73 Fun Apple Crafts and Apple Themed Activities for Kids

If you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids, look no further. We have everything you need in this list of 73 fun apple crafts and apple themed activities for kids.

If you’re looking for some apple themed art for preschool-aged kids or maybe some apple crafts for preschool, we can help you with that. When the kids are cooped up indoors on a rainy day you can choose some of the apple themed games we have on the list.

We will even help you spruce up your classroom for the holidays with some apple bulletin board ideas, and if you want to teach the kids about popular apple varieties, we have that too.

No matter if it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, apples are a great way to entertain and decorate. Of course, when the fun is over, the best part is enjoying a delicious apple snack.

This post will cover:

Apple Crafts and Ideas

1. Apple Shaker Tambourine

Materials:

  • Paper plates or card stock
  • Some things that will make noise inside the apple shape such as buttons, seeds, rice, dried beans, small pebbles, etc.
  • Ribbon

What to Do:

  • Have kids paint two pieces of apple shaped poster board or paper plates. 
  • Glue and staple the two pieces together with the sound-maker in the middle inside of it.
  • Attach the ribbons.

2. Apple Candle Holder

Materials:

  • Large Rome Beauty apples (that will stand straight on the table)
  • Candles
  • Waxed paper
  • Potato peeler
  • Lemon juice

What to Do:

  • Using an apple corer, make a hole about halfway through the middle of an apple. Make the hole as straight as possible and remove the core piece.
  • Insert a candle into the hole. It should fit tightly; if the hole is too large, wrap the waxed paper around the candle’s end.
  • Older kids can decorate the apples by carefully carving designs in the skins with the tip of a potato peeler (to prevent the designs from turning brown, rub them with lemon juice).
  • Arrange the candleholders in a circle on a plate or cutting board.
  • Make sure that the apples are stable. Cut the bottom accordingly if not.

3. Dried Apple Wreath

(Version 1)

Materials:

  • Juice of approximately 8-10 lemons
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 8 – 10 large firm apples
  • 8 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
  • 8″ – 10″ sturdy, heavy gauge wire (for a wreath)
  • Jute (for garland or apple stacker)
  • 1 – 1 1/2 yards of ribbon, fabric scraps, or raffia

What to Do:

  • Dry the apples.
  • Place lemon juice in a large bowl and stir in salt.
  • Peel, core, and slice apples horizontally into 1/4″ thick circles. Soak slices in lemon juice bowl for approximately 6-10 minutes, making sure each side of the slices has a chance to absorb some of the lemon juice.
  • While waiting, mix spices in a bowl and blend well.
  • Remove the slices from the bowl and place them on paper towels. Pat tops of apple slices with paper towels.
  • Dust apple slices with spice mixture. Turn slices over and repeat on opposite side.
  • Place apple slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  • Bake at 150-200 degrees F for 6 hours or until completely dried. Apple slices should be slightly pliable.

(Version 2)

Materials:

  • 2 red apples
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 1 T salt
  • Non-stick cooking spray

What to Do:

  • Preheat oven to 225 F. 
  • Slice apple 1/4″ thick.
  • Combine the lemon juice and salt in a bowl and soak the apples for 20-25 minutes. Turn apples once while soaking.
  • Coat a baking sheet with the non-stick cooking spray and place the apple slices on the sheet in a single layer.
  • Bake for 4 to 6 hours until the slice feels leathery but not brown. Turn slices over once during baking.

How to Create Wreath:

  • Fold each apple slice in half, and then into quarters and thread the apple slices onto the wire. Continue to pack on the folded apples until the wire is completely filled.
  • When the wire is completely covered, use pliers to bend ends into hooks so that they can connect and close. Carefully shape wire into the desired shape. The recommendation is either a circle or heart shape.
  • Using the ribbon or fabric scraps, create a hanger for your wreath.
  • Hang on the wall, or package as a gift for someone special.

4. Shrunken Apple Heads

Materials:

  • Large, firm apples. The apples shrink a lot when they dry so you want to be sure that they are big enough, to begin with. Firm apples will be easier to carve and will dry out much better.
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt
  • Paring knife

What to Do:

  • Peel the apples. You can core them if you would like, although it is not necessary.
  • brush a mixture of lemon juice and salt onto the peeled apple. The lemon juice and salt mixture will help keep the apples from turning brown as they dry.
  • Carve out the basic features of a face from one side of the apple. Don’t go into too much detail since when the apple dries any small details will be lost. Focus on creating large features like the eye sockets, a nose, and a mouth.
  • Place the carved apples somewhere dry and out of the way. Turn them every couple of days and in about 2 weeks they will have shriveled up into ghoulish little faces. You can speed up the drying time if you would like by setting them on a cookie sheet in the oven on the lowest setting or by using a food dehydrator, although it will still take some time for them to dry and shrivel.
  • Make a body by putting the heads on small bottles (shampoo, dish soap etc.) Make a dress out of a piece of fabric. You can even use a small paper clip to make glasses.

Tip: To make a shrunken apple for a witch’s head you would most likely carve a large nose, two deep holes for the eye sockets and a sneering hole for the mouth. Keep the shapes that you carve simple and larger than you think you need them to be since they will shrink as they dry.

5. Dried Apple and Cinnamon Pasta Hanging

Materials:

  • Apples
  • Lemon juice
  • Water
  • Rigatoni pasta
  • Cinnamon
  • Plastic needles
  • Yarn
  • Decorative bow

What to Do:

  • Slice apples sideways and place the slices in a lemon juice and water mixture for a few minutes.
  • Moisten rigatoni pasta with water and then roll and coat them in cinnamon.
  • Using plastic needles and yarn, alternately string the apples and noodles.
  • Add a country fabric bow (or your choice of the bow) to the top and dry near a sunny window.
  • The wreaths hang straight down and look and smell great!

6. Dried Apple Picture Frame

Materials:

  • Dried apples (refer to dried apple recipes above)
  • 4 craft sticks
  • School picture to use as a guide
  • Glue

What to Do:

  • Arrange four craft sticks to form a small, rectangular frame the size of a school picture.
  • Using a school picture as a guide, lay one stick across the top and a second across the bottom.
  • Place once craft stick vertically at each of the picture edges to frame the picture.
  • Glue the sticks and a picture in place.
  • Glue two or three dried apple slices to one corner of the frame and a magnet to the back. 
  • Allow the frame to dry.

7. Apple Shape Puzzle

Materials:

  • Large card stock
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Laminate
  • Plastic baggie

What to Do:

  • Draw a very large apple (made from card-stock if possible). 
  • Laminate it and cut into pieces to put back together like a puzzle. 
  • Save pieces in a plastic baggie.

8. Apple Trees

Materials:

  • A small ball of modeling dough or clay
  • An empty, short can such as tuna can
  • 6 to 8-inch twig with branches
  • Several green tissue paper squares
  • Craft glue
  • Several red beads
  • A piece of construction paper cut to fit around the can

What to Do:

  • Place the dough or clay at the bottom of the can.
  • Stand the twig in the center of the clay.
  • Twist the tissue squares to resemble bow ties.
  • Glue the bow ties to the branches to look like leaves.
  • Glue a few of the red beads on the branches to resemble apples.
  • Have kids decorate the paper strip; cover the can and glue it in place.

9. Apple Worm Puppet #1

Materials:

  • 4″ x 4″ piece of cardboard
  • Scissors
  • Red crayon or marker

What to Do:

  • Cut the cardboard into a large apple shape.
  • Cut out a small finger hole somewhere on the apple.
  • Have child color the apple with a red crayon or marker.
  • Children hold up the apple with one hand while they stick their pointer finger from the opposite hand into the wormhole and wiggle.

10. Worm Puppet #2

Materials:

  • Small cup
  • Brown paint or markers
  • Black marker
  • Scissors

What to Do:

  • Cut out the bottom of the cup
  • Color the cup brown
  • Draw a face on the tip of your index finger (worm)
  • Stick your finger (worm) through the cup and you have a fun worm puppet.

11. Apple Core Pencil Holder

Materials:

  • Papier Mache
  • Empty toilet paper roll
  • Paint
  • Brown or black pipe cleaner
  • Green raffia, construction paper, or foam sheet

What to Do:

  • Leaving the hole open to hold the pencils, put papier Mache around a toilet paper roll.
  • When it’s dry paint it to look like an apple core
  • Insert a brown or black pipe cleaner stem. Use green raffia, construction paper or foam sheet for a leaf.

12. Talking Apple Puppet

Materials:

  • Old tennis balls 
  • Sharp knife (adults only)
  • Red paint and a paintbrush (You can skip this part if you’re able to find red tennis balls at the pet store)
  • Brown pipe cleaner
  • A scrap of green felt
  • Two large wiggle eyes
  • Masking tape
  • Tiny red pom-pom
  • Black marker
  • Scissors
  • White glue or thick blue glue gel
  • Newspaper to work on
  • Plastic-foam egg carton (for drying the tennis ball on)

What to Do:

  • Have an adult use a sharp knife to cut a slit across the lower half of the ball for the mouth and to poke a small slit in the top of the ball for the stem. If you have a shop vise, you can use it to hold the ball steady while you make the cuts. The deeper the mouth cut, the easier it will be to squeeze the mouth to open it.
  • Paint the ball red. Let it dry on the plastic-foam egg carton.
  • Stick a piece of masking tape on the back of each wiggle eye to create a better gluing surface. Glue the eyes on the ball above the mouth.
  • Glue on the red pom-pom for the nose.
  • Cut a 2-inch piece of brown pipe cleaner for the stem. Push the end of the stem through the hole in the top of the apple.
  • Cut a leaf shape from the green felt scrap. Cut a tiny slit at the base of the leaf. Slide the leaf down over the stem through the slit so that it sits on the top of the apple.
  • Use the black marker to make a line over the cut of the mouth to accentuate it. To make the mouth of the apple open and close, squeeze the ball on each side of the mouth.

Tips:

  • This little apple puppet can pick things up with the mouth and swallow them. You might want to make a game of seeing how many things the puppet can pick up and swallow in a set amount of time. Try picking up peppercorns, small pom-poms, or popcorn kernels.
  • One person said the children were more interested in throwing than picking up, but they did pick up bits of cereal and raisins.
  • The kids especially liked to play the “apple eats your nose game”. More than one group reported apple puppets nibbling at other kids with much giggling, a part of the game.

Apple Bulletin Board Ideas

13. Our Apple Orchard

Cut an apple for each child to glue a photo of themselves on and put on the bulletin board.

14. A Bushel of Fun

Draw a large basket with apples in it and write each child’s name on an apple.

15. We are a Great Bunch

Apples on a tree with each child’s name on an apple.

16. Welcome To ________!

May this school year bring

You happiness galore,

And may you enjoy it

Right to the core!

Post the above poem and then draw a huge apple core with everyone’s names on it.

17. The New Crop is in!

Place children’s photos or names in apples and hang on the tree.

Apple Themed Art for Preschool 

18. Apple Collage

Materials:

  • Small paper plate
  • A piece of red paper
  • A piece of green paper
  • Glue

What to Do:

  • Tear the paper into small pieces
  • Glue and cover the plate with the pieces. 
  • Add a green paper stem and hang up on.

19. Dimensional Curled Apple Tree

Materials:

  • Red, green, brown, and blue construction paper
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Pencil

What to Do:

  • Cut out a tree-shape trunk from the brown paper; cut out apples from the red construction paper.
  • Assemble and glue the trunk and apples on a background piece of paper.
  • Cut out many small, thin (about 1/4-inch-wide and a few inches long) strips of green paper and some red strips as well.
  • One by one take the strips and wrap them tightly around a pencil and they will curl.
  • Remove the curled paper from the pencil and dip the edges in glue.
  • Add each glue edged curl to your tree.
  • Keep repeating this process until the tree is covered with apples and leaves.

20. Crab Apple Painting

Materials:

  • Crab apples or large apples of your choice
  • Construction paper
  • Several colors of thick tempera paint
  • Shallow dishes (for the paint)
  • Shallow box
  • Spoon

What to Do:

  • Put paper in a shallow box.
  • Dip your apple in the chosen paint color and use a spoon to scoop it out and onto the paper.
  • Now hold the box tilting it back and forth as the crabapple moves across.
  • When there is no more paint, dip the crab apple again or put a new apple into a different color.
  • Hang and display.

21. Print Making Using Apples

Materials:

  • Apples
  • Paper towels
  • Styrofoam plate, meat tray, or another Shallow Dish
  • Construction paper and paint

What to Do:

  • Cut the apple in half. Experiment with the apples by cutting them in different ways. Cut through the top and out the bottom to make a traditional apple print, cut through the middle to make apple star prints. Cut the apple into quarters for a different print also!
  • Fold a paper towel into 4ths and lay it on the bottom of the Styrofoam plate, etc. Pour paint into the center of the paper towel to make it into a stamp pad. Using red, green, and yellow paint will represent the different kinds of apples.
  • Dip the cut side of the apple into the paint. Dab it around on the paper towel to wipe off excess paint, and then press it onto the paper. To finish off, cut sponges into leaf shapes and have kids repeat the above process to paint leaves. When dry add stems and seeds with sharpies.

Tip: Make a whole collection of apple pictures this way. You can also use fabric paint and make an apple print T-shirt, towels, etc.

22. Worm Art

Materials:

  • Yarn
  • Paint
  • Paper

What to Do:

  • Dip pieces of yarn into paint and drag it across the paper to make squiggles, lines, etc.

Tip: You can also use cooked noodles for worms.

23. Papier Mache Apples

Materials:

  • Balloon
  • Strips of paper
  • Papier Mache recipe
  • Paint

What to Do:

  • Inflate a balloon.
  • Dip newspaper strips in a mixture of your favorite papier Mache recipe.
  • Completely cover the balloon. Let it dry thoroughly. 
  • Paint and decorate the shape to look like an apple.

Ideas

Make an apple tree mural. As fall progresses, add pumpkins, scarecrows, etc. to the mural. As Thanksgiving arrives, add a turkey, cornucopia, pilgrims, Indians, etc.

Paint a still life of apples by putting together a bowl of apples, or apples on a table. Put out the paints and paper and see how creative the kids can be.

Fun Apple Recipes

24. Apple Cinnamon Dough Recipe #1

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup white school glue (optional)

What to Do:

Add the cinnamon to the applesauce until you get a clay-like consistency. You may add glue for added thickness. Once the dough is mixed, create shapes with your hands or roll the dough out and use cookie cutters. Let the dough dry. Store unused dough in a bowl with plastic wrap as a cover.

25. Apple Cinnamon Dough Recipe #2

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons white glue
  • 3/4 cup water

What to Do:

Mix until the consistency of cookie dough. (Add more water if needed.) Sprinkle cinnamon on the cutting board and knead the dough. Roll out 1/4-inch thick. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters or Popsicle sticks.

Punch a hole in the top with a straw or pencil before drying (so you can string ribbon through later for hanging). Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes or until firm. Let them cool, and then decorate! These are usually used as ornaments but make necklaces from them.

26. Apple Cinnamon Dough Recipe #3

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup Applesauce
  • 1 Cup Cinnamon

What to Do:

Mix the applesauce and the cinnamon until it gets to a nice clay consistency. If it’s too sticky, add a bit more cinnamon or even a touch of flour. You can make shapes and designs or use cookie cutters.

Put the shapes in a warm, dry spot to dry, this takes a few days. You now have sweet-smelling sculptures to decorate and/or paint.

27. Apple Play Dough

Ingredients:

  • Red, yellow, and green play dough
  • Cinnamon Spice
  • Apple cookie cutters and other fun tools
  • Pipe cleaners

What to Do:

Use red, yellow, and green colored play dough, adding cinnamon spice to it. Lay out the apple cookie cutters and tools. Kids may want to make their own version of an apple (or other things) Add a pipe cleaner for a worm.

73 fun apple crafts and apple themed activities for kids including apple bulletin board ideas, apple themed art, apple recipes, apple riddles, popular apple varieties, and apple songs for preschool,

Apple Themed Games and Activities

28. Paper Apple Relay

  • Cut a large number of apples and write a different instruction on each apple for a relay race such as skip, crawl, crab walk, hop, walk backward, etc. 
  • Duplicate the instruction for the number of Teams you will have. (Example: Three teams equal three sets of instructions)
  • Divide the children into groups (if not even, have one child go twice)
  • Put the cut-out apple shapes at the end of the room in a pile for each team.

On go, the first player on each team runs up to the pile and takes an apple. The players come back to the group doing what it says on the apple. When the first players get back the next players run to the apples and play continues

Return the apples to the bottom of the pile until all have had a turn.

Tip: Laminate the apples for future fall, harvest or apple themed days.

29. Half an Apple Match Game (Use this game to find partners or to just have fun!)

  • In advance, cut each apple shape into two pieces with bold, unusual lines, so each one is unique.
  • Distribute one-half of an apple to each child.
  • At a signal have the children find the other half of their apple.

30. Grabbing an Apple

Much like Bobbing for Apples except trying to get the apple while it is hanging from a line!

  • Hang a string between trees or use a clothesline.
  • Tie some more string to apple stems and hang the apples from the clothesline.
  • Kids then attempt to grab an apple by using their teeth, no hands!

31. Musical Apple Pass (Pre-K- Grade 3)

  • Prepare a large apple shape from construction paper before the game. 
  • Put the children in a circle and play fun music while they pass around the paper apple. 
  • The person holding the apple when the music stops wins a treat. 
  • Bring plenty of treats for many plays (Make sure every child receives a treat)

32. Share the Apple Game (younger children)

  • Before you play make half as many 24-inch apples as there are children in the group.
  • Tape the apples to the floor in a large circle.
  • Play music and have the children walk around the circle of apples.
  • Stop the music intermittently. When the music stops, have each child stand on an apple with both feet. More than one child can share an apple; children may hang on to one another in order to stay on their apple.
  • Do not eliminate payers instead eliminate apples!
  • Start the music again.
  • While children are walking, remove one apple.
  • Eliminate an apple each round until it is impossible for children to use any fewer apples.

33. Apple Shaped Tidily Winks

  • Before play cut a medium to large paper apple. Provide each player with 4 plastic disks (Tidily Winks, poker chips or Bingo markers).
  • Form a circle at a table or on the floor. Place the apple in the center of the circle.
  • When you say “Go” the players “shoot” their disks onto the apple by pressing the edges with another disk.
  • How many can they get to land on the apple? It’s harder than you think! 
  • Let the kids try this as many times as they would like.
  • If you have a large group of children, divide players into smaller groups and make more apple “targets”.

34. Apple-Paring Game

Cooking something with apples? Kids will like the challenge and the bonus of their efforts…a yummy apple something! 

You Will Need:

  • Potato peelers
  • Paring knives (for adults)
  • Apples
  • Using the peeler (kids) or knife (adults only), see who can produce the longest unbroken strip of apple skin. 
  • For an added challenge, see who can produce one that is both the narrowest and the longest.

35. Pass the Apple Game

  • Divide kids into equal teams. Have them sit on the floor close together and in a straight line.
  • Ask kids to put their hands on their shoulders (right hand on right shoulder, left on left shoulder).
  • Place an apple between the elbows of the first player on each team.
  • At a signal, have players pass the apple down the line from person to person.
  • When the apple reaches the end, reverse the direction and have the kids pass the apple back to the starting point.

36. Apple Relay (you need one apple for each team)

  • On the word “go,” a team member places an apple on the back or hand of the first player.
  • The first player races to the end of the course and back without letting the apple fall off their back or hand. If the apple falls off, that player must stop where he/she is and put it back on.
  • Once the apple is back in place, they keep going from where it fell off.
  • When the player gets back to their team, they put the apple on the back or hand of the next person in line.
  • The first team to finish wins.

37. The Inch Worm Walk

  • Stand with feet together, bend, and touch hands to the floor, just in front of your feet.
  • Walk your hands forward, without moving your feet up, until you can’t go any farther.
  • Next, walk your feet up to your hands. 

If some of the children cannot do this, they could always lie down on the floor and wiggle forward any way they can. Play some music to go with the movement!!

38. Balance the Apple Relay Race

You need one apple for each team and something to mark the end of the course

  • First, place markers at the end of the course, about 40 feet away from the starting line.
  • Split into even teams.
  • On the word “go,” a team member places an apple on their head.
  • The first player races to the end of the course and back without letting the apple fall off their head. If the apple falls off, that player must stop where they are and put it back on.
  • Once the apple is back in place, they keep going from where it fell off.
  • When the player gets back to their team, they put the apple on the head of the next person in line. The first team to finish wins.

39. Apple in the Mouth Race

  • Players hold their hands behind their back and grab apples with their mouth and run to the finish line with the apple in their mouth.
  • This can be played with several bowls of apples where everyone races at the same time or it can be done one at a time and timed.

40. Apple Toss Game

You will need a bushel basket and five apples you can substitute red bean bags or small red balls.

  • Use masking tape to tape a line on the floor.
  • Place the basket five to six feet away from the line. 
  • Have the child stand behind the line and try to toss the apples into the basket.

41. Bobbing for Apples Game

Apple Themed Game: Bobbing for Apples. Great way to bring in the fall season and a great activity for classroom or kids parties.

The players must try and get an apple out of the bin by biting into it. He may not bite the stem and he may not use his hands in any way. Also, smaller apples work better for younger children.

You Will Need:

  1. A bushel of apples
  2. One large wash container filled with clean water
  3. Towels
  • Put the apples in the bucket with the water. Do not totally fill the container, you want the apples bobbing around.
  • Select the first two or three players and have them put their hands behind their backs.
  • Say, “Go,” and have players try to grab an apple with their teeth, all at the same time. The first to bring an apple up wins.
  • Provide towels for all players. Even losers will be wet.

42. Worm Through the Apple

  • Have children stand in a straight line with their feet apart.
  • The child at the end is the “worm.”
  • They crawl through the “apples” (children’s spread feet/legs).
  • When the player reaches the front of the Apple line, the next person in line becomes the “worm”.

43. Buzz Bomb Balloon Game

Provide1 balloon per player that is not inflated.

  • On red, yellow or apple-green butcher paper, draw a large apple shape (or the apple can be colored in by the group). Put a tape mark in the center of the apple to represent the target!
  • Formation: line or circle
  • All players inflate their balloon. Some players may need help.
  • When the leader says “1, 2, 3, GO!” The players release their balloons in the direction of the target. (The large apple)
  • Score 5 points for the closest balloon and 15 points for a direct hit.
  • This game works well with teams – each team gets their own colored balloons; red, blue, green etc.
  • You do not need to keep score at all and just have fun playing the game several times.

44. Apple Hide-and-Seek

  • Have children cover their eyes (no-peeking) while an apple is hiding in the room; hide the apple where the children will be able to find it with little difficulty once they start looking.
  • Instruct the children to find the Apple, but not to touch it when they see it. As each child discovers the apple-they sit back down in their spot. They stay seated until the last child has ‘found’ the apple.
  • The first one to sit down gets to hide the apple for the next game.

45. Apple Hot and Cold Game

Good if you only have a few kids.

  • Play the game the same as Apple Hide and Seek, however, tell children individually whether they are “hot” or “cold” in relation to the apple.
  • Allow the children to have a turn in hiding the apple–and if their friends/siblings are hot or cold.

Tip: Prior to starting the game-be sure to explain the meaning of ‘hot and cold’.

46. Tic-Tac-Toe with Apples

  • Take a large piece of poster board and draw the tic-tac-toe lines on it; laminate it if possible.
  • Cut-two different colored apple shapes such as red and yellow
  • Simply play tic-tac-toe.

Miscellaneous Apple Ideas

47. Play “Hot Apple” 

Play this game like “Hot Potato” using an apple! 

48. Play Johnny Appleseed Say

Play this game like Simon Says

49. Have a Relay Race Using Apples and Brooms

Push apples along with a broom 

50. Have an apple relay race 

Compete by pushing an apple to the finish line with your nose.

51. Another Apple Relay Race

  • Have the children place an apple under their chin and run to the opposite side of the room/play zone then place it in a basket. 
  • The first team to fill the basket wins.

52. Feed the Birds

  • Take an apple and cut it in half.
  • Put peanut butter and bird seed on it.
  • Place or hang it from trees and watch the birds. 

53. Guess the Number of Seeds in an Apple

  • Discuss the growth of an apple tree from seed to tree— to apple and back.
  • Show the apple and have the kids guess the number of seeds in it.
  • Cut open the apple and find out how many there really are.
  • You can have apple slices for a snack! (Try them with peanut butter or sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar)

54. Guessing Contest

  • Leave the apple out 
  • Have the children guess the number of seeds in the apple
  • Put their guesses in a container
  • Proceed as above

55. Apple Tasting and Charting

  • Bring in a large variety of apples. (during peak season there are many) 
  • Have children taste them and see which one they like the best. 
  • With older kids, you can chart and tally the results. 
  • You can also do this with applesauce (flavored vs. unflavored and also taste test cider vs. apple juice.

56. Apple Graph

  • Make a chart by putting a picture of three different colored apples at the top.
  • Have each child’s name written down the left-hand margin.
  • Pass out a slice of each type of apple and then have each child tell you which one was their favorite. (red, yellow or green)

Tally up the results and make a total at the bottom of each column. You can get the colored sticker labels from the stationery store for the children to use to put on the chart.

If they like a red apple, they place their red circle sticker under the red, yellow circle sticker under the yellow apple, etc. They enjoy doing this because they get to use stickers – but they also get to taste a variety of apples!

Diversity Lessons Using Apples

57. Apples: Different Colors and all the Same Inside 

  • Set a red, a yellow, and a green apple on the table. Ask children to name the colors.
  • Cut the apples open and talk about how they have different colors on the outside, but are the same on the inside, just like people. 
  • Enjoy the snack

58. Good Apples: Grades3-8

  • Tell youth you will be spending some time finding out about how people are the same and how they are different.
  • Put the apples on a table in front of the group.
  • Have each student choose an apple.
  • Tell kids to get to know their apple really well. Suggest they notice their apple’s special characteristics.
  • Have them make up a story about their apple and tell it to a friend (modeling this step is helpful with younger students). Allow the students to share their stories with the rest of the group.
  • Direct the students to return their apples to the table in front of the class.
  • Mix the apples up and ask the students to come back and find their apple.
  • Ask how they knew which apple theirs was (they will indicate things like color, size, shape, special features).
  • Ask what this has to do with people.
  • Make a list of how people are different. Discuss why this is important.
  • Make a list of how people are the same. Discuss why this is important.
  • The lists may be done in cooperative groups and then shared with the large group.
  • Suggest that one way in which all people are similar is that they all have a star inside them (something special that makes them shine, that they especially like about themselves), just like each apple has a star inside it.
  • Cut each apple in half (don’t cut the usual way, but through the center the other way).
  • Let each child see the star inside their apple.
  • While the students eat the apple, allow them to share something about their star, their strengths, their individuality. 

Literacy Lessons Using Apples

Using apples to promote literacy is a great way to learn. In addition to that apples can be a great school treat.

59. Compile an Apple Cookbook

Some of it can be written on the computer and some of it can be handwritten, with lots of child comments and artwork. Ask Teachers and Parents to share their favorite Apple goodies.

60. Read or tell the story of Johnny Apple Seed

Not only can they read or tell this story, but they can also act it out as a group.

61. Write a Book About Apples

After the kids write their story, have them shape the book into an apple. They can share some of their artwork in this book with drawings of apple trees, an apple with a worm, etc.

Apple Riddles for Preschool

62. You can see me in the spring.

       Then, I turn white.

       Later, I fall to the ground

       What am I?

63. I am an insect.

      I take nectar from a blossom.

      I take pollen from one blossom to another.

      I am yellow and black.

      What am I?

64. I taste good.

      I have a top and a bottom.

      I have apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg inside.

      I like ice cream on top of me.

      What am I?

65. I am yellow.

      I stick to a honeybee’s legs.

      The honeybee takes me from one flower to another.

      What am I?

Apple Songs for Preschool

66. “Have You Ever Had an Apple” 

(Sung to the tune of “Have You Ever Seen A Lassie?”)

Have you ever had an apple, an apple, an apple?

Have you ever had an apple and heard it go “crunch”? 

Have you ever had an orange, an orange, an orange? 

Have you ever had an orange and heard it go “slurp”? 

Have you ever had a banana, a banana, a banana? 

Have you ever had a banana and heard it go “mush”?

67. “Four Red Apples” 

(Sung to the tune of “This Old Man”)

Four red apples on the tree,

Two for you and two for me.

So-o shake that tree and watch them fall.

One, two, three, four and that is all.

68. “Apple Song”

(Sung to the tune of “Itsy Bitsy Spider”)

Once a little apple seed was planted in the ground.

Down came the soft rain, falling all around.

Out came the big sun as bright as bright could be.

And that little apple seed grew up to be an apple tree.

69. “Do You Know the Apple Man?”

(Sing to the tune of “The Muffin Man”)

Oh, do you know the Apple Man,

The Apple Man,

The Apple Man?

Oh, do you know the Apple Man

Who likes to play with me?

Oh, he has a great big smile,

A great big smile,

A great big smile.

Oh, he has a great big smile

And likes to play with me.

Oh, he has a bright red face,

A bright red face,

A bright red face.

Oh, he has a bright red face

And likes to play with me.

Oh, he has a star inside,

A star inside,

A star inside.

Oh, he has a star inside

And he likes to play with me.

70. “Apples, Apples”

(Sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)

Apples juicy, apples round;

On the tree or on the ground.

Apples yellow, apples red,

Apple pie and juice and bread!

Apples crunchy, apples sweet;

Apples are so good to eat!

71. “A LITTLE RED APPLE”

A little red apple,

up high in a tree.

I looked up at it,

and it looked down at me.

Come down please red apple I called,

And what do you suppose?

That little red apple

Fell down right on my nose

72. “Who Took the Apple from the Apple Tree?”  

 (A version of “Who stole the cookie”) 

The children chant and clap as an apple starts with one child and then proceeds around the circle with each new chant…

(Group chant) Who took the apple from the apple tree? “Johnny” took the apple from the apple tree!

(Child) Who Me?

(Group) Yes, you!

(Child) Couldn’t be…

(Group) Then who took the apple from the apple tree?

The child then passes the apple to the next child and play continues until all have had a turn.

After everyone has had a turn, have an apple snack and read a favorite apple story.

73. Poem to go with Making Apple Butter

We peeled the apples

and sliced them small,

cooked them in water

then mashed them all.

We added some sugar

and cinnamon to taste,

back in the cook pot

till thick like paste.

We’ll spread it on bread

you and I will share,

the apple butter we made

with love and great care.

Popular Apple Varieties List

A list of apple varieties and apple variety facts.

Apple Themed Crafts, Activities, and Game Ideas 

Interesting Facts About Apples

  • Apples come in all shades of reds, greens, yellows.
  • 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States and 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
  • The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  • Apples are a member of the rose family.
  • The most nutritious part of the apple is the skin.

Need some help in picking out the perfect apple for eating, baking or a recipe? Sometimes it can be confusing when deciding which apples to take home from the produce aisle or farm stand!

  • Arkansas Black is well named with a deep red, almost black skin. It is rock hard, sweet and tart and a long storage apple. This apple is renowned for its long shelf life. It’s good for making sauce and baking.
  • Braeburn has high impact flavor. The crisp, aromatic Braeburn blends sweetness and tartness just right for snacks and salads. It’s also good for baking, applesauce, and for freezing. Braeburn color varies from greenish-gold with red sections to nearly solid red. Braeburn was discovered as a chance seedling near Nelson, New Zealand in 1952. Its probable parents are Lady Hamilton and Granny Smith.
  • Criterion apples should be firm with smooth and clean skin. The Criterion has the distinctive shape of a Red Delicious, but has a bold yellow color, often with a red blush. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.
  • Elstar is a firm apple with a reputation for its intense, sweet, tangy flavor, which is especially good for making applesauce. They are a distinctive apple for snacking, in salads and fruit trays. They tend to retain their effervescent flavor and hold up well during cooking.
  • Fuji’s spicy, crisp sweetness and firm flesh make it an excellent fresh eating apple. It’s also good in baking or applesauce and stores well. Fuji flavor improves in storage like fine wine. Fuji skin color varies from yellow-green with red highlights to very red. It was bred from a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet varieties in Japan.
  • Gala is a favorite for fresh eating. It is heart-shaped with distinctive yellow-orange skin with red striping. Gala is just the right size for snacking and is great in salads, good for baking and very good in applesauce.
  • Ginger Gold Sweet, tangy and juicy, Ginger Gold apples are an early apple, harvested in August and available until September. This is a crisp and juicy apple with excellent taste. The Ginger gold apples are round with a smooth green-yellow skin that has a slight red blush. Ginger Gold apples were discovered in a Virginia orchard in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
  • Golden Delicious has firm, white flesh and sweet crisp flavor. It is the preferred “all purpose” cooking apple since it retains its shape and rich, mellow flavor when baked or cooked. Its skin is so tender and thin that it doesn’t require peeling for most recipes. Golden Delicious is very good in fresh salads and freezes well. Great as a snack or a lunchbox treat.
  • Granny Smith has crisp mouth-watering tartness. Bright green Granny Smith has a pink blush. Its tartness really comes through when baked and sautéed.
  • Gravenstein is a terrific sauce and pie apple. It is a roundish, irregularly shaped apple with a very short stem. The color varies but is usually a greenish yellow background covered with broad red stripes. The Gravenstein is crisp, juicy, aromatic and full of old-fashioned tart-sweet flavor.
  • Jonagold is a blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, offering a unique tangy-sweet flavor with firm flesh. Jonagold is excellent both for eating fresh and for cooking. Jonagold’s make great fried apples. Simply sauté in a little butter and add a little cinnamon. No sugar needed!

Heirloom Varieties

  • Jonathan apples are generally small to medium in size and dark to bright red. Their flesh is yellowish-white, occasionally with red veins and they are crisp, tender, juicy, aromatic and moderately tart. Jonathan apples are another all-purpose apple for cooking, baking or fresh eating.
  • McIntosh is a very popular variety that is shiny red in color and has a juicy, sweet, and slightly tart flavor, and is used as a snack or in salads and desserts. The peak time of year for its availability is from early fall to late winter.
  • Mutsu, also called Crispin, is sweet, firm and crisp. It is good for sauce, pies and fresh eating. The Mutsu is a Japanese apple and can be substituted in recipes with the Granny Smith variety if Mutsu is not available in your area.
  • Red Rome apples are referred to as the “baker’s buddy,” this apple was discovered as a chance seedling in the early 1800s on a farm near Rome Township, Ohio. Famed for its storage qualities, this mildly tart apple is primarily used for cooking and is especially good baked or sautéed. The Rome apple is typically available beginning in September.
  • Winesap is the apple with old-fashioned flavor. Winesap has a spicy almost wine-like flavor that makes it the cider maker’s first choice. Violet red in color, it’s great as a snack and in salads.

Now that you have all these fun apple crafts and apple themed activities for the kids, you should be on your way to making some great apple-themed art projects and with the apple varieties list, your kids should be able to recognize any apple they stumble across.

With the apple bulletin board ideas we’ve provided, you should win the prize for this year’s contest. So, go ahead and sing some apple themed songs and play some apple themed games. When the day is over, you and the kids can enjoy a tasty apple treat!  

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