One of our practical life lessons, that the children love, is our nut cracking lesson. If we don't have nut sensitivities in our classrooms, we provide a variety of nuts that are in their shells. This year, peanuts were the nuts of choice.
For the lesson, the child brings the tray to a working space. The child then uses the nut cracker (bottom right) to crack 5 shells. They put the shells and skins from the nuts in a bowl (not pictured here) and the peanuts in the wooden dish. Once they have cracked 5 peanuts, they use the brush to brush the shells into the garbage. They clean their space, put the tray away and then enjoy the 5 peanuts as a snack. Once they have completed their mini snack, they wash the small dish and return it to the shelf.