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This week we started back to homeschool! For our first theme of the year, we picked apples. I gathered up our apple-themed materials and books for our first week back. The first book we read was 10 Apples Up on Top by Leo LeSeig.
We had a new stack of read-alouds and 10 Apples Up on Top by Leo LeSeig was one of the books we read this week.
You can’t read this book without trying to balance an apply on your head! My preschooler enjoyed the challenge of seeing how far she could walk before the apply fell off her head. She was pretty good at balancing it!
After the balancing act, we did an apple core mobile craft. I had this pattern back from my old teaching days. It was probably from MailBox Magazine. What I like about it is that it gives the young student a chance to practice tracing and cutting. We needed two of each piece. In order to make it simpler for my daughter, I folded the paper in half before she traced. That way she only had to trace and cut each pattern once and the pieces were more likely to match. 
After all items were cut, we glued yarn in between the pieces for our mobile.
Next I took out our (free download ->) apple pattern cards. Right now she thinks anything in the table-top pocket chart is cool, so that’s where I put the cards.
Later in the day I found her “reading” the book while eating an apple! She just couldn’t resist!
Apple Ideas to Extend the Theme
We did all these activities over a span of 1 hour. If I would have planned, she really was ready to do more. It was the first day of “school” after all. We’ll be doing more apple activities in the upcoming weeks. Here are some apple-themed resources:
Books:
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World (Dragonfly Books)
Apples
The Apple Pie Tree
How Do Apples Grow?
Johnny Appleseed
Ten Red Apples
Apple Printables:
Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations has created a set of September calendar cards that double as pattern cards. I love things that can be used multiple ways!
“Keep Me As the Apple of Your Eye” from Songs for Saplings
Apple Pinterest Board of the Day: (Yes, I made that up but you never know– I might just feature one of your boards!)
What is your favorite apple-theme activity to do with your students? Please share in the comments!
