How DO you peel a carrot?

Here is how we have this Practical Life experience at The Children's School:

A tray with newspaper, a carrot, and a peeler is presented to a child. A short demonstration of peeling -- holding the carrot at one end with one hand, while in the other the peeler is placed at that same end of the carrot, and then drawn down the carrot, AWAY from the peeler's body, creating a "peel" of carrot.

Now the tray is placed in front of the child and with as little interference as possible, that child is encouraged and allowed to create as many peeled strips as he or she would like. Those peelings may be placed on a tray and offered to classmates, much like we do with bread after bread cutting.

Or for a lovely twist on things, the individual peels may be put on a piece of paper next to a ruler to be "measured."

The obvious purpose of carrot peeling is to learn how to peel a carrot, but there's more going on than that. We are learning about sharp tools, and their proper use. We are having the opportunity to watch and repeat a series of actions (instructions). With serving, we learn about community - sharing, offering what we have to others, how to say "Would you like ..." or "Yes, thank you;" or even "No. Thank you." When you add in the ruler, you offer the opportunity for yet another seemingly simple tool - but with all of those confusing numbers on it! So here is a chance for not only seeing a ruler, and one of its uses, but also the exercise and opportunity for comparison. Even if the idea of "measuring" a peel with a ruler is too complicated, very often just the act of comparing one peel to another is great fun!

So, does this mean we have created an army of vegetable peeling helpers just in time for Thanksgiving? Probably not. Take a look at these carrots --

We do not stress the need to stop peeling here at school, which may be evident from the examples included above. But if you would like to offer any of your holiday family and friends a plate of peels, you know who you can have do the job!