Talk with children about how beet starts with the letter “B.” Explain that beet roots grow under the ground. Beet leaves grow above the ground. Ask children to come up with other words that start with “B,” and record their ideas on a large piece of butcher paper or construction paper. Hang the chart paper in the classroom for the month.

Gather children in circle time and offer tastes of raw and cooked beet. Ask questions like: What do beets taste like? How do the beets taste the same or different? Are raw beets different than cooked beets? Do the children like the taste? Offer tastes of different colors of beets (red, orange, striped). Ask children to predict what each color will taste like. Record children’s responses on a chart, and hang it in the classroom.

Place a beet or a handful of beets in a paper bag. Invite children to reach their hands in the bag and describe the feel and shape of the beet. Pull out the vegetables and ask children to describe their size, shape, and color. Alternatively, use a cardboard box or small shoebox for this activity. Cut out a hole large enough to fit small and big arms through.

The Harvest for Healthy Kids picture cards can be used any time during the month in which the fruit/vegetable is featured. Picture cards come in three categories: Fruit and Veggie Photo Cards, How Does It Grow? (botanical illustrations of fruit and vegetables), and Same but Different (vegetables/fruits in different colors, or different varieties of a vegetable/fruit). Find ideas for how to use these cards in the Harvest for Healthy Kids Teachers Guide, and on the back of each picture card.