Sweet Pea is 4 years old.
From: Given the opportunity, I think I might be able to eat my weight in cherries. They happen to be in season around here right now so when I saw this cherry pitter at the grocery store, I thought cherry pitting would make a great activity for Sweet Pea.
Material:
- Cherries.
- Cherry Pitter (We like this Oxo model.)
Procedure:
- Explain to your tot that the cherry pitter is a tool and should be used with care.
- Show your tot how to pull the stem off a cherry, place it upright inside the pitter.
Next demonstrate putting the bottom of pitter against the table and squeezeing the handles together. * - Remove the pitter from the table and make a show of checking to make sure the pit actually came out. (I don’t want any cracked baby teeth on a rogue cherry pit!)
- Let your tot try on her own.
Observations: Sweet Pea loves pitting (and eating) cherries. Since I’ve introduced the cherry pitter, she requests cherries for a snack anytime we have them in the fridge.
Sweet Pea had a little trouble at first, but quickly got the hang of it.
The cherry pitter does require some dexterity and hand strength, so this activity is only recommended for older preschoolers.
Notes from the Trenches: Cherry juice stains.
*Obviously your particular cherry pitter may not operate exactly like mine and you need to follow your specific cherry pitter’s instructions.
Rating: 4 Stars * (Fun, Easy, Independent, Frugal if you already have a cherry pitter)
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We have the same problem with our cherry pitter. The juice sprays everywhere. I’ve also found that if you’re giving the cherries to someone who doesn’t know how to spit out the pits yet, you should halve them anyway to make sure they’re safe (although your method of putting each cherry on the cutting board, instead of over a bowl, seems like it would eliminate this problem.)