Physical
Items required: realistic looking plastic vegetables, label cards, picture cards of vegetables, kettle
Gather participants around the table and greet each one by name, touch, and eye contact. Bring plastic vegetables onto the table one at a time, saying its name, “This is a beet”, and then handing it to each individual to touch and look at more closely.
When all the plastic vegetables are on the table, place the kettle in the center and explain that it is a soup pot and you are all going to add vegetables to the pot.
Pronounce the name of one participant and ask that person to place one vegetable (not specific) in the pot, any vegetable will do. Once the choice has been made, then you can label it “You’ve picked the beans. Beans are great! Thank you for the beans”. Go to the next individual and do the same.
Cognitive
Now that everyone has had a chance to handle the vegetables, it is time to work on recognition and labeling skills.
Provide each participant with a set of vegetable picture cards. You may read the label to them as you lay the pictures down. Ensure the cards are close enough for them to read and reach.
Next, using the set of printed labels, hold up one such card. Draw everyone’s attention to the label and ask them to read the word. Give them opportunity to do so before you provide the clue. You could say, “This vegetable is good baked or mashed”, “This vegetable makes good spaghetti sauce or could be sliced on a plate”, keep clues simple and if no answer is forthcoming, provide it. Then ask if they have such a picture card and direct them to place the card in the kettle. Continue on until all the vegetable cards are in the kettle.
An alternative activity is to keep a set of picture cards for yourself. Hold up one card and ask participants to match it from their own set. This eliminates the reading requirement but attempt the reading portion first.
