Storytime: Apples

Discussion Questions:

Can anyone name a fruit?  What fruit is is very crunchy and grows on trees? Does anyone know what we call the place where farmers grow LOTS of apple trees? (Orchard!)

Story: Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup*

One owl witnesses the changes seasons bring to his home of an apple tree and its surrounding forest.  Kids had a lot of fun identifying the animals (especially the foxes, for some reason?).

Scarf Rhyme: Apple, Apple Chant (adapted from Jbrary)

Apple, apple, apple bread!

(Hold hands flat in front, palms up, on lying on top of the other)

Apple, apple, apple head!
(Put hands on head)

Apple, apple, apple pie!
(Hold hands in a big circle)

Apple, apple, apple eye!
(Curve hands around eyes)

Apple, apple, apple cake!
(Hold Hands flat, one palm up, one palm down five inches above the other)

Apple, apple, apple shake!
(Hold fists up close to years and shake hard)

Apple, apple, applesauce!
(Pretend to stir stew)

Apple, apple, apple TOSS! 

(toss scarf in air)

Movement Song: Wiggly Wiggles Freeze Dance by Hap Pamer 

Winter is finally over so to celebrate, we danced with our scarves to a favorite freeze song!

Story: Toto’s Apple by Mathieu Lavoie*

Lavoie's pictures are perfectly paired with the simplistic (but very funny) text.  The story is great for discussing problem solving and practicing prepositions. We sometimes have sensitive storytimers, so I skipped the last page where Toto is eaten.

Craft: Apple Discs (adapted from Krokotak)

You will need:

• CDs
• Quarter sheets of construction paper (apple colors such as yellow, red, green)
• Pre-cut leaves
• Bottled glue

Kids tore their paper squares into smaller pieces to glue onto their CD and make a single color collage.  This is great practice for fine motor skills!

*Links for books are to Amazon; I am not affiliated with the company.