Show students how carrots grow in a garden. Plant a carrot with the tops still intact into a pot with soil, so that only the tops are showing. Ask students to guess what vegetable is in the pot. Let students use plastic spoons to dig out the dirt and remove the carrot. Explain to students that the part of the carrot that we eat is the root, and that it grows underground. Show students other root vegetables, such as potatoes, and compare them to vegetables that grow above ground, such as cucumbers. Help students draw a picture of how carrots grow below ground in a garden.
Engage your preschool students with a unique art project using carrots. Give students carrots in a variety of sizes. Cut some carrots horizontally to create circles of different sizes. Include some carrots that have the leafy top still attached as well as small baby carrots. Give students white paper and finger paints in different colors. Invite students to use carrots to make marks on the paper.
During the class unit on carrots, take time to explore the color of the carrot. Ask students to identify the color orange. Talk about other foods that are orange, such as oranges and peaches; bring these foods to class if possible. Give students white paper and red and yellow finger paint. Show students how to mix red and yellow to get the color orange. Let students experiment with the paints to create different shades of the color orange.
Give students an opportunity to taste, smell and touch carrots. Bring in carrots of different size and variety. Also bring in a vegetable peeler and knives for cutting the carrots, as well as some cooked carrots. Give students an opportunity to touch and smell the carrots, and encourage them to describe what they see and feel. Peel a carrot and give each student a taste of a carrot. Invite students to taste the cooked carrots and compare the taste and texture to the raw carrot. Show students how carrots can be used to make some of their favorite foods, such as vegetable soups or carrot cake. Explain to students that carrots are healthy snacks that provide important vitamins and aid in eye health.