Apples Archives - JDaniel4s Mom

STEM Activity- Creating an Apple Tree That Will Balance Apples

September 9, 2022 By Deirdre

This STEM activity focuses on creating an apple tree with everyday materials. The top of the tree is created using the leafy tops displayed in the directions. The bottom of the tree can be a number of different things. (A list can be found later in this post.) Once the tree has been made, children will need to create a way to balance apples on the top of the tree.

Getting the STEM Activity Page

First, you will need to download the set.

STEM Activity- Creating an Apple Tree That Will Balance Apples Download

Second, if you don’t have Acrobat Reader you will need to download it. The algorithm page is an Acrobat Reader PDF file.

Third, you must go to your download file and open the page. You may be asked if you want the file to open right after you download it. You won’t have to hunt for it in your download file if you are.

STEM Activity Supplies

Tree Top Supplies

Tree Tops from the STEM Activity Page
Crayons or Markers
Tape

Trunk Supplies

Cardboard Tubes
Craft Sticks
Sheets of Cardboard Folded into a Triangle or Rectangle.

Apples

Apple Erasers
Small Wooden Apples Colored Red
Plastic Apple Buttons
Plastic Apple Counters

Building Tips

Tree Top Tips

Tape the bottom of the tree tops to the trunk
Have the front and back of the tree tops line up with each other

Trunk Tips

Make sure the base of the trunk is level all around.
Make sure the bottom of the tree top is near the lower middle section of the tree. (That will help to stabilize the tree top.)

Creating the Balancing Section

There are a number of ways to build a balancing section. We created a pad with horizontal and vertical strips of masking tape. Then we attached it to the two tree tops. However, you can build your balancing area any way you want.

Tips:

Have a rigid section made of tape or cardboard or paper that will act as your holding pad.
The pad needs to be rigidly attached to the top of the trees. If it is too droopy, the apples will fall out.

More STEM Apple Activities

Free Counting Worksheets - Apple Basket Muffin Tin Numbers

Apple Basket Counting Activity

More Apple Activities

Below you will find some more wonderful apple-themed activities. Please take a moment to check them out.

Jumping Apple Seeds

Exploring the Density of Apple Parts

Even More Apple Activities

This post is part of an apple series I am hosting with 3 Dinosaurs. Every day for a week we will share a new apple printable. Please stop by Apple Printables and Activities post to see what we have shared.

3 Dinosaurs and I have hosted an apple event before. Please stop by and check out those activities. They are shared in a post called 5 Days of Apple Printables.

Building Background

Before you start this activity, you may want to read an apple-themed book. Below you will find a number of fun books about apples.

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Counting Apples Mini Book

September 8, 2022 By Deirdre

It will be fun counting and coloring the apples in this counting apples mini book. The number of words for each cart of apples is below the cart. You can start by talking about the number of apples in each cart. Then your children can color the apples with the carts. Next, your children can read each of the number words below a cart. Finally, they can count each of the apples for you. Wait! Do you have to use the book this way? No, you can come up with your own ways. However, this is the way I would share the book.

Building Background

You may want to read your children a book about apples before having the work on the mini book. Below you will find a number of apple-themed books.

Getting the Counting Apples Mini Book

First, you will need to download the set.

Counting Apples Mini Book Download

Second, if you don’t have Acrobat Reader you will need to download it. The algorithm page is an Acrobat Reader PDF file.

More Apple-Themed Activities

Apple Themed Reading Comprehension Worksheets for Preschoolers

Apple Reading Comprehension Pages

Jumping Apple Seeds

Ten Apples Up on Top Counting Skills Activities Printable and Games

Apple Themed Counting Skills Game

Even More Apple Activities

3 Dinosaurs and I have hosted an apple event before. Please stop by and check out those activities. They are shared in a post called 5 Days of Apple Printables.

Apple Number Representation Bingo Game

September 7, 2022 By Deirdre

This set of apple number representation bingo cards features tally marks. There are enough cards in the set so that in a group of twenty children only two will have the same card. The cards feature a three-column by four-row layout. Yes, I know that means that isn’t a free space. I wanted there to be enough room for the number one to ten on the card.

Getting the Apple Number Representation Bingo Cards

First, you will need to download the set.

Apple Number Representation Bingo Cards Download

Second, if you don’t have Acrobat Reader you will need to download it. The algorithm page is an Acrobat Reader PDF file.

Bingo Counter Recommendations

There are so many different things you can use as bingo counters. Below you will find a list of my favorites.

Buttons
Bottle Caps
Counters
Plastic Apples
Small Apple Erasers
Small Glass Pebbles

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

More Apple Activities for Kids

Below you will find more apple activities. Please take a moment to look them over.

Apple Fine Motor Craft

Apple Themed Addition with Regrouping and Without Worksheets

Apple Addition With and Without Regrouping Pages

Counting Worksheets 1-10 with an Apple Theme : Counting Seeds

Counting Seeds Worksheets

Even More Apple Activities

3 Dinosaurs and I have hosted an apple event before. Please stop by and check out those activities. They are shared in a post called 5 Days of Apple Printables.

Decorating an Apple Based on an Algorithm

September 6, 2022 By Deirdre

This set of apple activity pages for kids explores basic math concepts (even and odd numbers, shapes, and numerals) while coloring an apple. The directions for coloring the apple activity pages are displayed on Blockly blocks. That means that the directions can be used to introduce coding to your kids.

What is in the set?

You can decide which page and what version of each page you want to use with your children. There is a page that focuses on number recognition. Children will only need to know the number one to five to explore it. Another page looks at even and odd numbers. The final page explores basic geometric shapes.

What colors of crayons will children need to complete the pages?

The pages invite children to color with red, pink, light green, green, or brown crayons. While those are the colors mentioned on the pages, you can need a whole box of crayons to complete their pictures. After coloring the apple picture, children are asked to decorate the background.

You may want to give your children guidelines to follow while decorating the background. While coloring the whole page may be their idea of fun, you may just want them to color around the apple. After coloring around the apple, you can decide if you want them to color over the directions on the blocks.

Getting the Apple Activity Pages

First, you will need to download the set.

Decorating an Apple Based on an Algorithm Download

Second, if you don’t have Acrobat Reader you will need to download it. The algorithm page is an Acrobat Reader PDF file.

Books with an Apple Theme

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More Apple Activity Pages

Below you will find more apple activity pages to do with your children. Please take a moment to look them over.

Apple Basket Counting Activity

Apple Reading Comprehension Pages

Even More Apple Activities

3 Dinosaurs and I have hosted an apple event before. Please stop by and check out those activities. They are shared in a post called 5 Days of Apple Printables.

Apple Life Cycle Mandala with an Algorithm

September 5, 2022 By Deirdre

An apple life cycle is easy to explain and view while looking at a mandala. Each of the rings of the mandala feature different stages of the apple life cycle. The mandala has the seed right next to the baby tree plant in the outer ring. A tree comes next as you move inward. The two stages that feature blooms come next. There is a branch with the bud. Next, there is the branch with the blossom. The fruit is featured in the center.

What is in the apple life cycle set?

There are two versions of each of the apple life cycle pages. One divides the mandala into four sections and the other does not.

There is a set of pages that displays just the picture that needs to be colored. The next set features a picture and the object’s name in words. Finally, there is a set that has just the words.

You can decide which page and what version of each page you want to use with your children. While the version with just words was designed for older children, early readers may be ready to use it. Some older children may like just having a picture in the Blockly block and others will see it below them.

What are Blockly Blocks?

There are coding blocks that can be used to build an algorithm. They represent an underlying text code.

What is an Algorithm?

An algorithm is a series of steps a computer needs to follow to complete a task. Children can learn about building algorithms by following a simple algorithm or series of steps.

Getting the Apple Life Cycle Mandala Set

First, you will need to download the set.

Apple Life Cycle Mandala with an Algorithm Download

Second, if you don’t have Acrobat Reader you will need to download it. The algorithm page is an Acrobat Reader PDF file.

Building Background

Before you explore the apple life cycle mandala, you may want to read or have your children read a book about apples. After hearing or reading the book, you will want to discuss what your children learned about apples.

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More Apple Activities

Below you will find some more wonderful apple-themed activities. Please take a moment to check them out.

Jumping Apple Seeds

Apple Themed Counting Skills Game

Even More Apple Activities

3 Dinosaurs and I have hosted an apple event before. Please stop by and check out those activities. They are shared in a post called 5 Day of Apple Printables.

Preschool Activities- Five Little Apples Rhymes and Craft

August 21, 2014 By Deirdre

Preschool activities that involve reciting rhymes like Five Little Apples and creating props to go with them are fun. This post shares several apple rhymes. There are really dozens of Five Little Apple Rhymes. I have selected just a few to share with you that I thought would go well with the apple tree craft I created.

While I created this apple tree craft, I totally think it is one of those activities kids or adults could do. It uses really simple items from my recycling bin and craft closet. I bet you have them at your house too.

How to Make the Preschool Activities Five Apple Tree

Supplies

Paint (red, green, and brown)

Paintbrushes

Cardboard cereal box

Paper Towel Roll

Cardboard egg carton

Pipe Cleaners Chenille (Green)

Scissors

Hole punch

Directions:

Cutting

Cut big cloud shape out of the wide side of a cereal box.

Cut two vertical slits in the paper towel tube. The slits should be across from each other. I made my slits about 3 inches long.

Cut five egg cups out of the cardboard egg carton.

Painting

Paint the big cloud shape green. It will be the leafy part of your apple tree. I painted using big swirling strokes.

While the leafy part of the tree is drying, paint the paper towel tube brown. The tube I used needed three coats of brown paint to cover the sticky rings on it.

Then move on to the egg carton cups. They will be painted red. I tried to cover some discolorations on the egg carton cups with paint, but they still made an appearance. I decided they would just have to be the bruised areas of the apples.

Assembling

Place five holes in the leafy part of the tree with a hole punch.

Place the leafy part of the tree into the tree trunk.

Place one hole in a side of each of the red apples. Holes that were close to the edge of the apples worked out best for me

Cut two chenille pipe cleaners into thirds. You will use one piece of the chenille to create a stem for each of the apples. Yes, you will have one left over.

Put one end of the pipe cleaner into the egg carton apple and bunch it up so it will stay in place.

Put the other end of the pipe cleaner through one the holes in the tree. Bend that end of the pipe cleaner into a hook to help it stay in place. You want it to stay in place temporarily so don’t bunch it up too tightly. You will want to be able to take the apples down to do the preschool activities rhymes.

Preschool Activities Rhymes

Five Little Apples In A Tree

Five little apples hung on a tree
The farmer didn’t care
So guess who came to eat?
A caterpillar…Munch, Munch

Four little apples hung on a tree
The farmer didn’t care
So guess who came to eat?
A Bird …Munch, Munch

Three little apples hung on a tree
The farmer didn’t care
So guess who came to eat?
A Pig…Munch, Munch

Two little apples hung on a tree
The farmer didn’t care
So guess who came to eat?
A Horse…Munch, Munch

One little apple hung on a tree
The farmer didn’t care
So guess who came to eat?
A Scarecrow… Munch, Munch

Now the tree is bare
There are no more apples there
But when next fall comes around
Guess who’ll be there?

The caterpillar, the bird, the pig
The horse and the scarecrow.

Five Little Apple Coming Down

Five red apples hanging in a tree ( Place five apples on the tree.)
The juiciest apples you ever did see.
The wind came by and gave an angry frown (Lift out of the tree)
And one little apple came tumbling down (One apple falls)

Repeat for apples four through one.

A.P.P.L.E. (Sung to the tune of B.I.N.G.O.)

I know a fruit that grows on trees,
An apple is its name, oh!

(Chorus)
A. P. P. L. E.
A. P. P. L. E.
A. P. P. L. E.
An apple is its name, oh!

In summer and in early fall
It’s time to pick an apple!
Chorus

It may be sweet or may be tart,
It’s red, or green, or yellow!
Chorus

A McIntosh or Granny Smith,
A Gala or Fuji!
Chorus

Make applesauce or apple juice
Or apple pie with apples!
Chorus

Apples Action Rhyme
(Take the apples off the tree and use them for the actions in this rhyme.)

Five little apples lying on the floor.
I’ll roll one away, and that leaves four.
(make rolling motion with an apple)

Four little apples hanging on a tree.
I’ll pick one off, and that leaves three.
(pick an imaginary apple)

Three little apples, I know what to do!
I’ll put one in my pocket, and that leaves two.
(pretend to put apple in pocket)

Two little apples sitting in the sun.
I’ll pick one up, and that leaves one.
(pretend to pick apple up off the floor)

One little apple waiting in my lunch.
I’ll eat it up with a crunch, crunch, crunch!
(pretend to take a big bite!)

Here are a few other preschool activities that feature Five Little rhymes or songs:

Five Little Turkeys

Five Little Christmas Trees

Five Little Firecrackers

Five Little Valentines

Five Little Shamrocks

Cool Math Games for Kids- Apple Seed Counting

August 19, 2014 By Deirdre

$Cool Math Games for Kids- Appleseed Couting$

Some of the really cool games for kids can be played various ways. They also have various levels of difficulty. This homemade apple seeds game is called Apple Seed Counting, but it could be used for working on a variety of types of adding. There are also a number of ways to work with the sums created by adding the two sides of each apple.

How to Build the Apple Seed Cards

Supplies needed:

3×5 index cards

Red construction paper

Dark green construction paper

Manila file folder

Black marker

Glue stick

Scissors

Directions:

$Cool Math Games for Kids- Appleseed Couting$

Cut out apple shapes out of the red construction paper. Make sure your apples are going to fit on the index cards.

Cut out apple stems out of the green construction paper.

Cut out small apple shapes out of the file folder. Make sure that they are small enough to fit on the red apples.

Glue the green stem to the back of the red apple and the manila (flesh) colored apple onto the front of the red apple. Try to make sure that the manila apple is centered on the red apple.

Glue each apple onto an index card. Make sure the apple is evenly centered on the index card.

Cut the index card in half. Each half should display half of the apple.

On each half of an apple draw apple seeds with a black marker.

How to These Cool Math Games for Kids

$Cool Math Games for Kids- Appleseed Couting$

Basic Version of the Game

Match each of the left hand sides of the apple with a right hand side of an apple. It doesn’t matter which of the left hand sides goes with the other. Then working with one apple at a time count the number of seeds on each side of apple. Talk about what number sentence is represented and find the number sentence’s sum.

Counting and Writing

As you did with the basic version, you will match each left side of an apple with a right side of an apple. Then working with one apple at a time write the number sentence it represents on a piece of paper or a white board. The section of each side of the apple can be placed under its number and can used to help count if needed. (Some children need to see the semi-concrete representation to help them count.)

Add and Next Number

After adding the two sides of an apple and finding their sum, you can share what number would come after the sum.

Ordering Sums

Once you know the sums of each of the apples, you can line the apples up from the smallest sum to the largest sum.

Creating the Smallest Sums

This game is a little more challenging. You will need to look over all of the apple halves and put together left and right sides that will create the smallest sums possible.

Creating the Largest Sums

For this game you will do the opposite of the smallest sum game. You will need to put left and right sides together that you think will make the largest sums possible.

$Cool Math Games for Kids- Appleseed Couting$

As you have seen, one simple set of paper apples with hand drawn apple seeds can be used to play several cool math games for kids. You can probably think of some other cool math games for kids using these apple cards. If you have an idea for cool math games for kids, please leave them in a comment below.

For more apple themed activities you may want to check out my Apple Crafts and Activities board on Pinterest.

Follow JDaniel4’s Mom’s board Apple Crafts and Activities on Pinterest.

Building Word Families – Worms and Apples

August 18, 2014 By Deirdre

Becoming familiar with building words and getting to know word families is foundational to learning to read in my opinion. I know that not all children learn by using phonics skills and word families, but a lot of them do. My son happens to be someone who liked to break a word down and stretch out its sounds. This worm and apple word family slide activity was designed to work on exploring word families.

This particular activity could be used with preschool children, kindergarten children and those starting first grade. As children pull the worm up through the apple, they simply read the new word that is formed when a new letter appear beside the family letters. The letter worms I created don’t have a lot of letters them. The worms would have been super long if they included all the letters that might we used to create all the words in each of the word families. I would suggest that you ask your children to tell you what other words they know that could be members of each of the word families. They may come up with a whole lot more.

You may want to have your children record each word they make in each of the word families on paper. Some children will be able to have a better understanding of word families and their words in the family when the have written them down and can see them in their own writing.

Creating Word Families Worms

Supplies Needed:

Small paper plates

Red paint

Paintbrushes

Green construction paper

Scissors

Black Marker

Directions:

Paint the back of four small plates red. ( The front of paper plates usually has a coating on it to keep food from leaking through. It may resist paint.)
While you are waiting for the paint to dry, cut four worms out of green construction paper. You could be green poster board or something stronger if you like.
Outline the worm and draw a face on it with black marker. Think through what word family and what words you want your children to work on before writing letters on the worm and the family on the paper plate apple.
Cut two horizontal lines about three inches apart into each apple. This will be the area your worms will slide through while building word families.
Weave the worms up from the back and across the slat you have cut into the apple. Then back down through the top cut.
You should be able to slid the worm up and down through slat.

Once you have the worms in place, you are ready to build words.

If you are looking for more learning to read activities, you may want to visit my Learning to Read board on Pinterest.

Follow JDaniel4’s Mom’s board Learning to Read on Pinterest.

9 Apple Recipes for Kids

October 1, 2013 By Deirdre

We love apples at our house. They are on our shopping list every week. They are great to eat on their own or as a part of a dessert, dip, or lunchtime main dish.When I looked back through the archives, I found that we had created and/or made 9 apple recipes for kids. Each was wonderfully delicious and super easy to make. I hope you will find one or two or nine that you like and want to try at your house.Dutch Apple Dessert is one of my husband’s favorite apple dessert. JDaniel and I made it for Father’s Day last spring. It is made up of several layers of delicious ingredients that blend well together.

Apple Crisp is JDaniel’s favorite apple dessert recipe. He has been asking me to make it since we got back from picking apples. If you head over to check out this recipe you will see that I didn’t take the best picture of it. I didn’t include it in the collage for that reason, but t is awesome!

Apple Enchilada is a super easy dessert for kids to put together. We made them of Cinco De Mayo last year. Strawberries were used to garnish our dessert. I think dried apples would be great if you were making it this fall.

Mrs. Marnier’s Homemade Applesauce is super fun to make. We had to borrow a food mill to make it. The food mill was loaned to us by Mrs. Marnier. That is how the recipe ended up with her name on it.

Homemade Apple Chips have become a go-to afternoon snack at our house. They are super easy to make and taste delicious. They don’t last long at our house!

5 Dips for Apples were such fun for JDaniel and I do create. I wanted to come up with dips that didn’t have a caramel base. (Though they are awfully good!) It was fun to go through the fridge and pantry to come up with delicious dips all our own.

Apple Chicken Salad turned out to be a lunchtime favorite of mine. JDaniel enjoyed it and I really loved it. I will be making it again and again.

Apple Cinnamon Bread was made to take to JDaniel’s teachers during the first week of school. We had one problem with it. Can you guess what it was? Answer: We kept eating it. I had to resort to making double batches of it.

Apple Sandwich Sushi Rolls were made for JDaniel to take in his lunch to school. His bento box came home empty that day. That means they were a total success. This post will walk you through how to make them.

I have shared with you 9 apple recipes for kids. Do you have a favorite apple recipe you like to make with your children?

{Read.Explore.Learn.} Math Activities- Number Recognition

September 20, 2013 By Deirdre

Apples A to Z literally shared facts about apples from a to z. A small fox and his friends fill the fun illustrations with displays of what each page is discussing. Simple concepts like when the apple falls off the tree fruit forms to grafting branches from one kind of tree to another produce healthier trees. JDaniel was fascinated with grafting and how it works. I was impressed that Margaret McNamara found varieties of apples from a to z. I have never heard of the queen cox or the Xavier de Bavay much less the za ber gau.

This book does another amazing thing. It delivers information for each letter of the alphabet that doesn’t seem forced or trite. Each word selected for each letter is interesting and adds to the trip through the alphabet. It does this with humor, fun facts and great pictures by Jake Parker.

How did we explore this book?

Math Activities for Preschoolers

Writing Number Activity

{Read.Explore.Learn.} Math Activities- Number Recognition- Writing Numbers

JDaniel invented his own way to write many of the numbers. Despite being shown how to write them correctly. Now that he is in school, he has to write them using the traditional style of number writing. I decided to create for him some writing number cards.

The cards were created to have two steps. The first step is to trace over the number on each of the cards. The second step is to write the number inside of the apple on each card. So we would be able to use the cards over and over again the cards were placed in plastic sleeves. (If you have access to a laminator, you can laminate the cards. I may laminate the cards later on.)

{Read.Explore.Learn.} Math Activities- Number Recognition- Writing Numbers to Ten

How did I make them?

There are lots of writing number activity sheets available online. JDaniel does worksheets at school and while these look a lot mini worksheets I hoped they would be different enough for him. I simply went into Paint and drew a rectangle. Into the rectangle, I placed a clip art apple and the dotted number. I repeated this process over and over until I had the number 1-9. The pictures were then inserted into Word in rows of three and then printed out.

${Read.Explore.Learn.} Math Activities- Number Recognition- Addition Game$

Apple Addition

Themed work mats are a great place to work on addition facts with counters. I made these apple mats to go along with this book. JDaniel was asked to roll a pair of dice and decide which number would go into which white section of the apple. Then he placed the correct number of buttons into each section. ( The buttons were supposed to look like seeds.)

You will notice that I put a plus sign in the core of the apple. I want to be able to use the mats for subtraction too. Leaving the brown paper area of the empty and writing it on the apple when it was in the plastic sleeve allowed me to write the function we were focusing on when we needed it.

When JDaniel had counted the button on both sides to find the sum, I had him place the number tracing card with the answer beside the work mat.

He did a great job of working with the counters and the concrete numbers. It is so important to hit more than one type of learning when working on concepts. I think these math mats do just that.

I have decided to ask you to link your posts to the Read.Explore.Learn. Facebook page instead of running a link up. I hope you will stop by and share your children’s book related activities there.

Disclaimer: This post does contain affiliate links.