Fall is just around the corner and what better way to mark the season than with a month of apple-themed activities. It’s the time of year for freshly baked apple pies, apple festivals, and Johnny Appleseed’s birthday! Take a trip to a farmer’s market or orchard to pick your own apples. Throw a party to celebrate Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. Serve apple pie and apple juice and plant apple seeds in his honor. These activities will also pair well with your fall, farm, or harvest themes.
apple tidbits
Relate these interesting facts about apples to children to pique their interest and get them excited about apples…:
- Apples come in all shades of red, green, yellow.
- 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States and 7,500 varieties of apples are grown worldwide.
- The Pilgrims planted the first apple trees in the United States in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
- Apples are a member of the rose family.
- The most nutritious part of the apple is the skin.
Make your own applesauce
Applesauce is easy to make. Five pounds of apples makes about 2 quarts of applesauce. Peel, core and cut the apples into quarters. Put the slices in a pot and partially cover with water. Boil the apples until soft. Let the kids use a potato masher to mash apples into applesauce. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste.
dried apple rings
First, peel, core, and cut the apples into chip-sized circles. Then dip the circles in fresh lemon juice. Use a wire cutter to cut a clean, white-coated coat hanger. Next, decorate the hanger with some craft paper apples and add the apple rings. (Do not let the apple slices touch.) Finally, hang the apples in a dry, airy place and let them dry for a week or two. Tip: Rotate the apples every day.
apple tasting
The next time you go to the supermarket with your child, point out all the different types of apples. Tell your child their names. Buy a few different kinds, and when you get home, let your child try them out. Ask your child how each one tastes, how each one is different, and which one is their favorite. To add to the fun, buy or make different things made with apples, like applesauce, dried apples, apple pie, apple butter, and apple cider. Let the children taste the treats.
apple toss
Lay out a laundry basket or bushel basket and red bean bags or small red balls. Use masking tape to stick a line on the floor. Place the basket a couple of feet from the line. Have the child stand behind the line and try to throw the balls or bags (apples) into the basket.
plant apple seeds
Talk or read a story about Johnny Appleseed and how he planted apple seeds. Provide toddlers with paper cups, apple seeds, potting soil or soil, and water. Ask the children to first fill their cups with soil. Then ask them to put their finger on the ground to make a small hole. Next, ask them to drop a seed. Moisten the soil with a small amount of water. Place the cups in a well-lit area and water occasionally.
apple relay
To play, you need an apple for each team. At the word “go”, a team member places an apple on the back or in the hand of the first player. The first player runs to the end of the course and returns without letting the apple fall off their back or hand. If the apple falls off, that player has to stop where he is and put it back on him. Once the apple returns to its place, it continues from where it fell. When the player returns to his team, he puts the apple on the back or in the hand of the next person in line. The first team to finish wins.
apple smile
Cut an unpeeled red apple into wedges. The wedges should look like a smile. Spread one side of an apple wedge with peanut butter. Add three or four miniature marshmallow “cloves” along the edge. Spread another apple wedge with peanut butter. Place it on top of marshmallows for a big toothy grin.
Visit www.KidsSoup.com to find lots of other great apple ideas.