Preschool Cranberry Exploration

After we have a large group conversation I get centers ready for the day, with one of the centers being the water table, I add the cranberries and the children have the opportunity to explore on their own.  I pay close attention to their conversations and take notes on how they are using the cranberries.

After everyone has had a chance to explore I bring the group back together so they can tell each other what they learned. I also share some of what I heard them saying, these notes can start conversation if the children are slow to share.  This discussion gives us a chance to go back to our charts and review our predictions and add to what we want to learn.

If I still have the children’s attention we keep exploring (If they’re ready for a break we take one, I’ll come back to the conversation later in the day).  The children can join me at the table to see what the cranberries look like inside, when I cut a few of them open I pass them around and ask the children to talk about what they see, then I’ll explain that the open spaces in the cranberry fill up with air and help the cranberries float, I’ll also give some examples of other things that float if we fill them up with air (like beach balls, swim floaties, and balloons).

At this point I wrap up the lesson and the children can draw what they learned, or simply draw a picture of a cranberry – this gives them the opportunity to express their understanding, and share their thoughts with me, so that I can see what they took from the learning experience.

I’ve got more great cranberry activities for your Thanksgiving celebrations, be sure to check back throughout the week!