Children learn best through hands-on activities that incorporate the senses. Learning about apples opens up a plethora of exciting exploration and new discoveries!
Theme teaching with correlating projects allows us to cover a variety of material and effectively teach many concepts and skills. This approach builds on children’s interest, as it allows them to learn at their own individual pace, and connect this knowledge to their daily lives.
Learning about apples is just plain fun for kids and a great way to introduce a new theme is with a song! Here are the lyrics with actions to this super simple song, and then read on for correlating apple activities galore.
“Way Up High in an Apple Tree”
From the CD, “Children’s Favorite Autumn Songs & Fingerplays” ©Monopoli/The Learning Station (Musical Arrangement)
By The Learning Station (To the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”)
Way up high in an apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
Way Up High in an Apple Tree
Five red apples smiled down at me. (Hold up 5 fingers)
I shook that tree as hard as I could, (Pretend to shake the tree)
Down came an apple! Mmmmm it was good!
(Rub your tummy in a circle motion)
Way up high in that apple tree,
(Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
Four red apples smiled down at me. (Hold up 4 fingers)
Way up high in that apple tree.
(Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
Four red apples smiled down at me. (Hold up 4 fingers)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (Pretend to shake the tree)
Down came an apple! Mmmmm it was good!
(Rub your tummy in a circle motion)
Way up high in that apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
Three red apples smiled down at me. (Hold up 3 fingers)
Way up high in that apple tree. (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
Three red apples smiled down at me. (Hold up 3 fingers)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (Pretend to shake the tree)
Down came an apple! Mmmmm it was good! (Rub your tummy in a circle motion)
Way up high in that apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
Two red apples smiled down at me. (Hold up 2 fingers)
Way up high in that apple tree. (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
Two red apples smiled down at me. (Hold up 2 fingers)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (Pretend to shake the tree)
Down came an apple! Mmmmm it was good! (Rub your tummy in a circle motion)
Way up high in that apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
One red apple smiled down at me. (Hold up 1 finger)
Way up high in that apple tree. (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
One red apple smiled down at me. (Hold up 1 finger)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (Pretend to shake the tree)
Down came an apple! Mmmmm it was good! (Rub your tummy in a circle motion)
Way up high in that apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
No red apples smiled down at me. (Hide your hands behind your back.)
Way up high in that apple tree. (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
No more apples smiling down at me. (Hide your hands behind your back.)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (Pretend to shake the tree)
Down came no apples! They’re gone for good! (Hide your hands behind your back.)
Way up high in that apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
No more apples left for me. (Hide your hands behind your back.)
Watch our “Way Up High in an Apple Tree”song on YouTube!
Download song on CD Baby, “Way Up High in an Apple Tree”.
Click here to visit our store where you can listen to song samples and download the entire CD, “Favorite Autumn Songs & Fingerplays”.
Creating a visual makes any song more fun and engaging. Make a child-size tree (trunk and branches) out of brown construction or butcher paper. Attach the tree to the wall. Poster Strips are excellent! They hold incredibly, are easy to remove, and won’t damage walls.
Place the tree trunk as low to the floor as possible so children can reach and interact near the branches. Cut out oval shaped construction paper leaves and attach them to each branch. Using construction paper cut out five apple shapes. Roll a piece of tape and place it in the center of the apple to attach it to the tree. Begin with five apples on your tree and follow the song removing an apple as it falls off the tree.
Note: Later on in the season this tree can be used to demonstrate the changing colored leaves of autumn.
Science: Tasting Tray
Make a tasting tray where children can taste red, yellow and green apples. Discuss the color of each apple and how it tastes, sweet, tart, crunchy, juicy, sour and delicious.
Field Trip: Apple Orchard
A visit to an apple orchard is the ultimate learning experience. Please take note, if you have a child who is allergic to bee’s apple orchards commonly have many buzzing about because of the fruit. To avoid the bees or if you are unable to go on field trips, a great alternate plan is to bring the apple orchard to your class. I invited an apple farmer to visit and she brought a potted small apple tree, basket of apples and tree branches with apples still on them. Children got to touch, smell, pick and taste each different kind of apple. And we counted the apples in the basket before making our favorite snack — applesauce!
Cooking Activity: Making applesauce is great cooking activity.
Sprout™ online has an easy to make applesauce recipe that is simply microwaved.
Franny’s Yumalicious Applesauce
Apples Facts, Books, Art, Games and Activities Galore!
There are many cool facts to share with children about apples. Apples are a fruit and they grow on a tree. Discuss the many different kinds of apples. Apples are a nutritious fruit, a great source of fiber and healthy to eat. They are harvested in the fall. In the center of the apple are apple seeds.
Published by The U.S. Apple Association, “Apples: A Class Act!” is filled with apple facts, books about apples, activities galore and much more! This beautifully illustrated article is printable and perfect for grades preschool – 3rd.
Do you have a favorite apple activity that you would like to share? If so, please post it here!
Cut up red, green, and yellow apples. Have your students sample each of the apples. Create a graph to show which color apple they liked the best.
Thanks for sharing Carol! Great activity to combine the fall season with math!!
Give each child a tree cutout and 5 red pompoms. Have them place the pompom apples on their own tree. As the song is sung they pick one apple at a time off of the tree.
Love this because you can share it as a group activity or place it in an interest center!
Easy Peasy Apple Pies!! Even my 2 year olds did this! Chop up a yellow apple-one makes 4 pies; add a scant amount of sugar and some cinnamon to taste-stir well with the apples; take canned biscuits and separate them; using small rolling pins have children roll them out so they are slightly larger; place a heaping teaspoon of the filling near the middle; fold over and seal the edges with a fork; bake at 350 for about 10 minutes; dust with powdered sugar if desired; these made nice little hand held apple pies and the kids just ate them up!
Cheryl, We were hoping someone would post an easy apple pie recipe! This recipe is perfect!! We could smell the yummy apples and cinnamon baking in the oven just reading about your, Easy Peasy Apple Pies!! Thanks bushels!!!