Apple Unit Study to Celebrate National Apple Month

Did you know that apples are a member of the ROSE family? Or that the largest apple ever picked weighed a whopping 3 pounds 2 ounces! Or that the average person eats 65 apples per year?

Whether you’re reading “Ten Apples Up On Top,” learning about Johnny Appleseed or just preparing to celebrate National Apple Month in October, there are tons of fun ways to learn all about apples! With so many fun facts and activities, you can celebrate apples every day in October!

We’ve rounded up the best activities for your apple unit study!

All About Apples:

Books:

There are several great books on apples. A quick trip to the library will have you reading old favorites like “Ten Apples Up on Top.” If you’re looking for an exciting new book, check out “Secrets of the Apple Tree.” Using a flashlight, you will uncover all the secrets and facts behind an apple tree. For more learning, check out these 5 books:

Red Are the Apples by Marc Harshman
Apples by Gail Gibbons
Apple Cider Making Days by Ann Purmell
How Do Apples Grow by Betsy Maestro
Applesauce Season by Eden Ross Lipson

Craft:

Transform a simple paper plate into an adorable apple, using construction paper and your child’s handprint. Do this every year to see how much your apple has grown over the past year. This will be a treasure you’ll want to keep for years to come.

STEM Activities:

Using an apple, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, toothpicks and paper towel rolls, create a structure that will hold the weight of an apple. If you’re feeling extra creative, turn your apple into a car using the spare pieces. The kids will love getting creative with simple, open-ended items. When you’re done playing with the whole apple, chop it into small pieces and use toothpicks to create a dome, house or other structure.

Snack:

Try some homemade applesauce or one of these scrumptious Johnny Appleseed inspired snacks to go along with your unit study. If all else fails, grab an apple and some peanut butter and enjoy a crisp and healthy snack to go along with your apple unit study!

Printables:

The Gift of Curiousity has the BEST printables and her apple pack is no different. Filled with plenty of fine motor “dotting,” the do-dot pages are just what the younger kids will enjoy. While you’re there, check out the rest of her fun freebies! (There are tons!)

Fun Facts:

Check out more fun apple facts by visiting this site.

Learn All About Apples:

Have you ever wondered why you can’t plant a Red Delicious Apple seed and grow the same kind? This fun video has all the facts you need to understand why that is and how we go about grafting apple trees to get the variety we want.

Play Apples to Apples:

This is such a fun game for all ages but if you have small kids, you may want the Junior version. Be ready for plenty of giggles and roaring laughter as the kids battle it out to win. Take it a step further and explain what people mean when they say “comparing apples to apples” and “apples to oranges.”

Apple Labeling:

Head over to KinderKids Fun and download her free apple labeling worksheet. The kids will enjoy coloring the apple while learning the parts of an apple.

Fact Snack:

Using construction paper and white paper, create a large apple. Use the white flesh area to write facts you’ve learned about apples. You can also draw the life cycle of the apple in this area, if you choose.

Play AppleLetters:

Similar to Scrabble, this fun game is geared towards new spellers and beginner readers. Use the letter tiles to create words from the “head” or “tail” of the word. The kids will love creating their own “word worm” and watching it grow!

Balancing Act:

Try your best to walk with an apple placed atop your head. Let the kids determine the safest way to get the apple to stay in place without using their hands. Once they’ve mastered their technique, hold a race. Have them get from point A to point B as fast as they can without dropping or touching their apple. Add 3 seconds to their time for each time they touch it and 5 seconds for each time it falls to the ground.

Stack Apples:

Using a funnel, fill 10 red or green balloons with 3-5 tablespoons of sand each. Tie off securely. Use these fun little “apples” to try your hand at stacking apples, just like in the book “Ten Apples Up On Top.” See who can stack the most apples. If you need more of a challenge, try stacking real apples. (This is MUCH harder but can be done.)