Fruits Vs Veggies - What's the Difference?

This easy activity is a fun, STEAM based exploration that encourages children to study the world around them.

Search For Seeds

How can we tell the difference between a fruit and a vegetable? Fruits and vegetables both come from plants, but the secret is that they are different parts of the plant, and one has seeds, the other doesn't. Fruits grow from the flowers of plants. Fruits contain seeds unlike vegetables. The other parts of the plant (like the stems, roots, leaves) grow into vegetables. Set out a variety of fruits and vegetables for your children to touch, smell, taste and sort. Help the children put all the fruits on one side of a table, and all the vegetables on the other. Cut the fruits open to find the seeds. Cut the vegetables open to see the absence of seeds. Talk about the differences.

Create a Chart

Create a simple T-Chart as shown in the picture below. The children or parent can draw fruits or vegetables, use print out pictures, or even felt, or stickers. Encourage children to share why they think each food might be a fruit or a vegetable, and place on the correct side of the chart.

Explore your Lunch

Mealtime is a fantastic time to encourage exploration. Spark a discussion about what's in their own lunch. How many fruits? How many vegetables? What kind ? How can we tell? Add those fruits and vegetables to your T-chart. What kind of fruits and vegetables are our favorites?

Check out our free parent download containing 30+ hands on activities for you to engage your children, with STEAM based seed to table activities.

Give our suggestions a try, and let us know what you think in the comments below! Don’t be afraid to pass along and share with friends and family. The healthier we all are, the better!