Fall is right 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 fests, and Johnny Appleseed’s birthday! Take a trip to a farmer’s market or orchard to pick your own apples. Host 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
Share these interesting facts about apples with children to spark their interest and excitement about apples…:
- Apples come in all shades of red, green, yellow.
- There are 2,500 varieties of apples 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 make 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 children use a potato masher to mash the apples to make applesauce. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste.
dried apple rings
First, peel, core, and cut the apples into chip-sized circles. Next, dip the circles in fresh lemon juice. Use a wire cutter to cut a clean, white-coated hanger. Next, decorate the hanger with some craft paper apples and add the apple rings. (Do not allow apple slices to touch.) Finally, hang the apples in a dry and airy place and let them dry for a week or two. Tip: Rotate apples every day.
apple tasting
The next time you go to the grocery store with your child, point out all the different kinds of apples. Tell your child their names. Buy a few different types, and when you get home, let your child try them. Ask your child what each one tastes like, 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 sweets.
apple toss
Set 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 away 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 young children with paper cups, apple seeds, potting soil or soil and water. Ask the children to fill their cups with dirt first. Then ask them to place 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 his back or out of his hand. If the apple falls, that player has to stop where he is and put it back. Once the apple is back in place, it continues from where it fell off. When the player returns to his team, he places 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 “teeth” along the edge. Spread another apple wedge with peanut butter. Place it on top of the marshmallows for a big toothy smile.
Visit www.KidsSoup.com for lots of other great apple-related ideas.