It’s Apple Time! Ideas and Freebies for an Apple Theme in Kindergarten
One of my favorite things about fall has always been that there are so many opportunities for thematic teaching (which I love!). An apple theme allows for easy integration of science, math, literacy, and even social studies.
Read on for some simple and fun apple activities!
Apple Science
An apple theme invites some fun (and tasty) hands-on science activities as well as opportunities for learning about life cycles and the needs and parts of plants. Consider having a taste test with a few different varieties of apples while discussing the senses and using vocabulary such tart, sweet, and crunchy. Explore the parts of an apple and follow up with an anchor chart labeling activity. Another interesting exploration involves testing different ways to prevent cut apples from browning when exposed to air.
Here’s a very informative video about the life cycle of apples. It includes many interesting facts about apples and orchards, as well:
This short animation provides an amazing visual to help children understand the life cycle of an apple:
In my TPT shop, you can find this Apples Unit which includes a PowerPoint and many other printable materials for crafts, writing, and more! You can also find Digital Apple Activities that are perfect for distance learning!
Here’s a simple free game children can play alone, with a partner, or in a group. Using mini-erasers, round counters, or craft pompoms, have students roll a die to fill their bushel basket ten frame. Find the free printable here (or by clicking on the picture).
This counting song is a fun one–write the words on sentence strips and have the children replace the numbers as they sing and read!
For more apple math, check out this set in my TPT store.
Apple Literacy
An apple theme provides lots of opportunities for building literacy skills. There are many wonderful informational children’s books about apples, and apple science pairs perfectly with informational writing. Another simple reading activity is to write apple sentences incorporating sight words for students to read with a pointer. Having children help compose (and write) the sentences during shared writing or small group time is even more meaningful!
In my TPT store, I have these Differentiated Apple Readers. This set includes books on three apple topics each written for three different levels. These are great for small group work and for practice reading at home. (Scroll down and sign up for my newsletter to get a free differentiated Johnny Appleseed reader set!)
Apple Social Studies
A great way to bring social studies into your apple theme is to learn about Johnny Appleseed. Children love reading and writing about this folk legend!
This video from Cool School does a great job of giving kids interesting facts about Johnny Appleseed:
You can get this set of differentiated Johnny Appleseed readers for free by signing up for my newsletter below.
Thanks for reading! Sign up below to get the download link for your freebie (you will have to confirm your email address in order to get to the download link. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, please check your spam or junk folder. If you don’t see the signup form at all, and you are reading on your phone, try switching to “web view” at the bottom.)
