ART & SCIENCE LESSONS

Firstly, read books about apples.

Both whimsical and educational books about apples find a place in our home. From Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss to Apple Cider Making Days by Ann Purmell my kiddos and myself enjoy reading them over and over again. Also, we enjoy reading poetry such as An Apple Gathering by Christina Rossetti.

Preschool Apple Activities #1: Apple dissection and painting

Today’s activity includes a couple ways to use an apple. Firstly, we dissected the apples by cutting them in half and then identifying the stem, skin, flesh, core, and seeds.

Next, I turned on the Apple of My Eye song by Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons for us to listen to while I busted out the tempera paint, paintbrushes, and plates. My other two kiddos joined us and I showed them how to paint the flesh and then press down on a piece of construction paper and lift off. They had a blast stamping and sometimes smearing. Then, we hung their creations on our art wall to dry. 

To see a more in depth look about how to make this educational check out the post Using Apples for Science & Art. You can also download the free apple anatomy printable there. The printable includes labels for a child who can read and a puzzle for a younger child.

Preschool Apple Activities #2: Bake with apples.

This day began a little differently because I gave Mick, my 3 year old, a coloring page from Aa is for Apple to work on while I brought out all the ingredients for apple muffins. I intentionally scheduled this activity during my 2 year old’s naptime to avoid any interruptions.

Once I had everything in the kitchen prepped I called the boys in. Mick is my little kitchen helper and eagerly joined me. Mick and Marty, 5 year old, immersed themselves in every step: measuring, combining, stirring, and filling. Their joy when in the kitchen is contagious. To read about how I keep kitchen time enjoyable for all of us check out the post, Kitchen Rules.

Once the muffins came out of the oven golden and filling our home with their sweet scent we set our table for tea time. Little brother awoke from his nap in time to nibble on delicious muffins while we read books about apples and another poem titled September by Helen Hunt Jackson. To read more about creating a magical kitchen experience check out Baking Magic.

Preschool apple activities #3: Apple Math printable

We began today at the table with Mick coloring his final Aa is for Apple coloring page. Then we snuggled on the couch to read a couple of themed books and recite our seasonal poem by R.L. Stevenson. We ended with a non-themed book, Click, Clack, 1,2,3. This gem by Doreen Cronin is my absolute favorite for teaching 3 year old’s how to count. This brought us to our last activity, Apple Math.

Apple Math draws upon repetition and teaching a child how to find answers for themselves. I only used numbers 0-5 to keep it simple and manageable for Mick. He began strong but then he started having his mischievous moments. A little smirk accompanied some of his creative answers and then when my patience was tested, I decided to revisit this activity during Marty’s math lesson next week. Mick was not pleased that this lesson ended so quickly but I reassured him he would have another chance next week and that pacified him. To read more about Apple Math and get the free printable visit the post here.