Daycare Lesson Plans on Apples

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These super fun Daycare Lesson Plans on Apples are perfect for fall or any time of year. Apples are colorful, tasty, and fun for the perfect daycare lesson plans that tie science, literacy, math, and more all together.

Two young children examine apples in a water bin, while another child enjoys a sliced apple at a table. Text reads: "Daycare Lesson Plans on Apples. Get creative ideas for your classroom here.

Apples can spark curiosity and provide opportunities for hands-on learning.

For a printable lesson plan for 2 weeks (4 days/week) with the Oklahoma ELGs for the QRIS standards, check out our Daycare Lesson Plans on Apples on Etsy!

Why Teach About Apples in Daycare

Apples are a familiar and accessible fruit, which makes them an ideal subject for young children. They offer endless opportunities for sensory exploration, early science investigation, fine motor development, and even cooking experiences. Plus, apples tie perfectly into seasonal learning, especially during the fall harvest. Kids learn best through hands-on experiences, and apples can be smelled, tasted, touched, examined, and used in many creative ways. Perfect for fall activities for kids.

Books to Include in Your Apple Theme

I love to start every unit with a book. This year, I’m going to base our studies on “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. We’ve done “10 Apples Up on Top” by Dr. Seuss in the past.

Books are a powerful way to enhance your apple lessons. Some other great apple-themed books include “Apples, Apples, Apples” by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, “Apple Farmer Annie” by Monica Wellington, “The Apple Pie Tree” by Zoe Hall, and “The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree” by Gail Gibbons. Choose both fiction and nonfiction titles to give children a wide range of language experiences. Books help reinforce apple vocabulary, sequencing, and listening comprehension.

A yellow paper covered in handwritten notes—part of lesson plans on apples—features questions and answers about floating, shape, preference, and apple counts by color. Wet stains are visible on the page.

Apple Themed Circle Time Ideas

Start your apple unit with themed circle time activities. Introduce apples with real examples. Different colors, shapes, and sizes. I ask parents to send at least 2 different colors of apples and we have 14 apples to use.
Let kids pass them around, feel the textures, and talk about their colors. Sing apple songs like “Way Up High in the Apple Tree“. “Apples and Bananas” is another good one. Ask open-ended questions: What color apples have you seen? Have you ever picked an apple from a tree? What do apples taste like?

A hand holding a cross-section of an apple, showing the seeds arranged in a star pattern at the center—perfect imagery for lesson plans on apples.

Science Activities with Apples

Explore the life cycle of an apple by showing how apples grow on trees from blossoms. Use pictures or simple diagrams.
Cut open an apple to show the core, seeds, flesh, and skin. Let the kids investigate the parts of the apple with magnifying glasses. If you cut it across the middle, there is a star inside. If you cut it up and down, it looks totally different.
Try an apple taste test with red, green, and yellow apples. Encourage children to describe the flavors and vote for their favorites. We always mark it on a chart on the wall.
Another fun science experiment is the apple oxidation activity. Cut apples and leave them out to see how they change over time. You can even test how lemon juice slows browning.
Dehydrating apples is fun, and you can air-dry them with no equipment. We slice ours very thin, dip in lemon juice, and lay them out on cooling racks for cookies. We take notes of how they look at different time intervals. Then we enjoy eating them at the end.
See if apples float or sink in a tub or bowl of water.

Sliced green squash pieces on a wire rack with three labeled notes: "Plain," "Day 2," and "Lemon Juice," on a granite countertop—perfect for comparing in lesson plans on apples and exploring food preservation.

Math Concepts Using Apples

Apples offer great ways to practice counting, sorting, and patterning. Count apples together or line them up by size.
Use apple-shaped cutouts or manipulatives to sort by color or size.
Create simple apple patterns like red-yellow-red-yellow. Practice simple addition with apple counting cards or plastic apples.
Set up a pretend apple stand where children can “buy” apples with play money to work on one-to-one correspondence.
Use apple stickers to reinforce number recognition and grouping.
See how many apples you can stack up.

Three children sit at a table, watching as one of them stacks two red apples on top of a green apple on a metal tray—an engaging moment inspired by lesson plans on apples.

Art Projects with Apples

Apple-themed art is full of possibilities.

Try apple stamping by slicing apples in half, dipping them in paint, and stamping them onto paper.
Let children create torn paper apples with red, green, or yellow paper scraps.
Use cotton balls or sponges to paint apple trees.
Try a tissue paper apple craft. Glue squares of tissue paper onto an apple template for a colorful, textured masterpiece.
Make an apple collage using real apple seeds and dried leaves.

Apple Literacy Activities

Bring apples into your literacy center with letter recognition and vocabulary games.

Use apple-themed alphabet cards or write letters on apple cutouts and hide them in a sensory bin for kids to find.
Let kids match uppercase and lowercase letters with apples.
Read a variety of apple-themed books and talk about characters, settings, and the sequence of events.
Create a class book by having each child draw a picture of their favorite kind of apple and dictate a sentence about it.
Practice pre-writing by tracing apple shapes or writing the word “apple.”

Sensory Play with an Apple Twist

Sensory activities are essential in early childhood, and apples provide lots of inspiration.

Set up an apple-scented playdough station with red, green, and yellow dough. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, or apple pie spice for a stronger scent. Use small apple-themed cookie cutters or rolling pins to strengthen fine motor skills.
Create an apple pie sensory bin with oats, cinnamon sticks, pie tins, and plastic apples.
Water play can include floating apples and cups for scooping and pouring.
For a messy but fun project, make apple slime or apple-scented goop with cornstarch and water.

Cooking and Tasting Activities with Apples

Kids love cooking, and apples are perfect for simple, healthy recipes.

Try making applesauce together. Let the children help peel and mash the apples, then mix in cinnamon.
Make apple nachos by slicing apples and topping them with yogurt and granola.
Bake mini apple muffins or apple oat bars.
Make an apple pie or apple crisp.
Make a fresh apple salad with chopped apples, celery, and raisins.

During tasting activities, offer different apple varieties and chart which ones the kids like best. Cooking with apples provides sensory experiences, introduces new vocabulary, and supports self-help skills.

Outdoor Apple Activities

If you have an outdoor space, take your apple lessons outside.

Set up a pretend apple-picking activity with paper apples clipped to a tree or bush. Or pick apples from a real apple tree if you have access to one.
Have a relay race where kids carry apples on spoons or balance them on their heads.
Use chalk to draw apple trees and count how many apples each tree has.
Go on a nature walk to look for real apple trees, leaves, or signs of fall.
For a gross motor game, play “Apple Toss” with soft balls into baskets marked red, green, or yellow.

Music and Movement with Apples

Movement and music help children engage with content in a joyful, active way.

Teach simple songs like “I’m a Little Apple” or “Five Red Apples.”

Add apple-themed movement games like “Apple Freeze Dance” or “Apple Tree Yoga,” where kids pose like trees, stretch like branches, and fall like apples.

Try rhythm activities with apple shakers made from small plastic containers and beans or rice.

Encourage dancing with apple scarves in red, green, and yellow.

Dramatic Play Apple Orchard or Bakery

Set up a pretend apple orchard with baskets, fake apples, a cash register, and apple-picking hats. Add signs and labels for literacy practice. Kids can pretend to pick apples, weigh them, and sell them.
Create an apple bakery where they can “bake” apple pies, muffins, and cider. Use felt food or real playdough, pie pans, and rolling pins.

Pretend play helps children work on social skills, language development, and creativity.

Family Involvement Ideas

Include families in your apple theme by sending home a simple apple recipe for them to try together.
Ask parents to share their favorite apple dishes or traditions.
Invite families to donate apples or cooking supplies.

You could even host an apple tasting event or apple festival where kids show off their artwork, sing apple songs, and share apple treats they made during the week.

An apple theme in daycare is more than just fun. It’s a powerful way to teach across the curriculum. From science and math to literacy and cooking, apples provide endless opportunities for meaningful play-based learning. By offering hands-on experiences and incorporating multiple learning styles, you help children build knowledge and confidence while having a great time. So grab a basket of apples and get ready for a week full of smiles, songs, and sticky fingers.