It’s finally apple season and I’m so excited to make our yearly family orchard visit! I love the whole experience – the sweet smell of fresh apples, the first juicy, crunchy bite of fruit, the view of rows and rows of trees ready to be harvested.
There’s so much for little ones to learn at the orchard too – From learning about the life cycle of plants, to counting trees and fruit, to learning how the orchard is managed and maintained, there’s something to pique each child’s interest. Right now we are waiting for our favorite variety of apple to be ripe at our local orchard, so in the meantime we decided to set up our own!
Setting up the orchard
After reading a few apple-themed stories, we set up our dramatic play area on our backyard patio. My first grader helped me make a tree with brown paper bags and green tissue paper. Then we stuck these little paper apples to the “leaves”. This was the perfect activity for my preschooler who enjoyed picking the apples and sorting them into the correct barrels. Once she was finished, it was time to bring the apples back to the orchard shop to be sold or made into yummy apple treats.
Baked goods
Making the baked treats was a great way to incorporate fine motor and sensory activities into our pretend play. Here’s how we made them:
Caramel Apples – This was pretty straightforward. I printed these caramel apple templates and we colored them in. Then we stuck popsicle sticks to the back.
Apple Fritters – This is perfect for little ones working on their pinching skills. We used brown paper bags, but construction paper works just as well. We crumpled the paper up as tiny as possible. Then we drizzled on paint for the icing. (This is a good one to make ahead of time!) Once dry, we wrapped it in tissue paper.
Apple Pie – Here’s the sensory play! It did take a little more planning ahead of time, but my aspiring bakers had a lot of fun! (This also works for any pie they feel like baking!) First, take a pie tin or shallow bowl and fill it with pompoms. Then cut a piece of beige felt into a circle and add vent holes. Set out mixing bowls, spatulas, and rolling pins and they can get started.
Treats for sale!
Lastly, we got out our toy cash register and set up the menu and display. My first grader loves to play store and set up little shops, so she really enjoyed this part. As they got into their dramatic play, little sister would make the treats and bring them to big sister to sell them. Teamwork!
We had so much fun with this little dramatic play center! I hope you’ve found some inspiration for your September plans too. If this at-home field trip seems like it’s right up your learner’s alley, I’d love to share it with you! By clicking the link below, you can receive this exclusive full size resource including the printables pictured, plus more ideas and activities to incorporate into your plans.
Happy teaching!
-Sarah
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