As summer wraps up and fall creeps in, it’s the perfect time to start planning one of the best traditions in elementary classrooms— Apple Day! This special day is a great opportunity to pack in lots of hands-on learning, tasty treats, and fun activities your students will never forget. With these 9 super easy and exciting apple activities for kindergarten, you can be sure your favorite little learners will have a memorable day, and you won’t be overwhelmed by lots of extra prep!
Apple Day isn’t just about apples— it’s about making learning fun and memorable for your students, no matter what early elementary grade they are in! When students explore letters, numbers, stories, and other essential concepts through one high-interest theme, it makes it easy for them to build connections that stick.
You don’t have to stress about squeezing in all of your academic standards. You’ll easily be able to cover literacy, math, writing, and more while your students stay engaged and excited to learn.
You can choose to have your Apple Day anytime during the fall months, or plan it close to Johnny Appleseed Day on September 26th. No matter when you plan this special day, your students will be talking about it for days and weeks afterwards!
Incorporate these 9 tried-and-true Apple Day ideas that combine fun with important learning skills:
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Start the super fun day by making applesauce together in the morning. (It will be ready to eat at the end of the day!)
Up next, practice letters or sight words using this interactive Hide and Seek Pocket Chart Activity.
This fun Apple Day resource will quickly become a favorite for you and your kids! Use the editable autofill file to instantly create a custom game to practice any literacy or phonics skills your students are learning.
This apple game is so easy to set up and fun to play again and again!.
Next, let your students try a few different types of apples. Select a variety of colors and flavors when making your choices.
Some of our class favorites have been:
Talk about the ways the apples are similar and different, and take a class poll to determine which is your students’ favorite one!
Once you’re done tasting and talking about the different apples, add in a fun movement game!
Your kids are probably already familiar with the famous game “Keepy Uppy”, so it’s the perfect activity to play with a fun apple twist!
Head to the gym or playground, and blow up a few red, yellow, and green balloons.
Keeping in the math mindset, transition to this super fun Apple Number Bonds Resource.
No matter which math curriculum you use, your kids will enjoy practicing number bonds and addition with these hands-on mats and worksheets.
Splurge and print these mats in color to make learning even more exciting!
You can use this resource again and again after Apple Day, too— it’s perfect for math centers, morning work, guided math, early finishers, homework, and so much more! Put the printed mats in plastic sleeves for easy reuse.
Next, it’s time to do some crafting (& writing too!).
Use this Apple Craft & Writing Activity and gather together to talk about what makes your grade special. Let students work independently or in pairs to cut out the shapes, color, and complete the writing portions.
Use the finished products to decorate your classroom or hallway bulletin board to remember or showcase your exciting Apple Day!
Then, take a break from all the movement and cozy up together for storytime. Grab one or all three of these Apple Day favorites that your students are sure to love:
Next, create your own hands-on math activity with plastic apples, red/yellow/green pom-poms, or apple cutouts.
Encourage students to work together in pairs or small groups to sort the “apples” by color or size. Then, work on other math concepts like adding and subtracting.
This low-prep option is great to keep kids moving while strengthening foundational math skills through play!
Finish the day by trying your applesauce together and recapping the day. Talk out loud about some of the activities you tried together and review apple-themed vocabulary.
After your students have finished their end-of-day snack, use the FREE Apple Word Bank and Writing Pages resource to have them reflect on and write about their favorite part of the day.
Encourage them to be creative as they choose to write about their favorite type of apple, the applesauce they made, or their favorite apple-themed book.
Print an individual apple-themed picture dictionary page for each of your students. These pages help even your earliest writers feel successful and independent.
You can also find the Apple Word Bank in the Yearlong Writing Center Word Bank Resource! This bundle includes over 800 cards with words and pictures and 60 different writing topics to make setting up and updating your writing activities super easy.
Are you ready for more fall-themed ideas? Check out these to keep your planning momentum going:
With these 9 exciting (& easy!) apple activities for kindergarten, you’ll have everything you need to make Apple Day a sweet and successful celebration for your students! You don’t need to stress about planning every little detail— these activities and resources make it easy for you to keep learning fun and making memories that your students will remember all year long.
I’m a teacher who believes in creating a classroom kids love and activities that keep them engaged all day!
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