What You Will Need

Satsuma mandarin oranges, about 5-10 for a nice serving

Garlic press

Sieve or colander

How to Make Satsuma Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Step 1:

Using easy-to-peel satsuma mandarin oranges, let your preschooler peel about 5-10 oranges. Have your preschooler divide the oranges into segments as well.

Step 2:

Place a single section of orange into a garlic press. Put the press deep into a collecting bowl to save all the juice and keep from getting juiced yourself. Press to release the juice. Remove the pulp and repeat for the other oranges.

Step 3:

After you've collected enough juice for a nice serving, pour the juice through a sieve or colander into a bowl. If your preschooler likes pulpy juice, skip this step!

Step 4:

Pour the fresh juice into a cup and enjoy!

Variation:

If you don't have a garlic press, or you like good old-fashioned hand-pressing, let your preschooler press away with his bare hands.

More Preschooler Food Activities

Holiday Cooking Activities for Preschoolers

Get your preschooler involved in holiday meal preparations with these cooking activities. They'll feel proud to help make the holiday dinner with the rest of the family. Great for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, these cooking activities are just right for preschoolers.

Preschool Food Activity - Flavor Your Own Yogurt

Have fun in the kitchen with your preschooler making your own flavored yogurt. Start with plain, low-fat yogurt and add basic ingredients to make an all-natural, lower-sugar version of this favorite snack.

by Kati Chevaux

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Helpful Tips for Parents

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

• Juice, even 100% fruit juice, should be limited to 4 oz/day for preschoolers — it displaces more nutritious foods, spikes blood sugar, and contributes to tooth decay.

• Involve children in food preparation. Children who help prepare a meal are statistically more likely to eat it, even if it contains ingredients they previously rejected.

• Calcium and vitamin D are the most commonly deficient nutrients in preschool-age children. Dairy, fortified plant milks, salmon, eggs, and sunlight are the primary sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are organic foods necessary for preschoolers?

The EWG's "Dirty Dozen" list identifies conventionally grown produce with the highest pesticide residue — prioritizing organic for these items (strawberries, spinach, kale, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes, bell peppers, cherries, blueberries, and green beans) reduces pesticide exposure most cost-effectively. For items on the "Clean Fifteen" list, organic offers minimal additional benefit. Any fruit or vegetable, organic or conventional, is better than no fruit or vegetable.

Should I be counting calories for my preschooler?

Calorie counting for preschoolers is generally not recommended and can establish an unhealthy relationship with food. Preschoolers have a naturally functioning hunger-satiety regulation system (unless it has been overridden by pressure to eat or clean the plate). A preschooler who is growing on their own growth curve, has energy for normal activities, and is generally healthy is eating the right amount — regardless of whether you've counted calories. Discuss weight concerns with your pediatrician rather than independently restricting a preschooler's food intake.

Related reading: See also our rainbow snack board guide and our cooking projects guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🤝 Family & Cultural Connection — Sharing meals and preparing traditional family foods connects children to family history, cultural identity, and the social bonds that family mealtimes — one of the strongest protective factors in child development — provide.
• 🧁 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.
• 🍽️ Independence & Life Skills — Learning to serve themselves, pour a drink, or prepare a simple snack builds practical independence and the self-care capability that kindergarteners need to manage their own nutrition during the school day.
• 🔄 Trying New Things — Regular exposure to new foods in a positive, low-pressure context teaches children that trying something unfamiliar is safe and often rewarding — a disposition toward novelty that accelerates learning in all domains.

Satsuma mandarin oranges are the perfect ingredient for preschooler recipes. They come seedless, easy to peel, and just the right size so your preschooler can make fresh squeezed orange juice all by himself! All you need is a garlic press and you're ready to let your preschooler make and enjoy the sweetness of fresh squeezed orange juice. Plus, this is a wonderful way to make use of extra mandarin oranges when they are plentiful in the late fall and winter seasons.