Slicing a Banana

Material

Bananas.
Cutting board.
Serrated knife with round tip.
Underlay.
Paper towel or small cloth.
Medium size dish.
Discard/compost pail.
Apron.
Spoon.
Sponge.

Presentation

1. Invite the child to the lesson.
2. Explain that the child will learn how to slice a banana.
3. Put an apron on along with the child.
4. Take turns washing hands.
5. Show the child the materials.
6. Ask the child to bring the tray to a table.
7. Bring the mat.
8. Ask the child to watch.
9. Unroll the mat on the table.
10. Place the cutting board in the middle of the mat.
11. Place the small cloth to the left of the cutting board.
12. Place the sponge above the cloth in the top left corner.
13. Place the knife and spoon to the right of the cutting board.
14. Put the discard tray in the top left of the table.
15. Put the in the top right of the table.
16. Ask the child to come with you to pick out a banana.
17. Place the banana on the cutting board.
18. Point to the ends of the banana.
19. Carefully pick up the knife.
20. Hold the banana in position with your subdominant hand.
21. Slowly cut off one end of the banana.
22. Place the knife down.
23. Put the end in the discard tray.
24. Rotate the banana 180 degrees.
25. Repeat this process for the other end.
26. Hold the left end of the banana with your subdominant hand.
27. With a pincer grip, grasp a piece of the banana peel.
28. Slowly peel it to the right until the piece of the peel comes off.
29. Place the piece of the banana peel in the discard tray.
30. Repeat this process for the other pieces of peel.
31. Point to the right end of the banana.
32. Use your subdominant hand to lightly hold the banana in place.
33. Pick the knife up with your dominant hand.
34. Slowly move the knife downward into the banana.
35. Place the knife down.
36. Pick the spoon up with your dominant hand.
37. Use the spoon to pick up the banana slice up and place it in the dish.
38. Reposition your hands on the banana and knife and cut another slice.
39. Place the slice in the dish by using the spoon.
40. Repeat this process until the whole banana is sliced.
41. Take the dish full of fresh banana slices to the proper place for snack preparation.
42. Take the discard tray to the trash and dump the peels and parts.
43. Set the discard tray back down on the table.
44. Ask the child to perform the exercise.
45. Once the child is done, show him how to clean up.
46. Carefully take the knife and spoon to the washing area.
47. Replace the knife and spoon with clean ones.
48. Wipe the cutting board with the cloth make it clean.
49. Wipe the discard tray with the cloth to make it clean.
50. Wipe your hands with the cloth.
51. Place the cloth in the laundry and replace it with a clean cloth.
52. Clean the mat with the sponge.
53. Place everything back on the tray.
54. Roll the mat up.
55. Ask the child to take the tray to the shelf.
56. Ask the child to place the mat to the side of the tray.
57. Take off your aprons.

Exercise

Same as presentation.

Points of Interest

The opportunity to use a knife may seem special, the texture of the banana peel is interesting.

Purpose

Learn the basics of food preparation, communal care, judgement, giving a sense of order through a sequence of materials, independence, awareness of surroundings, coordination.

Age

3 to 6

Notes

Knife should be serrated with a round point so that it’s not too sharp.