Care of the Environment

Slicing a Banana
Materials Apron
Underlay
Tray or basket with bananas
Cutting board
2 paper towels or napkins
Sharp knife
Plates for serving
Toothpicks in a holder to use for serving.

Materials for the Following Exercises:

Bowl with water, vegetable brush, bucket, drying cloth, for scrubbing
vegetables. Add another bowl with water and a peeler when peeling
vegetables. Use bread knife when slicing bread.

Purposes Visual Motor coordination

Fine Motor coordination
Care of the Environment

Age 3 ½ and up

Presentation SET-UP
1. Invite the child to join you for a lesson on slicing a banana.
2. Set up materials if not readily available in designated snack prep area.
3. Put on apron to protect clothing.
4. Lay underlay on work surface to provide a clean area for activity.
5. Place the tray or basket with the bananas on the underlay.
6. Explain importance of handling knife safely & only when supervised.
7. Show child to hold knife handle, keeping fingers away from blade.
8. Emphasize need to focus and work carefully during slicing process.

SLICING
9. Take a banana from the tray or basket and place it on cutting board.
10. Show how to hold banana securely with one hand and paper towel.
11. With other hand, carefully position knife against top of the banana.
12. Guide knife through banana, making perpendicular or biased slices.
13. Emphasize importance of a smooth, controlled motion while slicing.
14. Depending on child's skill level, you can slice the entire banana or
invite the child to participate in slicing some of the bananas.

PLATING/SERVING
15. Use napkin to transfer sliced banana from cutting board onto a plate.
16. Place plate of sliced bananas on the tray or basket for serving.
17. Show child how to use toothpicks to pick up and serve sliced bananas.
 Care of the Environment
Slicing a Banana

CLEAN-UP
18. Invite child to share bananas with classmates at an appropriate time.
19. After activity, clean and dry cutting board and knife. Put them away.
20. Remove apron and neatly store it for future use.

Points of  Fine motor skill development: Aids in precision and knife control.
Interest  Safety awareness: Teaches proper knife handling and supervision.
 Serving etiquette: Uses plates and toothpicks for sharing.
 Focus and concentration: Encourages attentiveness while slicing.
 Practical cleanup: Teaches how to clean and store materials.

Following 1. Slicing fruits or vegetables that need washing but not peeling.
Exercises 2. Slicing fruits or vegetables that need both washing and peeling.
3. Slicing bread.

Pedagogical  Food preparation is done to share with the community, not for
Notes individual consumption.
 Food should be eaten at the snack table only, not passed around the
room on a tray for children to eat while working,
 It is safer to use sharp knife with a straight blade than a dull knife with
serrated edge. Sharp knife will also make cleaner, more precise cuts.
 Limit the number of bananas you put out each day.
 You can have several different food preparation activities on the shelf
at a time. Rotate the types of fruits and vegetables that you use.
 Never have children wash sharp knives. Instead, have a place for
children to place the dirty knives for the adults to wash.