Take Apart A Tangerine

A tangerine is the perfect size for little hands and are a treasure chest of sweet, bright, deliciousness! They are a perfect fruit to explore for kids who don't like to get their hands sticky or messysince the juice stays contained until you're ready to open each segment to find the juicy pieces inside.Activity:Start by holding a tangerine, then rolling it. Encourage your child to hold one and roll it, too. Then show your child how you can start to peel the skin off. Leave it dangling, if you can, and encourage them to pull it off. When the peel is off, separate the sections.Then open up a section and find the juicy pieces inside. Can you pop the juicy pieces with your fingers? Can you pop the juicy pieces with your tongue or teeth?Language and Senses:Talk about how the peel feels and how it smells. What color is it? How do all the parts of the tangerine look and feel? Are they the same or different? Are they dry or wet, bumpy or smooth?Add a Song: Sing about what you are doing with the food to the tune of "This Is The Way We Go To School." Ex: "This is the way we take off the peel, take off the peel, take off the peel. This is the way we take off the peel so early in the morning."Add Pretend Play:Make a flower with the sections. Make a boat with the peel. Add more foods to the food-play, if your child wants to keep playing.What other foods have you 'taken apart' with your child? Share your variations!