Apple Picking Craft

Basket of Apples

Sometimes I think of kids craft and in my mind it’s simple, when in reality it’s not. This is one of those crafts but I still wanted to share, we had fun doing it but it was definitely a mom and little man joint effort, I helped with almost every step.  All the steps were worth it though, he was so proud to show off his” tricky art ” to his dad when he got home from work.  If you are looking for a more toddler friendly apple craft try this or this or this .

1. Gather your materials . You will need 1 sheet of  plain construction paper( or paper grocery bags would be awesome too),1 sheet of orange construction paper ,  some green paper, red, brown  and green  markers (crayons or paint would work as well), popsicle sticks, glue and scissors.
2. Start by drawing some apples ( yes those are apples) on the plain construction paper.
3. Have your child color the apples.
4. While they color draw a basic basket on the orange paper, leaving room under for the grass.  This is just a guide for your child. Cut a strip of green for the grass, set aside.
5. When they are done cut the apples out.
6. Have them make cuts along the green strip to make grass, do not cut all the way through. I folded it in half to make it easier for him to hold it .
7. Time to glue.
8. Add a line of glue on the bottom for the grass.
9. Add the grass.
10. Add glue to the basket.
11. Add the apples.
12. Add stems and leaves with a green marker
13. Add glue for the sticks.
14. Add the sticks, let dry.

Books!

” Apple Picking Time” by Michele Benoit Slawson  was not what I was expecting , it was so much more. I was expecting a basic book about picking apples at an orchard.  This book is anything but basic, it’s dreamy and while reading it I almost felt as thought I was back in time when a whole community would come to a stand still for something like apple picking.  The protagonist is Anna a little girl who works hard in the orchard along side her parents and grandparents . She isn’t as fast as her parents, but with hard work and the support of her family she reaches her goal and fills a bin! I loved this book, I didn’t even try to read it to my son, he simply wouldn’t sit long enough. The text is long and I would suggest it for preschoolers and up.

“I Know It’s Autumn” by Eileen Spinelli  is much more age appropriate for my son and other toddlers. The book is a simple look at all the things that tell a small child that Autumn is here. Pumpkin muffins, apple picking, cooler weather,  hayrides and more all signal that the summer is gone and the fall has arrived. I like this book because there will be something a child will relate to and be able to identify with. I also love that the family is biracial and there is no mention of it at all. It’s nice to see and I wish more books were so non challant about representing all kinds of families.

“Apple Farmer Annie” by Monica Wellington is another instant favorite in our house. My son loves this author and I like how simple but informative this book is. Your little reader will learn about the basics of what happens at an apple orchard , but you can take it further if you want. On many of the pages there are chances to learn more, like the page about sorting and classifying, where there are apples ready to count 1-10, and sorted by colors. I love the last page that says that Annie is so happy to have her own apple farm. I loved that message and think it’s a lot more powerful than some may think, women on farms in most books are “farmer’s wives” and I love that there is no one but Annie doing her own thing.

Go Apple Picking !

Check out  pickyourown.org
to find local pick your own farms near you!