Love to Laugh and Learn

Fun and interesting learning activities to do with the children in your life

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard

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Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard


Learning experiences at the apple orchard can be so much fun. I like to incorporate a little learning in everything I do but I don’t want it to be heavy handed. I don’t want the kids to actually realize they are learning. All I want them to experience is fun.

There is so much learning that can happen at an apple orchard. The lessons can be complex, such as learning about how bees pollinate or the growing cycle of an apple. Or the lesson can be very simple, like learning that the apples in the grocery store actually grow on trees.

Today, we go for the simple. We are headed to the apple orchard with our 2 year old, great-nephew. I like to start learning opportunities with a book so we began by reading, “Picking Apples” by Gail Saunders-Smith. It was a great book for a young child; lots of pictures and a small amount of descriptive text. It describes picking apples from the tree to storing them in large wooden crates and finally trucking them everywhere. We were able to see the big wooden crates at the apple orchard; just like in the book!

We decided to head to Stuckey’s Farm today because they grow my husband’s favorite apples; McIntosh. When we arrive a gentleman gives us a basket and a bag to gather our apples in. Jeremiah wanted to carry the basket.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Carrying the basket

We climbed onto a wagon behind a big tractor, to get a ride out to the area that the McIntosh apples were at.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Riding on the Wagon

The first apple Jeremiah picked came right off the tree with no problem…

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Picking Apples

…but the next one wouldn’t let go so Uncle Pat stepped in to explain if you just turn the apple a couple of times, it will come right off the tree.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Picking Apples with Uncle Pat

This only had to be explained once and then Jeremiah became an expert apple picker.

Love to Learn and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Picking Apples Collage

We finished our day up with a frozen apple cider slushie…

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Frozen Apple Cider Slushie

…and a special apple Bento meal. Bento meals come from Japan and are in divided boxes. They do some pretty creative things with food and I find them fun for kids. Jeremiah’s apple themed meal consisted of a peanut butter and apple butter sandwich, cut with an apple shaped cookie cutter. There were a couple of apple cars, made from apple slices and grapes, and some cooked carrots.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Apple Bento Meal

We spent a little time at the playground before we left.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Playing

Stuckey’s Farm is opening a new fun area called Adventure Acres. It consists of a 20′ tall tube slide, a barrel train pulled by a real tractor, pedals cars and more. We are going to have to go back and check that out, once it opens.

Learning Opportunities Jeremiah had at the Apple Orchard

1. That apples in the grocery store come from apple trees.

2. He got to see the big wooden crates the apples are stored in; just like we read about in the book.

3. He was able to watch a machine wash the apples then some workers sorted them and put them in bags.

4. He got the experience of receiving and following directions on how to get stubborn apples off the tree.

5. He was able to experience nature and enjoy climbing around and under the trees.

Future Learning Opportunities at the Apple Orchard

1. We can learn about bees because there is a beehive that you can safely observe from inside the orchard store.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Bee Hive at Stuckey’s

2. We can learn about the life cycle of an apple tree; from seed to apple.

3. We can see how apple cider is made. They make their own apple cider. You can watch the machines make it and fill the bottles but they weren’t manufacturing any the day we were there.

4. We can take apples home and make applesauce and other recipes. Cooking has so many learning opportunities and it’s fun.

We had so much fun at the apple orchard. I can’t wait to go again. Have you been to an apple orchard? What did you like about your trip? Maybe you live in an area where you go to orange groves instead of apple orchards. I would love to hear about your experiences.

You can find more fun activities with apples on an earlier post called, “A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples”.

More Books about the Apple Orchard:

Out and About at the Apple Orchard by Diane Mayr
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
This is a very good book that describes the activities that go on at an apple orchard. The book explains how the apples start as flowers and how the bees help the flowers change into fruit. Your child will learn about the many things the orchard workers need to do to help the apples grow. It is a fun little book. The pictures in this book are brightly drawn illustrations. Although, I prefer photo illustrations in books I am using for learning purposes, the drawings are quite adorable.

Related Posts:

Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts
A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples
Colors – Overview
Shapes – Overview
Fun with Music – Overview

A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples

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A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples





I thought I would start out sharing different concepts such as colors or shapes but the fall season has lead me in another direction. I have decided to take an object from the season; apples. I will show you several different learning concepts you can share with your child just by using the simple apple.

Learning Concepts: colors, senses, seasons, math, science, history, reading

Colors, Sorting & Matching (math skills):

Purchase several apples of different colors. Mix them together and place them in one big bowl or basket. Have your child sort and match the apples by their colors.

Colors, Craft/Art:
Apple Print by my 2 yr old Great-Niece
Apple Print by my 2 yr old Great-Niece

Supplies: red, yellow and green apple, red, yellow and green paint, white construction paper, plates to pour paint on

Cut the apples in half, from top to bottom. Pat cut surface dry with paper towel and let air dry, cut side up, for approximately 30 minutes. If the apple surface is too wet the paint won’t stick to them.

Get three small plates. Pour red paint on one, yellow paint on another and green paint on the last one. Have your child match the color of the apple skin to the paint.

Pick the apple up by the skin side and press the cut side into the paint. Pick up the apple and press it on the paper several times. You are using the apple like a rubber stamp. Repeat this process with each of the different colors. Now you have a beautiful fall collage of apples.

Apple Print by my 2 yr old Great-Niece
Apple Print by my 2 1/2 yr old Great-Niece

10-16-11 I did the above craft with my 2 year old, great-niece today. Although her hands were a little small when it came to trying to pick up half an apple, she really seemed to enjoy it. She made 5 pictures and then asked her mom to make one too.

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Senses:

Buy several apples that have varied tastes, sweet and sour. There is a good explanation of different apples and their flavors on about.com: Apple Varieties.

Cut them into pieces. Have your child taste them and decide if they like sweet or sour better. For older children, you can discuss the parts of the tongue that detect sweet and sour.

Which flavor does your child like the best? Share with your child which one you like best. If your child is younger or is one that really likes to please you, let them share which flavor they like best first because they may just choose whatever you say just to make you happy. Let them know that there is no wrong answer.

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Science:

Discuss the seasons of the apple tree. Talk about how the flowers of spring become the apples of fall. You can talk about bees and pollination.

Here are some good books that I found that talk about the growth and seasons of an apple tree (affiliate links below):

“The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree” by Gail Gibbons
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This book has a fun way of introducing the seasons. Arnold does several things around his tree during the different season changes. For instance, he builds a tree house in the summer and a snow fort in the fall.

“Apples” by Gail Gibbons
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Also a great book with colorful illustrations. It is a little more technical than “The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree” but still quite enjoyable.

How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This book has the same reading level as the previous ones but I would recommend it for the upper age limit suggested. This would be a great book for any child that likes to ask a lot of questions as to how things grow and where apples come from.

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History:

This is a good time of the year to learn about Johnny Appleseed, whose real name was Johnny Chapman. Read books about Johnny Appleseed and how he introduced apple trees to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. After learning about Johnny Appleseed, plan a trip to an apple orchard. Maybe your child will want to dress as Johnny Appleseed for Halloween. What could be easier than a big well worn shirt, pants and a pot for a hat?

Here is a cute book:

Johnny Appleseed by Jane Kurtz
A Ready-To-Read, Level 1 book
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This is not only a good book, for younger children to learn about Johnny Appleseed, but it is also a good early reader book.

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Other fun books about apples:

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
Reading Level: Baby-Preschool
Not only is this a book about apples but it would also be good when talking about the color red, counting or farm animals. My two year old niece loved the book. After we were done reading it the first time she wanted to go back and count the apples again and talk about the farm animals.

  Picking Apples by Margaret McNamara  (A Ready-to-Read, Level 1 book)
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This is a really cute story about a field trip to an apple orchard. If your last name is Smith, you child will have a special surprise at the end of the book. I thought it was cute even though my last name isn’t Smith. This is a good early reader book.

Picking Apples by Gail Saunders-Smith
Reading Level: Ages 2-6 yrs old
Are you planning a trip to the apple orchard with your young child? This book is a great way to introduce your child to the apple orchard and picking apples. If you live in the city, your child may only know that apples come from the store. This book will give them some insight on how the apples get to the store. The text is simple and the illustrations are actual pictures of people working in the apple orchard. We read this to our 2 year old great-nephew before our first trip to the apple orchard with him.

Up, Up. Up! It’s Apple-Picking Time by Jody Fickes Shapiro
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This is a fun little book about a trip to Grandpa and Grandma’s to help pick and sell apples.

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