Kindergarten Apple Theme
Late September is a great time to teach a kindergarten apple theme.
Many varieties of apples are ripe, there are orchards to visit and there are opportunities to learn information about apples in many of the subject areas.
The following activities worked well in my kindergarten class.
Apple theme math activities
- Have each student bring an apple to school
- Bring a variety of apples for the children who forget to bring one
- Have the children line their apples in a row
- Sort the apples by color and and then by shape
- Count the apples
- Sequence the apples by size
- Compare various apples in a balance scale to see which apples are heavier
- Model doing an observation drawing of your apple (remember to share your thinking... "what shape should I use? what size is my apple? what colors do I see?"
- Have the children do an observation drawing of their own apples and then cut them out
- Create a real graph of the apples by color and talk about sets with more or fewer apples
- Make a color graph of the children's cut out apple pictures
- Estimate how many seeds are in an apple, cut one and count
- Create apple pattern hats using cut out red and green apples
Apple theme science activities
Learn how tools help us
- Borrow or purchase an apple corer and peeler machine
- Let each child core their own apple (wash it first!)
- Bake apple tarts
- Make applesauce leaving skin on and core in (check for bugs)
- Borrow or purchase a sieve (see top photo) to grind to apple pulp and separate cores from sauce. The children love turning the handle and watching the pulp drip out the bottom.
- Discuss how machines help us prepare food
- Record discussion comments in a class book, have children illustrate pages
Observe the characteristics of an apple
- Look for the star in the apple (cut horizontally)
- Cut both ways to see the seeds inside.
- Visit an apple orchard
- Read "How do Apples Grow" and then cut and glue an "Apple Growth Worksheet"
- Create an apple tree throughout the seasons book (see below)
Make an "Apple Tree Through the Seasons" book
Cut 4 tree trunk shapes (free pattern) out of lightweight card. Four children can then work at the tables while the others are in centers. Put one cut out tree trunk under a piece of white paper for each child. I photocopy the words on the paper first. "The apple tree in _______"
Tape the edges of the paper to the table. The children rub over the paper with a dark brown jumbo crayon on its side and the edges of the cardboard trunk underneath will appear. Have the students make 4 papers each. Some will need help to finish four images.
Don't worry about removing the tape from the corners of the paper, just peel it off the table and fold it over.
Decorate one page for each season. Do this over a week's time, discussing the seasonal changes. Read a book such as, "The Season's of Arnold's Apple Tree".
Spring: Glue bits of pink tissue on the spring tree, press small pieces into a spot of glue with the eraser end of a pencil.
Summer: Draw or glue small green apples on the summer page.
Autumn: Use a red bingo dabber to make red apples on the autumn page
Winter: Bare branches and snowmen work well in winter.
A blue sky with dabs of white paint help finish the picture.
Apple theme literature activities
- As you teach the apple theme introduce sight words... red, green, yellow, apple, tree
- Post the words in the writing center
- Read "Red is Best" by Kathy Stinston and illustrated by Robin Baird Lewis
- Make a red book - A ___ is red. A ___ is red
Math and Literature Connection - "Ten Apples Up On Top!" by Theo. Le Sieg (Dr. Suess) - class book counting activity
Read More Apple Stories
The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Johnny Apple Seed
- There are many versions of this story as well as CDs and DVDs available.
When discussing apples the topics of wasps always seems to come up. The Giant Jam Sandwich by John V Lord and 
John Vernon Lord is an excellent tale about a village plagued by wasps and their solution to get rid of them. Although it is out of print now, it is worth finding a second hand copy.
Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell is a good transition into a pumpkin unit .
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall (image top right)
Apple theme art activities
- Apple stencils - Cut apple shapes out of the front of an old file folder and let a student put paper between the folder and make apple shapes with paint and a stiff brush. Open file folder to dry after class.
- Printmaking with cut apples - Carefully cut the apples in half so the star shape shows, brush some colors on the apple half (works better than dipping in paint) and press the apple on to the paper
- Egg carton wasps - cut out 3 sections of an egg carton for each wasp. Teach head, abdomen, thorax, and which section the wings and legs grow from (tape on)
Good Apple Video
Vrrrooommm 3! Apple Farming for Kids
All Theme Pages:
How to teach content filled kindergarten themes - What are the benefits of teaching with themes, sample pond unit content, how to use themes to teach skills
Suggestions for yearly themes - How to choose age appropriate themes and suggestions for yearly themes
Tips for teaching themes - more ideas for choosing themes that are appropriate for the preschool and kindergarten ages, how to integrate subjects, how to use projects to measure the students' learning
Apple theme - count, sort, sequence, compare and cook; learn about apple growth and the seasons
Light and color theme - integrate math, science, social studies, literacy and holiday ideas as you study about light and color. A great sparkly holiday time theme.
Light and color theme science page - light sources, experiment with opaque, translucent, and transparent papers, experiment with reflective and non-reflective materials, light vocabulary
Winter theme - winter activities that teach symmetry, patterning, classifying, and ordinal numbers; science activities about the properties of water and hibernation
More Winter theme activities - language arts and art ideas
