A is for Apples

There are so many fun apple books and activities. We read several apple books and had fun picking apples and cooking in the kitchen.

    

  

• Read Apple Books … I would recommend all of these books to read. They’re wonderful:
  1. “Apples A to Z” by Margaret McNamara
  2. “The Apple Pie Tree” by Zoe Hall
  3. “Apples, Apples, Apples” by Nancy Elizabeth Wallce
  4. “Apple Farmer Annie” by Monica Wellington
  5. “Apple Cider-Making Days” by Ann Purmell

• Preschool Journal A Page
  1. Practice writing letter A and ‘Apple’
  2. Put apple stickers on page.

• Alphabet Apple Tree … our own spin on a fun idea inspired by No Time for Flashcards.
  1. Draw a simple tree on a large cardboard box (or make a paper tree on your wall).
  2. Paint it! This was the best part of the day for the kids. Paint shirts are a must! Just cut an old shirt up the back and have the kids slip their hands in the front. Secure with a clothespin or safety pin. 
  3. Cut out 26 apples and write A-Z on each one. We used these apple-shaped sticky notes! My 4-year-old wrote upper-case ABCs on the red apples. I wrote lower-case ABCs on the green apples.
  4. Stick the apples to the tree.
  5. Give the kids an apple picking basket and let them pick.
     • Let them choose an apple and have them tell you the letter name.
     • Ask them to pick the A apples.
     • Have them pick the letters in their name.

• Apple Stars & Prints
  1. Cut an apple in half horizontally and see the star inside.
  2. Count the seeds.
  3. Cut another (color) apple and observe the similarities or differences.
  4. Cut one of the halves into thin slices for a quick, yummy snack.
  5. Make apple prints with the other half.
     • Dip the cut side in a shallow dish of paint.
     • Press onto a paper.
     • Try several fall colors!

• Apple Harvest Game
  1. Hide several toy apples around the yard (these attribute apples are perfect … and great for other sorting activities).
  2. Set out a green, yellow and red paper.
  3. Have the kids ‘harvest’ apples and place them on the matching paper.
  4. ‘Plant’ the apples again and have the kids harvest them by size this time!

 

• Pick apples at an orchard.
  1. Find an orchard nearby at www.pickyourown.org.
  2. Notice the shape of the leaves. Mention the word ‘deciduous’ to the kids (means that the trees lose their leaves in the fall)

 

• Make apple treats together! … we use an apple peeler corer slicer because the kids love to help and it makes the process much easier!
1. Easy applesauce directions here. We love it warm.
2. Make apple pie in a ziploc bag with kids here. 
3. Sliced apples with peanut butter dip was our snack this afternoon. Yum.
• Combine: 1 cup whipped cream, 4 oz. cream cheese and 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter.
• I cut the apples horizontally so we could see the star and used a little heart cutter to remove some of the stars
4. Caramel apples were our family treat tonight! Directions here.

What are some of the fun APPLE activities you have done with your preschooler?!