Play Theme: Apples to Apples!

Whether you're in the back-to-school mindset, thinking ahead to Autumn, getting ready for Rosh Hashanah, or using them as a theme unto themselves, apples are a favorite theme of mine to explore year after year around this time. Just as holidays and seasons cycle year after year, I tend to recycle themes year after year. There are always new ways to explore and new activities to try. Additionally, repeating activities from a previous year can reveal a whole new set of skills and developmental milestones. We are a few weeks away yet from beginning our Apples theme in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, but here's a peek at some of our favorite play activities from last year to whet your appetite in the meantime...

Happy playing and remember, an apple a day keeps the little ones at play!

Learning the parts of an apple as well as its life-cycle from seed to tree to the fruit we all know and love becomes a hands-on experience when explored in a sensory table or bin. Dried lentils, oats, or rice all make great filler. I provided magnifying glasses to assist my detectives in spying the parts of an apple; seeds (black beans), stems (pipe cleaners), leaves (artificial floral), and fruits (plastic or decorative apples work well, you can also use red, green and yellow pom poms). This activity can also work well as a playdough invitation to play. This time red, yellow and green playdough can serve as the fruit (you can even make it scented like apple or cinnamon!) and you can build an apple with seeds, stems and leaves.

Taste tests and comparisons are such a fun way to get kids into the kitchen. This is a great time for little ones to practice peeling and cutting with age appropriate adult support and supervision. It's also a great opportunity to see the inside of the apple and identify its different parts. Making homemade applesauce is another favorite apple activity that I am sure we will try again this year.

In the mood for a little science fun? Every year I've taught I have loved wowing and amazing my students with this "magical" science experiment. I always begin with my "Magic Words:" Abracadabra, abracadapple, help make a star appear inside my apple! Cut in half lengthwise, the traditional apple core view we are used to seeing appears (and this always makes for an amusing "mishap" upon the first attempt. BUT, cut in half width-wise, the star shaped section where apple seeds are stored in the fruit is revealed. This is a great way to introduce the wonder of science (versus "magic") to young minds. One student was so amazed by this activity, he brought me this half of his breakfast apple a month after we first tried it! The remaining apple halves make great stamps for printing if you're not planning to use them for eating or cooking.

And, of course, apple printing is always loads of fun, whether on fabric, paper or cardstock for Rosh Hashanah greetings.

Apple "marble" painting is another less traditional way of using apples for painting. You can use real apples or you can use decorative/plastic ones as well.