Apple Day!!!

If you’re looking for an afternoon activity for your kiddo, or want to plan a fun learning day with friends, we’ve got a fun apple themed day ready for you!  Feel free to add or remove elements as it fits your kiddo’s age, learning & interests!

Getting Started: Sing a Song!

Music is so important for kiddos and is a great way to connect and play with them!  If you’re musically inclined, it might be fun to grab a guitar or piano or other instrument of choice and play a song or two with your kiddo! Or, if you prefer, play a song or two on YouTube!  Here’s my favorites to get our group started. Choose one or two and jump in! If you know the motions to a song, do them with your kiddo!

• Shake Your Sillies Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03zqJQJRLN0
• If You’re Happy and You Know It: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa9Kv-fFKB0
• Freeze Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UcZWXvgMZE
• Apples and Bananas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5WLXZspD1M

Gather Round: Read a Book!

Here on apple day, we want to read any book about apples!  Start with your bookshelf - you might be surprised at what you find!  Or, if you want to extend your learning day, use this as an opportunity to visit your local library and pick out an apple read.  If you’re looking to expand your home library, check out bookfinder.com to search hundreds of websites for the lowest price possible on new or used books.  (This site works best if you know the exact title or ISBN that you’re searching for.). Books we’ve read on past apple days are:

• Apples by Gail Gibbons
• Apple Trouble by Ragnhild Scamell
• Apples, Apples by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
• Curious George Apple Harvest
• Clifford’s Apple Picking Day

When reading out loud, ask your kiddo age-appropriate engaging questions.  “Have you ever picked an apple before?” “What color of apple is your favorite to eat?” “Do you like crunchy apples or apple sauce best?” You can also practice finding the letter "A" as you read.

Let’s Get Crafty: Apple Stamping!

After you’ve finished your apple themed book, it’s time for an apple craft! 

Supplies: 

• Old apples, cut in half
• Construction Paper
• Red Paint
• Green Paint

1. Cut your apples in half (each kiddo only needs a half of an apple) and talk through the different parts of an apple.  Help your kid identify each part of the apple.  (The apple’s stem, skin/peel, core, flesh, and seeds.)
2. Pour out a little bit of paint on a paper plate and allow your kiddo to place the apple flat-side down into the paint, then onto their paper, using the apple as a stamp! Let your kiddo repeat as interested!
3. If your kiddo is a little bit older, consider writing out “A, a” on their page before hand and talk about the letter A.  “I hear A in apple!” 

I Want a Snack: A Toddler’s Constant Thought

Round out apple day with an apple themed treat! Fun snacks could include:

• Buy several different types of apples and have an “apple tasting”.  Talk about how Golden Delicious apples taste different than Honey Crisp apples, how colors of apples are different, textures, etc.
• Feed your kiddo an applesauce pouch and call it a day!
• Make caramel apples! 
• Eat dried apple pieces and compare them to fresh cut apples.
• Use apples to bake an apple dessert such as an apple crisp, apple pie or homemade applesauce.  

Thanks for joining us for some apple learning fun!  If you have an apple day with your kiddo, and want to share it online, tag us at #bannortoys or @bannortoys so we can celebrate learning with you!