Apple Theme Literacy and Art Ideas
Apple theme literacy activities
Many picture books inspire apple theme literacy 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
Apple theme literacy - apple shape books
- Put apple shaped booklets (3 or 4 pages ) in the writing center
- Have students copy the letter Aa on the front
- Post simple pictures with words of things that begin with "a" in the writing center
- Students draw one item of their choice on each page and copy word if they are able
Apple theme literacy - Make an apple web & graph
- Glue or draw an apple in the center of a piece of chart paper
- Have children brainstorm all the things we can make with apples
- Examples - juice, pies, muffins, sauce, dried apples
- Teacher draws simple pictures around the apple on the chart
- Using their knowledge of letter sounds, students help sound out the chart labels
- Have each student glue a small red apple beside their favorite apple food
- Count the small red apples with the students and print the number beside the apples.
Math and Literature Connection - Read "Ten Apples Up On Top!" by Theo. Le Sieg (Dr. Suess) - class book counting activity
Apple theme literacy and listening center
Make an apple theme reading and/or listening center. Here are a few apple theme literacy stories for young children.
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 (To go with the "Giant Jam Sandwich" above - 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).
Apple Theme Books
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The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree |
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Johnny Apple Seed |
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When discussing apples the topics of wasps always seems to come up. The Giant Jam Sandwich |
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Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell is a good transition into a pumpkin unit. |
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Vrrrooommm 3! Apple Farming for Kids |
by Gail Gibbons
- There are many versions of this story as well as CDs and DVDs available. 
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.
This video is getting harder to find and I can't find it on DVD. The kids love the music and it takes them on a tour of an apple orchard, an apple sorting barn, an apple pie filling factory, and an apple cider factory. I viewed a number of apple farming videos and dvds and found this one the best for a preschool and kindergarten age group.
