Now, I am all about teachable moments. I don’t believe in drilling children—they fare so much better from hands-on learning. Now that fall and apple-picking time is here, let’s talk about all the lessons you can incorporate with the juicy autumn fruit.
Discussion Time
Here are some ice-breaker questions to start talking about apples with your child.
- Is an apple a fruit or a vegetable?
- What do apples grow on?
- What are the different colors of apples?
- Which apples are sweet and which are tart? Which do you like better?
Reading, Writing, & Alphabet
What better way to teach the very first letter of the alphabet than “A is for Apple”? What other words to describe an apple start with the letter A? I think they’re AWESOME, but it’s ok if your child thinks they’re AWFUL or just ALRIGHT.
Colors
Try this activity for sorting apples by color.
Neighborhood & Community
Often when you ask a child, “Where do apples come from?”, she will name your local grocery store. Here’s a great opportunity to teach your child about farmers, apple orchards, and how apples find their way to your market.
Sound too advanced? Try it anyway. Never assume that a concept is too complicated for your child—just give them the knowledge. If it sticks—great! If it doesn’t, that’s OK too. 🙂
For more hands-on fun, visit an apple orchard. This site lists “pick-your-own” farms in every state. If there’s no apple orchard near you, you can share this video with your child:
More Apple Activities
- Apple Tasting graphing
- Apple Printing
- Homemade apple sauce
- Apple Hunt: Children love to hunt for treasure and Easter eggs, why not apples?
For even more ideas, check out my Applelicious board on Pinterest!