Tear the Salad Leaves
What you need
- a lettuce or a bag of salad leaves
- a bowl of cold water and a big salad bowl
- cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters by you, in a small cup
- two big spoons
How to do it
- Swish the leaves in the bowl of cold water together and shake them over the sink.
- Let your child tear the big leaves into small, mouth-sized pieces and drop them into the salad bowl.
- Add the tomato pieces one at a time, counting them in.
- Toss it all with the two big spoons and carry it carefully to the table.
Why it matters
Tearing lettuce is a kitchen job with no tools at all, only two hands working together and a sense of how small is small enough.
What they're learning
- Tearing with two hands
- Pinch, pull, rip.
- Small enough?
- Deciding how big a mouthful is.
- Making it to share
- A salad for everyone.
What to look for
Notice them tearing a piece again when it still looks too big.
A tip
You cut cherry tomatoes lengthways into quarters before they reach the bowl. Stay beside them while the water is out and tip it away when you finish.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: tear and drop, and you add everything else
Harder: add one more thing they choose, like cucumber cubes, and share the salad out evenly
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Everyday helper activities · Toddler activities with a bowl · Toddler activities with a spoon · Toddler activities with cups · Toddler water activities