   
2. Show several fruits and ask children to tell which one they like most; ask them to say it in this pattern: ‘I love eating xxx.’
   
   
3. Play ‘Song of Fruits’. Ask children what kinds of fruits are mentioned in the lyrics and describe them. Children can use gestures to help themselves.
   
   
4. Make D.I.Y. ‘fruit gloves’: Show 4 different drawings of fruits. Let children choose their favourite and glue 5 to 6 paper rings to a larger piece of cardboard of a matching colour. Children sing ‘Song of Fruits’ and move around with the gloves.
   
   
5. Divide the children into 4 groups and continue with rhythmic gymnastics. Dance with the D.I.Y. gloves.

Live: Fruit Jump

Objective: Consolidate children’s understanding of colours and shapes of fruits. Arouse their interest in eating different fruits.

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: Fruit models, baskets, paper bricks, a hula hoop, a sealed box and music

Let’s GO!

1. Show pictures of fruits. Tell children that fruits contain a rich amount of vitamins and should be eaten every day.
   
   
2. Ask children to paint their favourite fruits. Then collect all paintings and compile them into a picture book. Ask children to talk to each other using this structure: ‘I love eating xxx because …’
   
   
3. Stimulate their learning motivation by presenting the picture book. Tell them that regular exercise is as important as eating fruit.
   
   
4. Ask each child to hold a basket and pretend to set off for the orchard to pick fruit. Play the pitches from d to d’ at the piano. Ask children to stretch limbs and pretend to be climbing up the mountain.
   
   
5. Ask everyone to imagine that fruits are on the trees. Ask them what fruits are found and what their colours are. Ask everyone to jump high and pretend to be picking the fruits.
   
   
6. Ask children to sit down. Put the fruit models in the sealed box. Ask each child to draw one out and introduces its colour and shape.
   
   
7. Proceed to physical activity. Put all the fruit models in the hula hoop. Ask children to carry a fruit model one by one, jump over a stack of paper bricks, and then place the fruit model inside the basket.