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
- Invite the child to the lesson.
- Explain that the child will learn how to slice a banana.
- Put an apron on along with the child.
- Take turns washing hands.
- Show the child the materials.
- Ask the child to bring the tray to a table.
- Bring the mat.
- Ask the child to watch.
- Unroll the mat on the table.
- Place the cutting board in the middle of the mat.
- Place the small cloth to the left of the cutting board.
- Place the sponge above the cloth in the top left corner.
- Place the knife and spoon to the right of the cutting board.
- Put the discard tray in the top left of the table.
- Put the in the top right of the table.
- Ask the child to come with you to pick out a banana.
- Place the banana on the cutting board.
- Point to the ends of the banana.
- Carefully pick up the knife.
- Hold the banana in position with your subdominant hand.
- Slowly cut off one end of the banana.
- Place the knife down.
- Put the end in the discard tray.
- Rotate the banana 180 degrees.
- Repeat this process for the other end.
- Hold the left end of the banana with your subdominant hand.
- With a pincer grip, grasp a piece of the banana peel.
- Slowly peel it to the right until the piece of the peel comes off.
- Place the piece of the banana peel in the discard tray.
- Repeat this process for the other pieces of peel.
- Point to the right end of the banana.
- Use your subdominant hand to lightly hold the banana in place.
- Pick the knife up with your dominant hand.
- Slowly move the knife downward into the banana.
- Place the knife down.
- Pick the spoon up with your dominant hand.
- Use the spoon to pick up the banana slice up and place it in the dish.
- Reposition your hands on the banana and knife and cut another slice.
- Place the slice in the dish by using the spoon.
- Repeat this process until the whole banana is sliced.
- Take the dish full of fresh banana slices to the proper place for snack preparation.
- Take the discard tray to the trash and dump the peels and parts.
- Set the discard tray back down on the table.
- Ask the child to perform the exercise.
- Once the child is done, show him how to clean up.
- Carefully take the knife and spoon to the washing area.
- Replace the knife and spoon with clean ones.
- Wipe the cutting board with the cloth make it clean.
- Wipe the discard tray with the cloth to make it clean.
- Wipe your hands with the cloth.
- Place the cloth in the laundry and replace it with a clean cloth.
- Clean the mat with the sponge.
- Place everything back on the tray.
- Roll the mat up.
- Ask the child to take the tray to the shelf.
- Ask the child to place the mat to the side of the tray.
- 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.