Apple Preschool Theme: Engaging Activities and Learning Center Ideas

Are you a preschool teacher seeking engaging apple-themed activities for your apple lesson plans? Or perhaps you're a homeschool parent looking for a fun preschool apple activity for your little one?

On our Apple Preschool Theme page, you'll find a carefully curated selection of apple-themed activities designed to captivate and inspire preschoolers. Whether you’re interested in hands-on projects like an apple collage, delightful apple prints, or a fun apple counting activity, or even exploring the wonders of the
apple season with an engaging apple science experiment, we’ve got you covered!

This page offers a variety of apple-themed activities that you can seamlessly incorporate into your lesson plans. Discover low-prep printable activities, engaging preschool apple books, and creative apple art ideas—all tailored to support essential preschool skills. Feel free to mix and match your favorite apple literacy activities, apple crafts, apple science experiments, apple inspired dramatic play activities, and much more!

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Apple Theme Overview

Use our Free Apple Theme Planning Map below to find suggested apple topics for your lessons.
Club Members can download all of ​our Apple Printables for free and a find a copy of the Theme Map, in our Apple Theme Planning Guide-Not a member? Learn More Here!

Click on a button to view a section.
Click on the yellow arrow to return to the top.

Suggested Preschool Learning Objectives for an Apple Theme

Cognitive Development:

• Identify and name different types of apples (e.g., red, green, yellow).
  
• Count apples using manipulatives during counting activities.
  
• Compare and contrast the size, color, and shape of various apples.
  

Language and Literacy:

• Engage with apple-themed books and stories, enhancing vocabulary related to apples (e.g., orchard, harvest).
  
• Participate in discussions about apples and their life cycle, fostering listening and speaking skills.
  
• Create simple sentences or drawings about their favorite apple activities.
  

Fine Motor Skills:

• Create an apple collage using paper cutouts and glue, strengthening hand-eye coordination.
  
• Use scissors to cut out apple shapes or make apple prints, developing fine motor control.
  
• Engage in activities such as threading apple-shaped beads on string.
  

Science Exploration:

• Conduct a simple apple science experiment (e.g., observing how apples float or exploring the inside of an apple).
  
• Discuss the life cycle of an apple tree, from seed to fruit, enhancing understanding of growth and nature.
  
• Explore the senses by tasting different types of apples and describing their flavors and textures.
  

Creative Expression:

• Participate in apple-themed art projects, such as painting or stamping with apples.
  
• Use dramatic play to role-play scenarios related to apple picking or running an apple stand.
  
• Create apple songs or rhymes, fostering creativity and rhythm.
  

Social-Emotional Development:

• Work collaboratively on apple-themed group activities, promoting teamwork and sharing.
  
• Discuss feelings associated with apple picking and sharing apples with friends.
  
• Encourage children to express their preferences for different apple activities and respect each other's choices.
  

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Download our Free Apple Preschool Sample Lesson Plan

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Preschool Apple Theme
Arts & Crafts 

Apple Stamping

Apple stamping is a fun way to incorporate art into your apple theme. 

Try this!

Apple Stamping Barrel Craft

Reader Tara N. shared this photo of the barrels of apples her kids created using apples as stamps. 

Jenny T.

Fingerprint Apples

Community Member Jenny T. shared this photo of a craft her kids created. Simply cut slits into the cardboard tube "trunks" to support the bow, They used fingerprints to add apples to the trees, so cute!

Jenny T.

Paper Plate Apple Pie

Craft some apple pies with a paper plate. Paint the plate brown and add on some spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice) for texture and scent. Next, use some scalloped craft scissors to cut brown paper strips for the crust. Glue the crust on top in a criss cross pattern. 

Stained Glass Apple 

Create a stained glass apple, you will need an apple frame cut from construction paper, two pieces of clear contact paper, red/yellow/green pieces of tissue paper. Lay down one piece of contact paper, place the apple frame and have the child place the tissue paper one at a time onto the apple frame covering all the clear space. Once completed cover it with remaining contact paper and display in your windows.

Try this!

Apple Still Life

Set up a bowl of different colored apples on the table. Put out various art materials (crayons, markers, water colors) and paper. Invite children to create what they see. ​

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Preschool Apple Theme 
Dramatic Play Ideas

Apple Pie Stand*

Create an Apple Stand, or Apple Pie Stand. Add pie plates, Felt Crusts, and plenty of Baking Supplies (Small Cookie Sheets, Mixing Bowls, Measuring Cups, and Spoons).

The Pre-K Printable Fun Dramatic Play Pie Stand Set makes it easy to create fun felt apple pies and includes all of the props you'll need to create your own pie stand! You can even use this set to print your own play food!

Click here to buy the Pie Dramatic Play Pack

Our member Sherry W. of First Friends Family Day Care shared this adorable pie making set up.
Sherry set out pie tins, pom pom apple pie filling and her own pie crust toppers.

First Friends Family Child Care

Sherry also provided old spice jars to add to the apple pie making fun!

First Friends Family Child Care

Don't forget your rolling pins, measuring cups, and spoons, and other making tools!

First Friends Family Child Care

Farmers Market*

A Farmers Market Dramatic Play invitation is a great addition to your activities this week. A couple tables, signs, and props from the classroom and you're ready to play!

Available in our shop!

Johnny Appleseed Dress Up

Have children dress up like Johnny Appleseed by adding some lightweight pots kids can use as hats, messenger bags and some vest and then pretend to plant apple trees.  This costume is available on amazon.

Apple Orchard

Create your own apple orchard by cutting out trees, taping them up and using items such as colored pom poms, balls of yarn to demonstrate the apples. Have the children go apple picking in the orchard! ​

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Preschool Apple
Building and Small World Play Activities

Invitation to Build an Orchard 

Add materials for children to create an orchard in the block center. Add small pretend apples (or red, green, and yellow pom poms), trees, and other items for inspiration. Encourage children to build a fence around the orchard with blocks.

Apple Structures

Provide children with real or plastic apples and play dough. Invite them to stick the apples together to create different structures.

Apple STEM Snack

This Apple STEM Snack is a great addition to your activities for this theme! Get your preschoolers engaged in planning and constructing their very own snack skyscraper and then they get to deconstruct as they eat a healthy snack. 

Ten Apples on Top

Tape pictures of apples onto blocks and see if the child can stack 10 blocks high.

Recycled Apple Tree

Leave out recycled materials like paper towel rolls, plastic jugs etc. Add craft materials such as pom poms and craft sticks. Challenge children to build an apple tree. ​

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Preschool Apple
Language and Literacy Activities

Seek and Find Letter Matching*

Club member Sheena W. transformed the Apple Letter Seek and Find game from the Apples Preschool Activity pack into a sensory activity. She filled her sensory bin with paper grass, then hid the letters inside. As each letter was found her preschooler marked it on the recording sheet using a dot marker. 

Apple Preschool Activity Pack

Sand Tray Letter Practice*

Set up an invitation to practice writing letters using letter formation cards, and a simple writing tray with a base of sand or salt. For this activity we reduced the print size on our letter formation mats to make the perfect sized cards for tracing.
For some added apple fun you can add a little cinnamon. Colored sand can often be found in the craft section of department stores or dollar stores.

Buy the letter formation mats

​Apple Letter Sorting

Apple Letter Sorting Activity from Community Member Sherry W. She used little erasers and wrote the letters on them. 

Sherry W.

Beginning Letter Sounds Sweep and Find*

Pair the first letter sounds page from the Apples Preschool Activity pack ​ with the seek and find sheet and colored sand to create this fun invitation!
Simply pace the seek and find sheet on a tray and cover with sand. Provide a paint brush for children to sweep the sand and find letters. When a letter is found, encourage the preschooler to find the object that has the matching beginning sound and mark with manipulative of your choice. 

Buy the apple activity pack

Apple Stamping 

Community Member  Sherry W of First Friends Family Child Care. She added Stamps and stamp pads for children to create the word APPLES. I love that she included both green and red colors for the stamps. 

Sherry W.

3-Part Apple Nomenclature Cards*

Use the 3-part cards included in our Apples Preschool Activity pack ​as a matching game to support literacy development. These cards can also be used along with apple exploration invitations such as an apple investigation, making applesauce, or making apple pies. 

New to 3-part cards? 
Find out some more fun ways to use these cards here. 

Click here to buy the apples activity pack

Read Aloud: How do Apples Grow

Read the book How do Apples Grow ​by Betsy Maestro, then follow-up with the extension activity below. 

After exploring the book, invite your preschoolers to observe an apple seed sprouting. 
For this experiment you will need apple seeds, zipper bags, and paper towels. 
Begin by dissecting an apple with your preschooler (consider using the Apple Investigation Pack as a guide), as you are dissecting be sure to talk about all the parts of an apple, provide the technical names for the different parts of an apple. 
Remove the seeds from the apple, you may also wish to save apple seeds ahead of time so you have plenty to go around. 
Each child will need a moist paper towel, encourage them to place their seeds on the paper towel allowing some space between each. Then seal the zipper bag most of the way leaving about an inch open for air flow. 
Next, encourage your preschooler to draw a picture of what they see, also consider taking a photograph for reference. Place the baggie in the fridge and check every few days to see if there are any changes. 
It can take quite a bit of time for the seed to sprout. Experiments and projects that happen over a period of time support children in historical thinking and recalling information. The photos and drawings will be helpful in supporting this development as well. 

Apple Name Building*

Club Member Sheena W used the Apple Sight Words Editable  pack to create a name building activity for her preschooler. This editable set let's you add your own words (or letters) to the cards and mats in the set to make your own literacy activities.

Take a closer look at what's included in this set!

Apple Syllable Sort*

Support preschool literacy development with these hands-on syllable sort mats, included in our Apples Preschool Activity Pack

Included in our Apple Preschool Activities Pack

The Apple Pie Tree Story Time Activity

Club members have access to this Apple Pie Tree companion  inside our member download area. You can find it in the read aloud and story time section.

Members Only Activity & Read Aloud Available in the Member Download Area

How to Make an Apple Pie & See the World Pre-K Book Companion

Pair our How to Make an Apple Pie & See the World Pre-K Book Companion  activity pack with the book How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman. This book and activity are a great addition to an Apples Theme.

Available in our shop!

Preschool Apple Book Picks

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World from Marjorie Priceman
Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons
Apples for Everyoneby Jill Esbaum​
How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
​Apples Apples Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

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Preschool Apple
Math Activities

Apple Barrel Counting Mats*

Practice counting Apples  using our Counting Cards from our Apples Preschool Activity pack ​. For this activity you could also gather 10 barrels or buckets and some plastic  apples (or the paper apples from this set). Mark each barrel with a number from 1-10,  then invite preschoolers to fill each barrel with the number of apples on the outside of the bin. 

Apple Preschool Activity Pack

The Apple Pie Tree Pre-K Book Companion

Our The Apple Pie Tree Pre-K Book Companion activity pack is a great pick for this theme! In addition to the included language & literacy activities this pack has a hands-on printable activity that explores the life cycle of an apple tree.

The Apple Pie Tree Pre-K Book Companion

Apple Patterning

Community Member Tanya's Family Daycare shared some of the Apple Patterning/Sorting/Counting fun from her program.

Tanya's Family Daycare

Apples Counting Bin

Community Member Tanya's Family Daycare shared this fun math counting sensory bin.

Tanya's Family Daycare

Counting Apples 1-20

Use this counting mat and cards from the our Apples Preschool Activity pack ​ along with pom poms, mini erasers, play dough or your own fun counters to practice counting from 1-20!

Apples Preschool Activity Pack

Apple Graphing

Using a variety of different sizes and colors of apples, create a graph based on the apples you have.

See more of the apple science activities here!

Apple Picking and Sorting

Create a construction paper tree and place red, yellow and green pom poms on the tree. Invite preschoolers to use tweezers to "pick" an apple off the tree and sort them by color by placing them into a matching colored cup. ​

Weigh Apples on a Scale

Set up a weighing station with a scale and some apples. Try for apples in a variety of sizes. Preschoolers can weigh apples and make size comparisons. Challenge them to find out how many apples will make 1 lb. Do green apples weigh more than red apples?
Extend by brain storming other ways the apples can be measured.
**Teacher Tip: A digital kitchen scale has many uses in the classroom and it is a great tool for guided activities as well as independent exploration!

Apples as Standard Units of Measurement

Use apples to measure objects or people. Line apples up in a row next to the object being measured. Count up how many apples long the object is.

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Apple Theme
Science & Discovery

Apple Pie Play Dough

Our Apple Pie Play Dough Recipe is a treat for the senses and excellent for fine motor development! This dough smells AH-MAZING and feels so soft. Visit our blog post to get step by step directions. 

Try this!

Make an apple pie!

Baking is a fun way to explore science! Check out this easy to make apple pie recipe. Members also have access to step by step visual recipe card!

Try this!

Apple Science Activities

Explore Apples through investigations that support children in learning about the scientific process. Our apple science pack includes step-by-step investigation instructions, colorful posters, and forms for recording results.

Apple Science Activities

Taste Testing

Community Member Sarah C. of Mi Escuelita Bilingual Preschool & Childcare invited her preschoolers to an apple taste test!
While engaging in this activity encourage a variety of vocabulary to describe the taste, texture, and color of each type of apple. 
After the taste test encourage children to share about their experience. After asking what their favorite was, ask them to use one word to describe ___ color apple (randomly assign a color). 
Extension: Consider a blind taste test after the initial activity. See if they can guess which apple they are tasting without looking. 

Mi Escuelita Bilingual Preshool

Apple Cider Inspired Sensory Bin

Coming Soon!

*Parts of an Apple

Learn the parts of an apple and label them with this printable included in the apple science activity pack.

Apple Science Activities

Apple Tree Through the Seasons

 Member Cassandra shared this invitation she created using our Apple Tree Through the Seasons activity along with a book to compliment the activity. 

Cassanda S.

Explore Apples with all 5 Senses

Studying apples creates a fun opportunity to explore using all 5 senses.  Set up an invitation to explore an apple using all 5 senses in one activity or spread throughout the week focusing on a different sense each day. 

When smelling the apple, try smelling an uncut apple, cut apple, and the leaves from an apple. For touch be sure to touch the outside skin, inside flesh, core, seeds, and leaves. For sound challenge children to consider if an apple sounds the same when bitten whole, eaten in slices, and eaten as applesauce. 

Apple Science Activities

Apple Theme Sensory Bins

Apple Themed Sensory Bin using oats, apples, and cinnamon sticks shared by Community Member Melissa W. 
Apple Themed Sensory Bin from Erica's Educare Learning Center
Apple Themed Sensory Bin using Beans from Erica's Educare Learning Center
Apple sensory bin using faux apples and Red, Yellow, and Green Balls from Community Member Kathleen R.

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Apple Theme
Physical Development

Letter Dough Mats

Combine literacy development and fine motor development with these Alphabet Dough Mats. Add them all to your dough center at once or choose mats to compliment your theme. 

Alphabet Dough Mats

Go ​Apple Picking

If you have an apple tree accessible, go apple picking to promote physical development. If you don't, then make your own!  

Dough Seek and Find

Here is another fun way to build fine motor skills! 
Hide plastic letters in play dough, then invite preschoolers to find and record them on an apple themed alphabet recording sheet.

Apple Preschool Activities

Trace & Color an Apple Tree

Practice coordination, following a line, and pencil grip with a fun apple tree Trace & Color page. This page is one of 13 included in the
Trace & Color Activity Pack. 

Trace and Color Activities

Color, Cut, and Glue Apples

Set up this invitation for your preschooler to practice cutting (hand-eye coordination, fine motor) and then paste the apples to the page. This page is included in the I Can Color, Cut, and Paste a Scene Activity Pack. 

Color Cut and Paste a Scene Activity Pack

Fall Dough Mats

Add some yellow, red, and green play dough to your dough center along with our apple tree mat to encourage children to shape dough into small balls to add to the tree and barrel. 

Fall Dough Mats

Apple Cake Walk!

Get those bodies moving! Take your sight word activities outside. Create a gross motor relay, or music walk type activity like the pictured one using our Editable  Apple Sight Word Set.

Editable Apple Sight Word Activities

Apple Orchard Gathering Game 

Gather apples (real/plastic) by using different parts of your body. Practice carrying them under your arm, under your chin, balancing them on your head, and place them in a basket.

Indoor Apple Picking

Using tape, make a tree on the floor, add apples to the ground and have the child use a bucket to go apple picking indoors. 

Apple Balancing

Challenge children to stack apples! This would be a fun activity to pair with your favorite apple themed book, such as 10 Apples up on Top by Dr. Seuss. For this activity you will need several apples, in different sizes if you have  them! Consider using real apples as they provide natural obstacles and have a nice weight to them for this activity. Apples that will be later used for applesauce would be great for this activity. 

Fine Motor Apple Picking

Build string fingers and hands! To set this activity up you will need two or three different cups labeled red/yellow/green, and colored pom-poms with tongs invite the child sort by color.

Apple Throw

Gather baskets and plastic apples. Have children practice throwing the apples to try to get them into the basket. ​

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Apple Theme
Social Emotional Development

What Can You Make With Apples?
Group Conversation

Ask the preschoolers about all the different things you can make with apples and make a list to display in your classroom. 

Learn About Johnny Appleseed

Invite your preschoolers to learn a bit about Johnny Appleseed with a youtube read aloud of the book Johnny Appleseed by Jodie Shepherd.

After reading this book consider visiting an apple orchard, watching seedlings grow (see the Science section), or create a fun tin hat!

My Favorite Apple Voting

Introduce the concept of voting to preschoolers with a simple voting activity. 
​Ask children to vote for their favorite tupe of apple then tally up the results. 

Apples on the Map

Record where different types of apples were discovered on a map
Invite each child to find their favorite kind of apple and color it in on their own map.

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Apple Theme
Educator Resources

Apples, Apples, Apples Pre-K Book Companion

Apples, Apples, Apples, by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace is a fun book your preschoolers are sure to love. Our related book companion pack includes vocabulary review, discussion questions, book review and engaging circle time activities!

Get this in our shop!

Let's get ready for fall!

Apples are frequently explored around time for Back to School. Read up on tips for preparing your program for back to school.

Team Building

Get your group working on communication activities from my Fall Team Building Activities pack.
This pack has a variety of ideas for supporting preschoolers in developing team building skills.  

Attendance Activities

The Attendance Activities Pack includes this apple theme perfect for promoting name recognition this week! Thanks to Building Blocks for sharing this photo. 

Daily Attendance Activities

Way Up High in the Apple Tree

Learn the song Way Up High in the Apple Tree. This is a fun classic that littles are sure to love and ask for on repeat! 
​This one is super easy to learn too!

Apple Themed Calendar 

Easily update your calendar to reflect your Apple Theme with this set of calendar cards found inside our fall calendar cards set.
​This is a club member exclusive

Fall Calendar Preschool Games

*Make an Apple Pie

Make one apple pie together as a group or follow along with a recipe as a group and make individual apple pies. 
Apple pies are easy enough to make that kids can do most of the steps independently. 
Be sure to have a measuring scoop for each ingredient ready to go or  give each child their own set. Cut up the apples in advance to save time and encourage independence with the remainder of the recipe. 

Check out this simple apple pie recipe for kids!

Parent Engagement Story Cards

Get parents and families in on the Apple learning fun with the activities featured in the September Parent Engagement Newsletter from my Parent Engagement Newsletters set.

Parent Engagement Newsletters

Apple Tree Picking-Family Involvement

Be sure to ask parents if any of them have an apple tree they could share apples from or even bring the kids on a field trip to for apple picking. 

Family Apples-Family involvement

Ask each family to bring in an apple or two for apple related projects without giving instruction for size, type, or color. 
Having each family bring in apples is a fun opportunity to invite children to make comparisons. Gather all the apples on the table, then ask children what they notice about the apples. Are they all the same? Are there different sizes or colors? In what ways could we sort the apples?
Place in order from smallest to largest. Graph how many apples were brought in of each color. What about the labels? Read the name of the apples that have labels on them, sort them by type. For the apples without labels, challenge children to use their senses to try to determine which type it is most like. 

Positive Student Notes

Show your students you recognize their hard work with these fun Apple themed positive student notes! Included in the Year of Positive Student Notes pack  

Positive Student Notes

Visit an Orchard

Look into visiting a local orchard where you and your students can take a closer look at apples and possibly harvest some. Another option is to go to a farmers market, be sure to support your students by talking to the farmers about their apple crops. While visiting a farmers market or orchard, see how many different type of apples or apple products you can find. 

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Apple Preschool Activity Pack

$7.00

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Pie Stand Dramatic Play Set

$5.00

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Farmers Market Dramatic Play Pack

$5.00

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Apple Science Preschool Activities

$4.00

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How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World Book Companion

$3.00

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Attendance Daily Sign In Activities

$7.00

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