"Sweet or sour?" Was the big question of the day as our toddlers excitedly engaged in an apple taste test. Educator Heather brought 5 different varieties of apples for us to taste and compare. Cutting into the apples, we first observed the different parts of the apples; skin, flesh, core, stem, and seeds. Building on their vocabulary while enhancing early cognitive skills such as understanding parts-to-whole relationships and working on basic classification by comparing the colours, sizes and tastes of different apples. Engaging all our senses as we held the juicy apple slices in our hands to smell and taste them while hearing the crunches of our bites. We continued to expand their vocabulary while working on their critical thinking as we asked questions, are they sweet or sour? Juicy, crunchy? And of course, do you like it? With no apple left over, we discovered that most of the toddlers loved all the apples regardless of type, though some did notice Granny smith was a bit sour! You may have seen our graph hung above the toddler cubbies using stickers to represent each child's answer.
To build off this experience our class decided to work together bake an apple crisp we then enjoyed for our afternoon snack! This gave us the opportunity to revisit some of those vocabulary words we introduced at the apple tasting as we again observed the different parts of the apple. The children developed their fine motor skills as they had the opportunity to use a butter knife to help cut apple slices with supervision. We supported early math and literacy skills as we looked at the recipe together, then measuring and counting together as we added the ingredients one at a time. Baking as a group is also a great opportunity to build the children's focus and patience. Going around the table, each child is given a turn to add an ingredient and stir the mixture.
Finally, it was time for our afternoon snack when we got to taste the fruits of our labour! The toddlers were eager to receive their portion of the apple crisp. Some gobbled it all up; others preferred either just the apples, or just the crispy oatmeal top, but everyone enjoyed our sweet little snack!
