The date field guide
Dates come in many shapes, colours and textures. Choose a variety below for a closer-looking activity to share with children.
BulaidaFARMS Free visitDates come in many shapes, colours and textures. Choose a variety below for a closer-looking activity to share with children.

Use this field guide to explore date varieties. Ask the farm which dates you might see on your visit.
Begin with an outline. A round LuLu and an elongated Majdool give you two easy shapes to compare. Then look at the surface and colour. These pages introduce the varieties mentioned in the guide. The farm can tell you what you may see on your visit.
A shiny patch is easier to see from one angle than another. Move your viewing position and watch the light travel over the fruit.
Give each variety a row in a notebook. Write its name, sketch its shape, then add one detail that makes it memorable.

Take your questions about palms and dates to Bulaida Farms. Ask the farm about your preferred day in Al Rimailah.
Arrange a visit
Date fruits hang together on branching stalks. Look at where each fruit meets its stalk, then follow the branches back towards the palm. Ask which features are visible at the time of your visit.
See the family visit guideLuLu’s rounded form makes a useful first shape for a young observer. Sketch one curved edge, then look for the small wrinkles that interrupt the outline.
Read the LuLu guide ↗A Kholas date offers a study in golden and brown tones. Look at the top of each fold where light falls, then at the darker line where the skin turns away.
Read the Kholas guide ↗Mozafati dates have soft flesh and dark skin. A small reflection can make the curve of the fruit easier to see. Leave that area blank in a pencil sketch.
Read the Mozafati guide ↗The glossy skin of Farz gives the eye a clear point to follow. Change your viewing angle and notice how the highlight shifts while the outline stays the same.
Read the Farz guide ↗A Majdool’s elongated shape is a good contrast to a round LuLu. On the same page, sketch their silhouettes side by side and compare their length and width.
Read the Majdool guide ↗