Apple day -my favorite

Since I had apple day last year, I was scrambling for a new really good apple book.  I wanted another one to talk about apples and what yummy foods can be made from them.  Last year we read, 10 Apples up on Top and Apple Pie Tree but this was a nice book as well.  It's Apples, Apples, Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.

When the kids arrived, I had a bowl of peeled sliced apples for them to dice up and add to our crockpot.  I had it all hot with several apples already cooking away.  We added the diced apples, added some cinnamon.  About 2 or 3 times during the morning, I had the leader of the day and his mom help stir and mash the apples.  We made the most delicious applesauce.  I had another parent volunteer come in about 15 minutes before dismissal and spoon some of the applesauce into these little jars to send home. One of our families saved all of the baby food jars for me.  

We also made apple pie that day which was the snack we ate during snacktime.  The kids added diced apples to a spread out cressant roll and added some cinnamon sugar. Each child's pie was baked in  a little tin foil boat.   It's wasn't what I'd call applepie, but the kids seemed to enjoy it.

Before the story I reviewed the letter of the week, Aa.  We talked about the sounds Aa make and the sign for the letter A.   I used these letter cards that are available here:  alphabet resources.  They have a plethora of great alphabet activities.

After the story, I needed to incorporate some math.  These paper apples are some of those teacher die cut sets.  The white parts are just white paper circles with seeds drawn on. I passed out the red parts and we counted the seed parts together in the middle of our circle  and the kids brought up the red apple part that matched. 

I loved this numbered apple sheet from:  Mrs. Albanese's Kindergarten Class.  I used the red numbered apples from the first activity.  I pulled an apple, called out the number and the kids searched for it.  They used their dot markers and stamped that number.  Here's Lou working on his at home. 

The boy works for Sonic drinks.

She also had a blank apple sheet that had a lot of possibilities.  For older kids, the answers to problems could be on the apples.  The problems could be worked out together and then they could stamp. 

We are working on an alphabet book.  I picked up a sticker dictionary book this summer at Aldis.  The stickers from the book are getting placed on that letter's page. I'm laminating each page as we go and adding it to our book.

Here's a little game I didn't get time for.  I was going to lay out apples and have the friends find matching A and a apples.  I thought I'd use it as a way to line up.   Find your match, line up.

Our leader brought this covered Oreo for snack.  There is a little piece of pretzle for the stem and a tiny piece of green laffy taffy for the leaf.

Here's what the paperwork that we use looks like.  I don't have to get anything ready for this, it's always ready for me.  On the tree part, there is a number on the trunk that told them how many apples to draw on the tree.

Here are two things we sent home with them.  The Ant page is a devotional we are sending home for each letter.  We're also using them at our home and enjoying them.  The link for that isn't working right now, I'll figure it out.  The other sheet is a letter booklet.  You can find one for each letter at Musing of Me.  She has them (and many other great printables) here.

As an arrival activity, I pulled out this pie activity from last year.  We are pretending it's apple pie today.  Here's a link to a printable version of the pies.  I'm new to google docs, let me know if it's not working.

I pulled this from Lou's pile of work. It's for matching lowercase and uppercase letters.   I found it on  Teachers Pay Teachers. Here's the direct link to this free project.

I set out this apple matching sheet.  I loved it more than any of the kids.  It's from 2teaching mommies.  Who knew there were so many varieties of apples.

Apple day is one of my favorites.  Here's last years day: