Materials
large sheet of butcher or colored paper
colored markers
colored construction paper
paper clips
dowel rods or sticks
magnets
colored string
Instructions
l Make placemats for each child by gluing colorful circles to white paper and
covering them with contact paper.
l In advance, send out invitations to families and caregivers. Buy or ask families
to supply foods in a variety of colors. Be aware of allergies when planning the
menu. Make sure you have enough for all of the children to have at least one
piece of each food.
l Set the table. Set up chairs for your guests.
What to Do
1. Welcome your guests and invite them to sit behind their children at the table.
2. Hold up each food item. Ask the children to identify it and its color. Have the
children point to the colored spot on the placemat that matches what you hold
up. Tell everyone that today's snack is a matching game. The children will
show the family members where each food belongs on the placemat.
3. Remind them to say "please" and "thank you" and to practice other good
manners.
4. As they eat, encourage the children to try unfamiliar foods.
Assessment
To assess the children's learning, consider the following:
l Are the children able to identify the color of each of the foods on their
placemats?
