Delicious Rainbow

Time

Food
Sensory

4 3 2 1 Early-Mid Stages

Benefits

Participants

Group Activity

What you need

Fruit to represent the colours of the rainbow:

o Red – strawberries, cherries (destoned), watermelon, raspberries
o Orange – oranges, clementines, apricots, peaches, nectarines
o Yellow – bananas, pineapple, honeydew melon
o Green – apples, pears, gooseberries, grapes, kiwi fruit
o Purple – grapes, blueberries, blackberries, plums, blackcurrants
2. Plastic gloves

3 A large platter or board

Intro

How dull would orchards and hedgerows look if they weren’t peppered with red apples, purple sloes and blackberries? Fruits are so fantastically vibrant and varied in colour that when arranged together they could be Mother Nature’s own paint palette.

This activity uses fruits to create your own work of art – a delicious edible rainbow! This could be a stunning centrepiece at a party or just a sunny afternoon treat. It’s a great way to get people involved with food preparation and whet appetites too.

Since eating can often be a struggle for people living with dementia, any encouragement can only be a good thing – just as long as the rainbow doesn’t vanish before it’s completed!

The Activity

Ask each person to wear gloves as this can get very messy and juicy!
Prepare the fruit in advance, if needed i.e. chop into smaller pieces, peel or remove stones
Suggest each person chooses 1 piece of fruit and then cuts it into slices, cubes, or any shape they wish
Any shape will be fine as long as the pieces are small enough to be gobbled up later on!
Invite the group to enjoy the feel and smell of the fruit and encourage conversation about what memories the scents conjure up
Once the first fruit is chopped, place to one side and repeat with the next piece of fruit
When all the fruit is prepared, lay onto the platter in a rainbow pattern
Admire the masterpiece for a while, perhaps take a photo and then pass around for everyone to tuck in and enjoy