Preschool Poem - Oranges Are a Juicy Fruit

Oranges are a juicy fruit

Many are big (show a large orange), Satsumas are cute (show a Satsuma)

You get orange juice with some squeezin' and cuttin' (pretend to squeeze the orange)

One even comes with a bellybutton (show the open end of a Navel orange)

They grow on a tree in the winter season

In parts of the world where it isn't freezin' (hug your shoulders, brrrr!)

So when you need a healthy treat

Peel yourself an orange – sweet to eat!

Preschool Poem - What Color is an Orange?

What color is an orange, you say?

Red or yellow or blue – No Way!

What if all fruit was named a color, you said?

A banana would be a "yellow", and a cherry a "red"!

Use these poems with the Preschool Food Theme About Oranges

by Kati Chevaux

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Helpful Tips for Parents

• Serve new foods alongside accepted foods. A new food appearing next to something the child loves reduces threat and increases willingness to try.

• Breakfast is the most reliably linked meal to cognitive performance in school-age children. Prioritize a protein- and fiber-rich breakfast every morning.

• Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency globally in children under 5. Red meat, legumes, fortified cereals, and leafy greens are the best sources.

• The Division of Responsibility (Ellyn Satter): parent decides what, when, and where food is served; child decides whether and how much to eat. This framework produces the healthiest long-term relationship with food.

• Never use food as reward or punishment. "Eat your vegetables and you can have dessert" trains children to see vegetables as a barrier and dessert as the goal.

Frequently Asked Questions

My preschooler will only eat 5–6 foods. Is this concerning?

Accepting fewer than 20 foods is considered selective eating that may warrant attention from a feeding therapist. If a child eats 5–6 foods, is not growing appropriately, has intense anxiety around mealtimes or new foods, or has textures they physically gag on (not just dislike), evaluation by a feeding specialist or occupational therapist is appropriate. For children who eat 10–15 varied foods across food groups without significant distress, continued exposure without pressure is the recommended approach.

What are the best vitamins and supplements for preschoolers?

Most pediatric nutrition organizations do not recommend routine multivitamin supplementation for preschoolers eating a reasonably varied diet. The nutrients most likely to be deficient: vitamin D (supplement with 600 IU/day unless child gets >15 minutes of direct sunlight daily), iron (check ferritin levels at well-child visits), and omega-3 fatty acids (supplement if child doesn't eat fish 2x/week). Discuss specific supplementation with your pediatrician based on your child's individual diet and lab results.

Related reading: See also our cooking projects guide and our smoothie recipes guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🥦 Healthy Food Knowledge — Learning about different foods, food groups, and what nutrients do in the body builds the food literacy that supports a lifetime of informed, health-conscious eating choices.
• 😊 Positive Relationship with Food — Joyful, pressure-free food experiences build the positive relationship with eating that underlies lifelong nutritional health — and is far more protective against disordered eating than any restriction-based approach.
• 🧁 Kitchen Science & Math — Cooking is applied chemistry and physics: watching bread rise, butter melt, or egg whites stiffen teaches cause-and-effect science while measuring cups and counting portions deliver authentic math in context.
• 🌈 Sensory Exploration — Experiencing the tastes, textures, smells, and colors of different foods expands sensory tolerance and — over many exposures — is the most evidence-based pathway to accepting previously rejected foods.

Use these preschool food poems with your orange fruit theme. Your preschoolers will learn about different types of oranges and how they grow. Have some fun showing off the bellybutton of the Navel orange and wondering what if all fruits were named a color.

Questions to Ask Your Child

Use these open-ended prompts to extend the learning during or after the activity:

• "What does this taste like — can you describe it in three words?"
• "What other foods have a similar color or texture?"
• "Do you think you'd like this more warm or cold?"
• "What does your body feel like after eating something healthy?"
• "If you were going to make this yourself, what's the first thing you'd do?"
• "What would you add to change the flavor?"

There are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions. The goal is to keep the conversation going, model curious thinking, and give your child practice putting their experience into words.