A is for . . .

. . . apple picking

We used our fine motor skills to pick apples off a tree with tongs. The kids rolled a dice and then picked that many apples off the tree and put them in their bucket. For this activity we used a 6 sided dice and practiced counting the pips (dots) on the side of the dice we rolled. Then we picked that many apples off the tree until our tree was bare. This center was meant to work on the one to one principle when counting. i.e. we count one time for each (one) thing we see.  

I love Makaius's concentration face! :)

For the next apple picking activity we used a 12 sided dice. There were numbered apples on the tree. The kids identified which number they rolled then picked the corresponding apple off the tree. For this activity we were working on identifying numbers. 

 
 . . . ants on a log

Celery, peanut butter and raisins. You can't get more classic than this snack!

. . .  ants

We made thumbprint ants on a letter a. Each child made sure the ants had 3 body parts, 6 legs, 2 antenna, and a face. 

 . . . apples (again.) :)

We did an activity with 10 apples up on top. We did the project seen here, but added an element of complexity. I wrote the numbers using dots instead of writing them completely. The kids connected the dots and traced each number from 1 - 10. Then the kids put the apples in numerical order onto their headband and glued them on. We were working again on number recognition. 

A is for Apple

I love showing our awesome parents what we do each week and sharing with them the learning that went behind the projects that the kids take home. Most of these projects have more detailed posts that I have done before so I am posting a link for each one. Please take a minute to click on the links (the title of each activity) to see what we did and how we did it during letter A week.

Picking apples & working on fine motor skills

Counting the dice pips so she knows how many apples to pick.

Practicing fine motor skills.

Use tongs to pick up apples and drop them in the can.

 Apple Seed Counting (Free Printable)

Practicing number identifying, writing the number, and adding the right amount of seeds to each apple.

Taste testing different types of apples.

 Apple Star Painting and Poem

Identifying numbers and picking apples

We rolled a 12 sided dice, said the number, and picked that apple

10 Apples Up on Top!

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Thanksgiving Apple Turkey Snacks

Here's What You Need:

mini Peeps (we used chocolate)

craisins

apple

toothpicks

peanut butter

gumdrops 

Here's What You Do:

1. Attach the craisins to the peeps with peanut butter

2. Attach the peeps to the apples with peanut butter

3. Use toothpicks to put gumdrops like feathers on the apples. 

A is for Apple

 Here are some of the apple activities we did during letter A week.

We taste tested apples to decide which color is our favorite.

They really couldn't decide, they like them all. 

We learned that apples have a secret star in the middle if you cut them in half horizontally.

We made apple smiles for snacks

 We picked numbered apples off this tree.

They rolled the dice . . .

Then picked the apple with the corresponding number.

 We practiced fine motor skills by picking apples off this tree with tongs. They flipped a number card, then picked that number of apples off their tree.
 

 We made apple hats to go with Dr. Seuss' Ten Apples Up On Top

Each child had 10 apple cut outs. Each apple was numbered 1 - 10. The kids traced the numbers . . .

. . .then glued them on word strip in the correct order. 

Apple Star & Poem

Most of the time when we cut through an apple, we cut it in half from top to bottom. But, the coolest thing is that if you cut it in half through the middle, there is a star shape inside! 

Anya and I spent some time talking about apples and what colors they come in. We taste tested the different colored apples and we talked about how apples grow. 

Then, we cut the apple in half through the middle and talked about the apple core. The star shape holds the seeds so that new apple trees can grow. It was a fun discovery to look at each part of the star and see if it was holding seeds and then count how many all together. 

After that, we used the apple as a stamp and made a little apple star card. The poem on the left says:

There's a star inside an apple!

It's a miracle indeed,

That this sweet and juicy apple

Was once a tiny seed!

I hope you have fun discovering how cool apples can be!

Mini Apple Cobbler

 

When I think about apples, I think about all the yummy foods you can make with apples and of course apple pie is at the top of that list. I really wanted to make apple pies for letter A week and I got some great inspiration from Our Best Bites for their pie in a jar.

However, I have a confession to make. I, Miss Laura, am afraid of making pie. It's not the filling I am concerned about, but I am terrified of homemade pie crust. I think the large margin for failure makes me a little nervous. Anywho, I decided to play a little with the pie in a jar idea and it turned into cobbler in a jar. It. Was. Delicious!

 

(These instructions are for 4-8 oz short jars, if using a different number or size, you can adjust accordingly.)

You start out with short mason jars. They come in two sizes - 4 oz, straight sided jars like mentioned on Our Best Bites and 8 oz, curvy ones which is what we used.  Surprisingly, I found both sizes at Walmart. Sometimes you find weird stuff there and sometimes you strike out. I really think there is no rhyme or reason to that store except to be big and random. 

First you peel, core and chop 3 apples. If you want to do this ahead of time, you can toss the apples in a little bit of lemon juice and it will keep them from browning. Just be careful not to do too much, just enough to get them a little wet.

After that, measure 1/2 c water and add to the apples. This was a great opportunity to discuss liquids vs. solids as well as different kinds of measuring cups. Cooking is always a great way to talk about math and measurement! 

Sprinkle some cinnamon to taste. If needed, stick your tongue out to the side to get just the right amount. : ) Mix apples, water, and cinnamon. 

 

Evenly spoon the apples into the jars. Distribute any water at the bottom of the bowl evenly into the jars as well. 

 

You might have a few pieces left over depending on how big your apples were. If so, enjoy a prebaking snack!

 

Next up is the crumb topping.  Mix together 1/2 package white cake mix, 1/2 c brown sugar, & 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Then, cut in 1/2 c soft butter with a pastry blender or some forks until mixture is crumbly.

Top apples in jars with crumb mixture.

The great thing about this project is that you can bake it now, or you can save them for later. We wanted to share our creation with the rest of the family so we put the lids on and popped them in the fridge so we could bake them after dinner. If you are making this with a class, you can send it home with them to bake at home. 

When ready to bake, take the lid off and put the jar on a cookie sheet in case of spill over. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes. 

Top with whipped cream and enjoy your hot, fresh, perfectly sized mini apple cobbler!

Mini Apple Cobblers

(Makes enough for 4-8 oz sized mini jars)

Ingredients:

4-8 oz, short mason jars

3 apples - peeled, cored, and diced

1/2 c water

cinnamon

1/2 package white cake mix

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c soft butter

Instructions:

Mix apples, water, and cinnamon to taste in a bowl. Divide apples between the jars and distribute any remaining liquid evenly into the jars.

Mix cake mix, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in another bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or some forks until the mixture is crumbly. Top apples with crumb mixture. 

Put on lid until ready to bake. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove lids and place jars on cookie sheet. Bake for 45-55 minutes.

10 Apples Up on Top

After we "picked" apples from our apple tree, we used the apples to do an art project. (Click on words to link to that project.) 

We read 10 Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss and then made our own 10 apples up on top crowns. 

Each apple Anya had picked from the tree had a number written in crayon on it. We used watercolors to paint each apple. After they dried, we glued them on a long piece of cardstock in numerical order and wrapped it around her head. Easy peasy and she loved walking around with her own 10 apples up on top for the rest of the day!