Fruit Tasting

Last week we had visitors from one of our partner organizations. The plane that picked them up flew in from Uganda and the pilot kindly brought us some fruit which we can't get in our area. I received half a dozen oranges and apples as well as a pineapple.

I decided to share the fruit with the kids in my class. They know the names of these fruits and have seen them in pictures, but none of them had seen them in real life.

My assistant teacher, Pastor Kerubino, took the pictures I'll share here. The lighting wasn't great but they give an idea of the fun we had.

The "fruit tasting" was a surprise. First I had the kids all go outside and wash their hands. Then I had them gather round me at a table at the front of the class. They had no idea what I was going to do. I started taking things out of a big bag. It was great to see their reactions when I brought out an orange, then an apple, then a big knife. I cut the fruit in half and showed the kids the seeds inside.

Then I bought out the pineapple. Pineapples have such a unique shape that the kids recognized it right away and several burst out laughing. I had them touch it to feel the sharp little spiny bits, then I cut it up and gave them each a piece. Some were a little hesitant to try it, and all were extremely interested to see the reaction of the first ones who tasted it. There was a lot of laughter (and relief?!) when the first tasters gave it the "thumbs up."

I then gave the kids pieces of apple and orange that I had cut up at home that morning. In the picture below, the kids to my right are bending forward to see the reaction of the first kids who tasted the apple. It was declared just as tasty as the pineapple, and they also really like the orange. Overall, it was a really fun experience.