Thursday, May 19, 2011  patterned fruit kabobs...  how many
snacks are educational?  here's one!  with just a little bit of
preparation, this delicious snack is not only educational, but
fun, too!  start with some cut up fruits and some popsicle
sticks (we actually found some that were a little skinnier and
longer than traditional popsicle sticks).  you can use skewers,
as well, just be careful because they are quite sharp!  (also...
if you decide to use bananas, make the pieces a bit thick so
they don't fall apart.)  then, pick a pattern... something
simple... ABAB (banana, grape, banana, grape...), ABCABC
(banana, grape, honeydew, banana, grape, honeydew...).   next,
start putting them on the stick!  what i like to do is get the
pattern started, and then let the child figure out what comes
next.  so, get the first three or four pieces of fruit on there,
and then present a couple of options for them to choose from.  
(aside from the math aspect of patterning, this activity is also
great fine motor practice!)