I'm not sure when it was decided that autumn means an in-depth study of apples in every single early childhood classroom in the country, but I'm certainly not one to buck tradition. One of my favorite apple activities to do with my preschoolers is to make homemade applesauce.
Children love this activity because they get to eat the end product, so it's a great way to sneak in a ton of other learning opportunities. First there's the understanding that the applesauce they eat in their lunch every day actually comes from an apple that grows on a tree. This helps them begin to comprehend economic concepts such as food supply and scientific ideas like the plant cycle.
I encourage my students to help cut the apples with plastic knives. They are usually so honored to be allowed to use a knife that they treat them with the utmost respect. This is also a great opportunity to talk about personal safety practices, while encourage fine motor skills.
Once the apples have been cut we put them in the crockpot, along with a few more ingredients, and let the waiting begin! Here is the recipe that I use.
Insert recipe
The kids love that they can smell the applesauce cooking, and when we finally get to eat it, the warm, chunky applesauce is a real treat! Here is a freebie for you too; this is a great little note to send home to parents about your class' applesauce experience, along with the recipe so they can make it themselves. If you have a class trip to the orchard scheduled for this fall, be sure to include this activity following your trip to tie it all together!
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