That's a fantastic idea for a language learning activity!
Describing fruits and vegetables is great
for building vocabulary related to:
Colors
Shapes
Textures
Tastes
Sizes
Smells
Categories (fruit/vegetable)
Health benefits (optional, for slightly higher levels)
Here are a few fun and interactive activities for describing fruits and vegetables, suitable for
various English levels.
Activity: "Fruit & Veggie Detectives!"
Goal: To describe and guess fruits/vegetables using descriptive vocabulary.
Materials:
Pictures of various fruits and vegetables (real items if possible, or flashcards, or projected
images).
A basket, bag, or box (for the "mystery item" game).
Whiteboard/flipchart and markers, or small whiteboards for groups.
Optional: Small pieces of paper/post-it notes for writing descriptions.
Activity 1: "The Mystery Bag/Picture" (Blind Description & Guessing)
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
How to Play:
1. Preparation: Have a selection of fruits and vegetables (real or pictures) ready.
o For real items: Place one fruit or vegetable in an opaque bag/box.
o For pictures: Hide a picture from the class.
2. The Detective:
o Choose one student (or a small group) to be the "detective."
o If using a real item, the detective reaches into the bag (without looking!) and feels
the item.
o If using a picture, the detective sees the picture but doesn't show it to others.
3. Description Time:
o The detective describes the fruit or vegetable to the class without saying its name.
o Encourage them to use descriptive words.
o Prompting Questions (from teacher or other students):
"What color is it?"
"What shape is it?" (round, long, oval, irregular, bumpy, smooth, pointy)
"What does it feel like?" (smooth, rough, bumpy, soft, hard, squishy,
fuzzy)
"Is it big or small?"
"Does it have a strong smell?" (sweet, earthy, citrusy)
"Is it a fruit or a vegetable?" (for higher levels, or you can explicitly state
it)
"What does it taste like?" (sweet, sour, bitter, juicy, crunchy, watery - for
higher levels only, if they can't taste it)
"What season is it common in?" (for higher levels)
4. Guessing Time:
o The other students listen to the descriptions and try to guess the fruit/vegetable.
o They can say, "Is it a...?" or "I think it's a..."
5. Reveal & Discuss:
o Once guessed, reveal the item.
o Discuss the descriptions: "Was that a good description? What other words could
we use?"
Activity 2: "Describe My Plate" (Group Work & Collaborative Description)
Level: Intermediate
How to Play:
1. Preparation:
o Divide the class into small groups (3-4 students).
o Give each group 3-5 different fruit/vegetable pictures (or real items). Make sure
each group has unique items.
o Provide each group with a small whiteboard or a large piece of paper.
2. Brainstorm & Describe:
o Each group looks at their set of fruits/vegetables.
o Their task is to write down as many descriptive words as they can for each item.
o Example for an Apple: Red, round, crunchy, sweet, juicy, smooth skin, small,
fruit, grows on trees.
o Set a time limit (e.g., 5-7 minutes).
3. Cross-Group Guessing:
o When time is up, one member from Group A reads out all the descriptive words
for one of their items.
o Group B, C, etc., listen and try to guess which fruit/vegetable it is.
o Rotate who describes and who guesses.
oAward points for correct guesses and clear descriptions.
4. Extension:
o Have groups try to describe how their items are similar or different using
comparative adjectives (e.g., "The orange is rounder than the banana." "The
lemon is more sour than the grape.").
Activity 3: "Article & Adjective Combo" (Writing & Speaking Focus)
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
How to Play:
1. Preparation:
o Display a large selection of fruit and vegetable images.
o Write a list of useful adjectives on the board (e.g., juicy, crunchy, sweet, sour,
bitter, tangy, soft, hard, smooth, rough, bumpy, oval, spherical, oblong, leafy,
earthy, aromatic, vibrant, dull, fibrous, watery).
o Briefly review articles (a, an, the).
2. Sentence Building:
o Students choose 3-5 fruits/vegetables they want to describe.
o For each item, they must write 2-3 sentences using descriptive adjectives and
correct articles.
o Example:
For a Lemon: "A lemon is an oval-shaped fruit. It has a bright yellow,
bumpy skin and a very sour taste."
For Carrots: "Carrots are long, orange vegetables. They have a crunchy
texture and a slightly sweet flavor."
3. Peer Review/Sharing:
o Students can read their descriptions aloud.
o Classmates guess the fruit/vegetable.
o Focus on correct article usage and varied vocabulary.
4. "What's in the Recipe?" (Extension for Higher Levels):
o Students pick 3-4 fruits/vegetables and write a short paragraph describing a dish
they could make with them, incorporating adjectives.
o Example: "For a healthy salad, I would use crisp, green lettuce, juicy, red
tomatoes, and crunchy cucumbers. I would add a tangy dressing."
Vocabulary Boosters (Write these on the board for reference):
Colors: red, green, yellow, orange, purple, brown, white, black Shapes: round, oval, long,
spherical, oblong, irregular, heart-shaped, cylindrical Textures (Feel): smooth, rough, bumpy,
spiky, soft, hard, firm, squishy, waxy, fuzzy, crisp, crunchy, slimy, watery, fibrous
Tastes/Smells: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, spicy, mild, juicy, tart, earthy, fresh, pungent, aromatic,
citrusy Size: big, small, tiny, enormous, medium-sized Categories: fruit, vegetable, root, leafy
green, citrus
