An apple a day isn't just good for your health; it's also great for having fun. There are lots of wonderful apple activities for kids, but we've rounded up a few of our favorites. From preschoolers to older kids, these are some fun things to do with apples that will keep little ones busy, creative, and learning something too.
Kid-Made Apple Dumplings
Cooking with apples is so much fun, and little hands can definitely get involved here. You'll need to be around to help with the baking, but otherwise, they can work on these on their own.
You'll need a premade pie crust, a greased pan, a cookie cutter, and a can of apple pie filling.
- Have kids cut the pie crust into circles.
- Place the circles on a greased cookie sheet and put a little bit of filling on each circle.
- Add another circle over the top and pinch the edges to close it.
- If you want, sprinkle the dumplings with a little extra sugar.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (191 degrees Celsius) for about 25 minutes.
Visit to the Apple Orchard
When it comes to learning about apples (and having fun at the same time), you really can't beat a visit to the apple orchard. There's lots to do there for kids, and picking apples is super fun and can feel really empowering to littles who have never harvested their own food.
Apple Core Bird Feeder
Apple cores aren't super useful (especially if your kids are like ours and barely eat any of the apple), but we've got a great nature craft that puts them to good use. You can turn an apple core into a simple bird feeder.
- Have kids eat the center part of the apple, leaving a little ledge along the bottom.
- Tie a piece of twine to the apple stem.
- Sprinkle bird seed along the lower part of the core.
- Hang the apple core in a tree for the birds to enjoy.
Apple Paint Stamps
This beloved apple activity for preschoolers is a classic for a reason: kids love it. It's also educational since you can talk about the seeds and how they are there to make a new apple.
To make an apple stamp, you'll just need to cut apples in half horizontally. Give kids plenty of paper and finger paints (or other washable paints) and let them go to town.
Bring in other art supplies if you want to take apple stamping to the next level. Glitter, markers, and leaf cut-outs can help kids turn their apple art into a masterpiece.
Paper Apple Garland
This is a super simple apple activities for kids of all ages, especially if you have the apples already cut out when they get started. You'll need a piece of string to hang the apples on, some clothes pins, and tons of art supplies for decorating the apples.
- Lay out the apples on a work surface and let kids go to town decorating them. We like using paint and glitter to make them extra pretty.
- Tape one end of the string to a wall or doorway and stretch it out. Tape the other end.
- When the apple art has dried, use the clothespins to hang each apple on the string and make your garland.
This is a great project for talking about all the different varieties of apples. You can look at pictures of the different colors apples come in and kids can try to create specific varieties or just have fun making up their own.
Apple Count-Up
If you've just visited the apple orchard or have a bunch of apples on hand, they're a perfect tool for working on counting and simple math. There are lots of ways to do this:
- Have a kid estimate how many apples are in a container.
- Count the apple in the container (and compare if they estimated).
- Ask what happens to the total number if one of you eats an apple.
- Ask what happens if you split the apples into two same-sized groups.
3-D Paper Apple Pop-Up Cards
This colorful apple craft is great for building fine motor skills, and you can scale it to the age of the kids. For older kids, draw a simple apple shape on a piece of construction paper and have them cut it out. For younger ones, it's easier if you cut out the apples and leave the gluing and artistic flair to them.
For this craft, you'll need a piece of red or green construction paper for the apple (pre-cut or pre-drawn to help get them started). You'll also need a folded note card, white paper cut into ovals, glue, a black marker, and some paints.
- If the apples aren't already cut out, kids should cut out two apples.
- Fold each apple in half.
- Line up one folded apple with the folded inside of the notecard and glue it in place. Repeat on the other side of the notecard with the other folded apple.
- Glue a white oval inside each apple and draw seeds on it with the marker.
- Use paint to add a stem and leaves.
If your child is in preschool or elementary school, these can also make great cards to say thank you at Thanksgiving or at the end of the semester or year. Just add a fun "thank you, teacher" quote and have your child sign their name.
Painted Apple Still Life
A still life makes a wonderful (and artistic) way to appreciate the beauty of a simple apple, and it's great for kids of all ages. You'll need paints the same color as the apple, some paper, and any other art supplies they might want to use. Tell kids to spend a minute looking at the apple before they start to paint it. You can talk about the different colors you see and the shape of the apple too.
Old-Fashioned Bobbing for Apples
Bobbing for apples is a classic apple game for kids, and it's popular for a reason. It's actually way harder than it looks (and also even more fun)!
Fill a bucket or tub with water and add lots of apples to it. The apples will float because they're less dense than the water. Have kids take turns trying to bite an apple out of the water while holding their hands behind their backs.
If you're bobbing for apples with really little kids, you can help them out by holding your hand under the apples so they can bite them more easily.
Maximize the Enjoyment With Apple Activities
It's one thing to appreciate the awesomeness of apples by eating them, but apple activities let kids (and adults) have even more fun with this tasty fruit. You don't have to settle for one game or project either. Try them all to maximize your apple enjoyment.
