Bringing Handa’s Surprise to Life: A Sensory Adventure with Fruit

After reading Handa’s Surprise, a delightful story about a little girl in West Africa who carries a basket of different fruits on her head to visit her friend, our Grade R children were inspired to experience the story for themselves.

They headed down to the Astro, where each child had the opportunity to take turns carefully balancing a basket of fruit on their heads - just like Handa! This activity not only brought the story to life but also encouraged coordination, balance and concentration in a fun and meaningful way.

Afterward, they gathered together for a discussion about the different fruits they had seen in the basket. The children eagerly described the textures, colours, and smells of each fruit, talked about where they might grow and shared whether they had seen or tasted them before.

The most exciting part of the morning was, of course, tasting each fruit! The children’s faces lit up with curiosity and delight as they sampled the sweet, juicy flavours - some familiar and some brand new. There was much excitement as they compared their favourites, asked questions, and even made connections to their own families’ favourite fruits.

It was a wonderful sensory experience that deepened their connection to the story, allowed them to explore new tastes and textures and sparked lively conversations, joyful learning, and plenty of smiles.