The persimmon is the national fruit of Japan and a symbol that autumn has arrived - kind of like pumpkins in the United States! Persimmons can range from sweet to so tart that they’ll make your mouth pucker, and sometimes when you cut them in half sideways, they reveal a beautiful design. Let’s learn through sensory play and explore a persimmon together!
Supplies:
Persimmons, washed (a couple of different kinds if you can find them)
A clean surface
A small knife for the grown ups
Directions:
This activity is all about exploration and discovery. Invite your Little Explorer to observe the persimmon. Ask them to describe it to you and ask follow up questions to get their brains thinking. When you are ready, cut into the persimmon and repeat the process about the inside of the fruit. Finish with a taste test!
Talk About It:
Look at this! This is a fruit that is very popular in Japan. Do you know what it is? Let’s look at it. What is the color and shape? Is it heavy? How does it feel? Ok, now let’s carefully cut it open and see what it’s like on the inside. Wow! What can you tell me about it? Those are great observations! I love how you are using your five senses to explore! Do you want to taste it too? What does it taste like? It’s delicious, isn’t it?
Take It Further:
If you want to learn more about how persimmons are grown and used in Japan, this is a beautiful video to watch! You can see the fruits being farmed, harvested, peeled, dried, and even used in a traditional tea ceremony. There’s no dialogue, but you can read the captions to your Little Explorers if they are interested!