A is for Apples: Themed Activities

Book:  Maybe I can mention Ten Apples up on Top here as a book choice!  Yay!  

Following Directions:  How to make applesauce, apple pie, apple crisp, apple butter. Find some easy recipes to follow and enjoy time together either creating the masterpiece or devouring it!

Snack:  Spending time together talking while enjoying an apple snack is an excellent use of time!

Counting: Using the seeds from your apples, count the apple seeds as you glue them onto an apple picture.  You could do an apple picture for each number (ie. one seed on apple #1, 2 seeds on the second apple and so forth OR you could cut an apple outline in half and put seeds on both halves then practice your addition skills. It could be a random number or you could make halves and have the child find which combinations add up to ten (eg. 3+7 or 1+9) for easy counting and adding activities.

Funny faces:  While you have the apples sliced you can use a slice as a smile in your mouth.  Making funny faces and having the chance to laugh together is a memorable event for children.

Craft:  If one of the apples in the bunch is already 'elderly' and a bit shriveled, put it aside to make an old fashioned apple head doll.  The directions for this craft will be readily found online.

Categorization:  While you are making the apple treat, discuss what kind of apple you are using.  See if your child can name different types of apples. fuji, granny smith, macintosh, gala, spy, delicious...is there one for every letter of the alphabet? 

Alphabetical Order:  As a writing activity, other than copying out the recipe, find out if your child can you put the types of apples in alphabetical order, 

Colours:  You can also practice categorizing the apples by their colour.  Most apples are red, yellow and green.  An idea for this is to place the apples on stoplight circles that you created with coloured paper.

Game:  Another idea is to pull out an apple and ask the child what colour it is and then play "I Spy" to look for another item of that colour in the room.

Song:  There is a story based on a real man, Johnny Appleseed. His story can be read as a folk tale, or as a historical research assignment.  It can be watched as a Disney movie or it can be sung aloud.  Johnny Appleseed is also a quick song that was popularly sung as a prayer at mealtime that you could discover together.

Nature/Science: Of course, apple picking is a great activity to do in the right season.  You can discuss the life cycle of an apple tree.  You can talk about how you know an apple is ready to be picked (it should pop off when you raise the "eye to the sky" (lift it upside down on the branch)

Reading: You can read numbers or letters in a dot to dot of an apple or find the apple related words in a word search puzzle or read one of many books featuring apples in them. 

Writing: My suggestion is to write an "apple of my eye" appreciation card to give along with a sample of your kitchen creation to someone you want to say thank you to.  It is always good to be appreciative and fill your day with actions that express gratitude and 'apple cards' is a fun and easy way to do it.

This list could go on and on but I hope these ideas spark your own and that you can find just the right way to enjoy apples with the child(ren) in your life.  Have fun!




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