**This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. View our full disclosure policy here.**

Here were our plans for our Thanksgiving theme:

And here are the details for each activity:

Thanksgiving Vocabulary:

Madelynn is a bit young to really get to into the story of Thanksgiving, so I kept it simple with The Story of Thanksgiving by Nancy Skarmeas. Then we worked on a quick vocab matching activity. I chose the 5 words from the story that will best help her understand Thanksgiving in the future. I emphasized the beginning sounds to help her choose and match the correct word to the picture.

Thanksgiving Retelling:

Our next read aloud was I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson. After reading, I taped a picture of the little old lady to a wipe container then gave Madelynn pieces from the story. She fed them to the little old lady while retelling the story in order.

Pilgrim Predictions:

Our next story was The Littlest Pilgrim by Brandi Dougherty. Before reading, we practiced making predictions. I asked “After looking at the cover, what do you think this story will be about?”  Madelynn: “I think she’s going to find something good to eat.”  Then I asked: “What do you think she will eat?”  Madelynn: “Maybe some turkey.”

Thanksgiving Comprehension:

Our next book Who Will Carve the Turkey This Thanksgiving by Jerry Pallotta, was a silly Thanksgiving themed story that was full of imagination.  The boy in the story wonders who will carve the Thanksgiving turkey and imagines what it would be like if different animals came to help.  After reading all of the silly choices in the book, I asked Madelynn to draw who she thought should carve the turkey. She chose a tiger because he has “super sharp teeth.”

Tracking Print:

Our last book was Harvest Time from our set of Guided Science Readers. Madelynn is starting to read easy level A books with patterned text. First, I read the beginning of the sentence, “It is time to pick…” and paused, then she read the last word. She did a great job using picture clues to read the words.   And after the first 2 pages she was able to read the sentence by herself.

Turkey Read and Color:

  This week we focused on beginning sounds so we started with this color by code activity. Madelynn identified each picture, then decided what letter it started with. Knowing it was one of the 5 listed on the left side of the page helped with some of the trickier sounds, then she followed the directions to make each spot the correct color.

Turkey Sound Stamping:

  Next, for more letter practice we used our dot stampers. We started out stamping inside the letter to make a T. Then Madelynn had to find the upper and lowercase t’s in the turkey stamp them and make the “T” sound each time.

Pick a Pie Letter Sounds:

This month we are focusing on beginning sounds so I put together this pocket chart sound game.  First I printed each letter on pumpkin pies and placed them in a pocket chart.  Next I hid 2 pie slices behind 2 different letters. Madelynn chose a pie, said the letter, then made the sound. If she got it right she flipped the pie over to see if there was a slice hiding behind it. She continued to play until she found each slice of pie.

Turkey Name Craft:

  For this week’s name craft we created a colorful turkey.  First Madelynn cut the turkey and feather pieces out. Then she wrote the letters in her name on each feather. After she finished writing, she glued the pieces together and added the feathers to the turkey in order to spell her name.

Thanksgiving Journal Writing:

For our journal this week Madelynn chose to draw and label a turkey. She drew a large turkey with colorful feathers.

Thanksgiving Sand Tray:

Our first math activity this week was a thanksgiving themed sand tray.  Of course my strong willed Madelynn didn’t want to practice numbers, so we decided to do letters instead. I filled the tray with sand and a few colored feathers. Then Madelynn used small turkey cards as a model to write letters in the sand with the colored feathers.

Turkey Shape Feathers:

This week’s math focus was on sorting. We began with sorting by shapes so I made these shape turkeys with shape item feathers.  She chose a feather named the shape of the item then added it to the matching shape turkey to complete each one.

Thanksgiving Color Sort:

For our next sorting activity we focused on sorting by color.  I set up bins with colored turkey labels on each one. Then I gave Madelynn a bin full of different colored play food and she fed each turkey the correct color food.

Turkey Feather Sort:

For our last sorting activity, we practiced sorting in 2 ways.  First Madelynn sorted feathers by size.

Then, she sorted the same feathers by color.

Turkey Number Mats:

We used these mats for LOTS of math practice this week. First, Madelynn identified the large number. Then she made it with play dough and counted the feathers in the ten frame. Next, she used a dry erase marker to practice writing the number, and finally counted out colored feathers to make the correct amount.

Thanksgiving Sensory Bin:

In this bin: popcorn, plastic plates, bowls, cups, forks, and play food

Wants & Needs Sort:

After learning a bit about Thanksgiving, we had a discussion about things that we are thankful for.  We talked about the usual things you’d expect a 4 year old to think of: food, candy, toys, etc.  Then I introduced this wants and needs sort.  This was definitely a difficult topic for her to understand but it led to a really good discussion about why certain things are not needs.

Turkey Play Dough Tray:

On this tray: brown play dough, pipe cleaners, foam shapes, googly eyes, colored feathers

Texture Paint Turkey:

For this turkey project we started by painting a paper plate brown.  While that dried we painted each feather different textures by stamping it with different fall materials (pine cones, small branches, and leaf stamps). After all of the pieces dried, we added paper cut outs for the turkey face and attached the feathers behind the paper plate.

Turkey Directed Drawing:

I’ve been wanting to try directed drawings with Madelynn for a while, so this week was the perfect time to give it a try with a simple turkey.  For the directed drawing I drew one part of the turkey at a time on my paper, and Madelynn followed along by drawing the same or similar shape on her paper.  She is quite the perfectionist, so I had her use a pencil in case she wanted to erase try any part of the turkey again.  Then I quickly outlined the entire turkey with a black crayon.  (You could definitely skip the pencil and start with a black crayon to save time.) To finish off the project, Madelynn used watercolors to paint her turkey.

Want all of this week’s Thanksgiving activities for preschool?  You can grab them here:
On my site : Thanksgiving Plans & Printables On TpT: Thanksgiving Plans & Printables

Or you can grab our entire year of themes and plans:
On my site here: Preschool Bundle On TpT here: Preschool Bundle

Then check out the rest of our 45+ themes on the Preschool Curriculum Main Page.

The post Preschool: Thanksgiving first appeared on Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten.

**This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. View our full disclosure policy here.**

Here were our plans for our Halloween theme:

And here are the details for each activity:

Pumpkin Life Cycle:

Our first read aloud was Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington. This book describes the life cycle of a pumpkin from the beginning to end. Afterwards Madelynn practiced retelling the life cycle using picture cards.

Clothing Vocabulary:

Next we read The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything By Linda D. Williams. After reading we used cards to match clothing words to pictures.  I emphasized the beginning sounds to help her choose and match the correct word to the picture.

Scaredy Cat, Splat!

Splat the Cat is one of our favorite picture book characters, so I knew we had to read Scaredy Cat, Splat! by Rob Scotton this week. After reading, Madelynn and I talked about what costume she would want to wear to school to win the scariest cat contest. She decided on Wonder Woman, not too scary but she drew the cutest picture of herself with a cape and I couldn’t argue with that!

Go Away Big Green Monster:

And last we read Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley. I love the simple bright colored paper cut out illustrations in this book so after reading we made our own Big Green Monsters by choosing cards for each color and facial feature. Madelynn chose blue/hair, pink/eyes, purple/nose, orange/ears, black/mouth, and yellow/teeth. This was a fun way to encourage her to add new and different details to her drawings.

Tracking Print:

  Our last book was the This Pumpkin from the Scholastic Guided Science Readers set. Madelynn is starting to read easy level A books with patterned text. First, I read the left page to her then I asked her to try the right page.  She asked me to read, so I read “This pumpkin is…” and paused, then she read the last word.  She did a great job using picture clues to read the words.

Pumpkin Read and Color:

  This week we focused on the letter P so we started with this color by code activity. Madelynn identified each letter then followed the directions to make each spot the correct color.

Pumpkin Sound Stamping:

Next, for more letter practice we used our dot stampers. We started out stamping inside the letter to make a P. Then Madelynn had to find the upper and lowercase p’s in the pumpkin, stamp them and make the “P” sound each time.

Syllable Pumpkins:

Next we practiced syllable with these cute little pumpkin buckets.  I put one picture card in front of each pumpkin then wrote the number of syllables on the bottom. Madelynn clapped the syllables for each word then added a bean for each syllable to the pumpkin. Afterwards she turned the pumpkin over to see if she was correct. I definitely had to give lots of help along the way since this was only our second time practicing syllables.

 Pumpkin Name Craft:

  For this week’s name craft we created pumpkins sitting on a gate.  First Madelynn cut out each of the pieces. Then as she wrote the letters in her name on each pumpkin while looking at her name. After she finished writing, she glued the pieces together to create a nighttime scene.  And last she added a few star stickers for the finishing touch.

Halloween Journal Writing:

For our journal this week Madelynn chose to draw and label a jack o’ lantern. I love how her pumpkin stem looks like brown hair with a little green leaf hat.  So cute!  I encouraged her to add labels and she wrote P for pumpkin, J for jack o’ lantern, S for stem, and WE for leaf or “weaf” in toddler speak.

Monster Sand Tray:

For one last literacy activity this week we wrote letters on a monster themed sand tray.  (I planned to do numbers but Madelynn had her own plan) First, I placed our IKEA tray on top of our light pad then filled the tray with black sand.  Madelynn used monster letter cards as a model to write letters with glow sticks. This made for really cool light up Halloween fun in the dark!

Grab and Graph Spiders:

Our new math focus for the week was graphing. I love finding all kinds of hands on engaging ways to practice graphing.  To keep things simple, we started out with a picture graph with only 2 colors. I filled a bin with our plastic spider rings then Madelynn used fine motor tools to grab a scoop full of spiders. Next she sorted them. Then she counted how many of each color and filled in her graph.  She repeated this 4 times for even more practice.

Color & Graph Halloween:

For our next graphing activity, Madelynn and I played I spy. First I said “I spy monsters that are green.” She then had to find the item I was thinking of, color each one, count them and color in her graph. This was a lot of steps to follow so I helped her along the way, but she really did great following along! We repeated the “I spy” game with: white things that say boo, black animals that fly at night, orange vegetables with faces, and white people all wrapped up.

Cauldron Count:

I found these ADORABLE cauldrons and knew they’d be perfect for a counting activity. And what better to use for filling, than mini halloween erasers?!?! Thank you Target Dollar Spot!  I added a number to the front of each cauldron and Madelynn used gator grabbers to pinch and count the correct number for each brew.

Halloween Snack and Graph:

What kid doesn’t love to play with their food? Our last graphing activity was the perfect excuse to play, learn and snack all at the same time.  First I grabbed a big box of Spooky Shapes fruit snacks from Target. Then I emptied a few bags into a bowl so Madelynn would at least have more than 2 of each color to work with. She sorted, counted, graphed and snacked.

Pumpkin Theme Sensory Bin:

In this bin: Cocoa cloud dough, mini pumpkin buckets, pumpkin cookie cutters, orange ramekins, pumpkin candy 

Cocoa Cloud Dough Recipe:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup oil (any type: vegetable, peanut, canola, baby)

Mix flour and cocoa together first. Then add in oil. Add more or less oil to reach desired consistency.

Marble Paint Mummy:

Our first craft was this super easy marble paint mummy. It was seriously so easy even little miss 18 month old Aubrey decided she wanted to make one too. First I cut out a mummy body, which Madelynn totally called me out and said it looked like a gingerbread man…Yup it’s totally a gingerbread stencil! Then, I taped it inside a box and dropped on a few globs of white paint. Madelynn dropped in some marbles and started shaking the box from side to side to create white lines all over the mummy. After the paint dried she added 2 yellow dot stickers for eyes and drew a black dot in the center.

Mixing Monster Potions:

This activity was super fun to watch because I didn’t tell Madelynn what was going to happen so each monster was a surprise! To prepare the activity I glued pipe cleaners and googly eyes onto cups to make monster faces. Then I put a few drops of food coloring into 5 separate cups and lined them up. Next, I poured baking soda into each cup until the food coloring was covered (no exact measurement needed, more baking soda=more fizzy explosion.) Then I filled another cup with white vinegar, added eye droppers and set it all up on a tray for Madelynn to explore. Without any direction she knew just what to do, as soon as she started dripping vinegar into the cups they began to fizz.  As she added more each color began to show through and become brighter and brighter. And of course after a while she began to dump larger amounts of vinegar into the monster cups creating even bigger, more exciting monster potion explosions.

Squishy Witches Brew:

In this bin: water, gelatin Halloween shapes, plastic spider rings, spoons, bowls

Directions to make the gelatin shapes for this bin:

2 cups cool water
3 envelopes Knox Gelatine
Food coloring
Halloween Shaped silicone molds
Cooking spray

To make the squishy shapes, coat the molds in cooking spray to prevent sticking. Pour water in a small pan and add plain gelatin. Wait a couple of minutes and then heat gelatin, stirring until it’s dissolved. Color gelatin with food coloring and spoon into molds. I separated out clear for the ghosts first, then divided the rest into 2 cups to dye orange and black. Pop molds into the fridge for a few hours until set. Pop the shapes out, and use them to mix stir and add to the witches brew.

Pumpkin Patch Stamp:

Our second art activity this week was pumpkin patch stamping. First, Madelynn used a rolled up toilet paper tube to stamp pumpkin shapes with glue on a piece of paper. Next, she sprinkled orange sand on top then shook off the excess.  Then, she used brown puffy paint to add stems. Last she pushed a green leaf sequin into each stem to complete her pumpkins.

Want all of this week’s Halloween activities for preschool?  You can grab them here:
On my site : Halloween Plans & Printables On TpT: Halloween Plans & Printables

Or you can grab our entire year of themes and plans:
On my site here: Preschool Bundle On TpT here: Preschool Bundle

Then check out the rest of our 45+ themes on the Preschool Curriculum Main Page.

The post Preschool: Halloween first appeared on Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten.

I LOVE fall and all of the fun events that come with it. Wait it is fall right? I mean it is still in the high 70s here which is crazy for the beginning of October in Wisconsin, but I will take it while I can because winter will be here before we know it.

**This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. View our full disclosure policy here.**

Here were our plans for our Fall theme:

And here are the details for each activity:

Concepts of Print:

This week we focused on the parts of a book. Our first read aloud was Let it Fall by Maryann Cocca-Leffler. Before reading, I gave Madelynn sticky notes to label the front cover, back cover, title page, and spine.

Leaf Man Predictions:

Our next story was Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. Before reading, we practiced making predictions. I asked “After looking at the cover, what do you think this story will be about?”  Madelynn: “The leaves are going to turn into a person.”  Then I asked: “What makes you say that?”  Madelynn: “This leaf looks like a face”

 There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves Retelling:

Our next read aloud was There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro. After reading, I taped a picture of the little old lady to a wipe container then gave Madelynn pieces from the story. She fed them to the little old lady while retelling the story, then made the scarecrow pop out at the end.

 Season Tree Vocabulary:

For some nonfiction learning, we read Colorful Leaves by Maria Fleming. This book has a lot of great information, but we focused mainly on the trees at the differences between the trees during each season. Afterwards we used tree picture and word cards to match and discuss the changes we notice each season.

 Tracking Print:

 Our last book was the letter L book from Abby’s Alphabet Book Series. Madelynn identified the picture then pointed to each word as she read.

 Leaf Sand Tray:

Our first literacy activity this week was a fall themed salt tray.  Madelynn used small leaf cards as a model and chose which letters she wanted to practice.  We started with our focus letter L for leaf, then practiced M for her name and A for her sister Aubrey before trying lots of new letters.

 Leaf Sound Stamping:

Next, for more letter practice we used our dot stampers. We started out stamping inside the letter to make an L. Then Madelynn had to find the upper and lowercase l’s in the leaf, stamp them and make the “L” sound each time.

Magnetic Leaf Rhyme Match:

This month we are focusing on identifying rhyming words which can be a really tricky concept to teach.  Up until this week, we’ve read lots and lots of books with rhyme and rhythm and I’ve pointed out rhymes but never really focused on it.
So for this activity I printed leaf and tree pairs of rhyming words. I taped a magnetic bingo chip on the back of the leaf pictures and hid them in a bin of silk leaves.  I attached a rake to a magnetic wand, then Madelynn raked through the bin to find a leaf picture.  She said the word and I helped her to find a rhyme. We did a LOT of repetition to help her hear the rime part of each word. (for example “pig, wig, they both have an -ig.”)

 Fall Tree Name Craft:

For this week’s name craft we created an adorable fall tree.  First Madelynn cut the branches and the tree top and glued them together. Then I gave her foam leaf stickers with the letters in her name.  She peeled and stuck them in order on her tree and added a few extra as well. I LOVE how it turned out.

Fall Journal Writing:

For our journal this week Madelynn chose to draw and write about fall trees. She the trunk first then added branches, red, green, and yellow leaves, and grass.  She chose not to write any words this time which is totally okay. I always encourage writing, but don’t want to push her too hard if she’s not in the mood.

 Apple Count and Color:

This week for math we focused on counting and identifying numbers to 10.  We started with this color by code activity. Madelynn counted the dots then had to follow the directions to make each spot the correct color.  Now that we’ve been doing these activities for a few weeks she is getting very fast at identifying the number of dots with a quick glance.

 Leaf Number Hunt:

Madelynn LOVES our letter and number hunts from tot school, so we have been adding them into our preschool plans. Instead of finding and matching the numbers to her paper, I made the activity a bit more challenging by putting dots on our hidden leaves. Madelynn had to find each leaf, count the dots, find the number on her page and color it the matching color.  So many skills at work!

Fall Leaf Magnet Match:

To prep this activity I first blew up a large tree picture and taped it to our oil drip pan.  Next I wrote numbers on the tree with dry erase markers.  Then, I drew dots on foam leaves and added magnets to the back. Madelynn chose a leaf, counted the dots and matched it to the correct spot on the tree. You could also hide the leaves in a fall themed sensory bin for a little extra challenge.

Fall Ten Frames:

We used these ten frames for LOTS of math practice this week. First, Madelynn identified the large number. Then she made it with play dough and counted the leaves in the ten frame. Next, she used a dry erase marker to practice writing the number, and finally used tweezers and/or her fingers to grab and count out foam leaf beads to put on the tree.

Fingerprint Fall Counting Trees:

For our last counting activity, I printed black and white trees with the numbers 1-10. Madelynn use done finger to stamp the correct number of leaves on each tree with washable ink. For our last counting activity, I printed black and white trees with the numbers 1-10. Madelynn use done finger to stamp the correct number of leaves on each tree with washable ink.

Fall Items Sink & Float:

For our science activity this week we learned about sink & float as well as making predictions. I gave Madelynn a tray with fall objects: mini pumpkins, apples, leaves, rocks, acorns, pine cones and sticks. One by one she chose an item, made a prediction, then tested it out to see if it would sink or float.  Easy peasy!

Fall Leaf Rubbings:

For our first art project this week we did simple leaf rubbings with crayons.  I taped a few leaves to our tray, then placed a piece of paper on top. Madelynn rubbed crayons sideways over the leaves to create beautiful textures.

 Fall Color Sorting Bin:

In this bin: red, orange, yellow, and brown pom poms, mini leaves, squirrel squeezers (from Sneaky Snack Squirrel Game), mini puzzle letters, and colored bowls for sorting

Our squirrel squeezers were the perfect tool for grabbing and sorting pom poms in this easy peasy fall color sorting bin.

Potato Stamp Fall Tree:

To prepare this craft I cut a potato in half then carved a few lines to create a leaf. Then I printed a tree trunk for Madelynn to use as a background.  She used a paintbrush to paint a thin layer of tempera paint on the potato and stamp it on her tree.

Fall Leaf Slime:

I’ve always had trouble getting slime recipes just right, but I have found the PERFECT recipe that is impossible to mess up. (and trust me I have had quite a few slime fails in the past few years!)

Fall Slime Recipe: 6 oz Elmer’s yellow glitter glue6 oz Elmer’s red glitter glue 1 Tbsp baking soda 2 1/2 Tbsp contact lens solution Fall leaf confetti(optional) Directions: Pour both bottles of glue into a bowl. Add baking soda and mix well.  Add contact solution and mix with spoon until it gets too difficult. Use hands to knead the slime together. If slime is too sticky add a bit more contact solution. Mix in fall confetti if desired.

Want all of this week’s Fall activities for preschool?  You can grab them here:
On my site : Fall Plans & Printables On TpT: Fall Plans & Printables

Or you can grab our entire year of themes and plans:
On my site here: Preschool Bundle On TpT here: Preschool Bundle

Then check out the rest of our 45+ themes on the Preschool Curriculum Main Page.

The post Preschool: Fall first appeared on Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten.

**This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. View our full disclosure policy here.**

My girls are now 16 months and 3 (almost 4) so this year we are switching from our Tot School curriculum to Baby Bins for little miss Aubrey (which I will share later this week) and Preschool Curriculum for Madelynn. Because Madelynn has a November birthday she misses the cut off for preschool around here…and I am totally cool with having her home with me for another year. But she is so interested in learning letters, numbers, and all kinds of good stuff so I want to take full advantage of that!  

Here are our plans for our first week’s Apple Theme:

Apple Activities for Preschool Read Alouds

 Concepts of Print:

This year we will be upping our read aloud game by practicing comprehension, vocabulary, and print concepts. This week we practiced all of these skills with some of our favorite books about apples.  

Our first read aloud was Apples, Apples, Apples By Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. To start learning about basic concepts of print, before reading I gave Madelynn sticky notes to label the front and back cover. Then we read the book.

Apple Life Cycle:

Our next apple read aloud was I Am an Apple by Jean Marzollo. This book describes the life cycle of an apple from the beginning to the end. Afterward, we practiced retelling the life cycle using picture cards.

Apple Parts Vocabulary:

For more nonfiction learning about apples, we read Apples by Gail Gibbons. This book has a lot of great information, but we focused mainly on the diagram of the inside of an apple. Afterward, we used apple pictures and word cards to match and discuss the parts of an apple.

Making Predictions:

Our next apple story was Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss. Before reading, we practiced answering questions and making predictions.
I asked, “After looking at the cover, what do you think this story will be about?” 
Madelynn: “3 animals are friends and they are going to the park.” 
Then I asked: “What makes you say that?” 
Madelynn: “Because they are holding hands like I do with my friends.”

 Tracking Print:

Madelynn has been very interested in pointing to the words in stories while I read to her each night, so for our last book each week we are going to be using emergent readers to begin tracking print.  One of my favorite sets is Abby’s Alphabet Book Series which includes one book for every letter because the pictures are bright and easy to identify, and there is only one word on each page. This week Madelynn identified the picture then pointed to each word as she read.   In my Apple theme plans and printables, I am also including emergent readers that I created in a similar style that you can use. You can find all of the apple printable materials at the end of this post.

Apple Activities for Preschool Literacy

 Apple Sand Tray:

Our first literacy activity this week was an apple theme sand tray.  Madelynn used small apple cards as a model and chose which letters she wanted to practice.  We started with our focus letter A for apple, then practiced M for her name and A for her sister Aubrey before trying lots of new letters.  

 Apple Sound Stamping:

Next, for more letter practice we used our dot stampers. We started out stamping inside the letter to make an A. Then Madelynn had to find the upper and lowercase a’s in the apple tree, stamp them and make the “a” sound each time.  

 Apple Sound Sort:

First, I printed out apples with pictures that started with the “a” sound and other sounds. Madelynn said each word then sorted them into “a” and “not a” baskets based on the beginning sound.   Next, she completed the printable cut and paste version of the same apple themed activity to show what she learned.  

 Apple Craft:

I’m super excited about this next activity. We are going to be doing a different name craft each week to perfect our cutting abilities, learn our name, letters, and practice writing! This week Madelynn did an “Apples up on Top” themed craft and stacked the apple letters to form her name.  She cut out the cute little girl and for this first week, I cut the apples to keep her from getting too frustrated.  

 Apple Journal Writing:

For our last literacy activity each week, we are going to be writing in a preschool journal about our learning. This week Madelynn chose to draw and label the parts of an apple. I encouraged her to write the first sound then she drew scribble lines for the rest of the words. Not bad for her first attempt at journal writing!

Apple Activities for Preschool Math

 Apple Count and Color:

This week for math we focused on counting and identifying numbers to 5.  We started with this printable apple color by code activity. Madelynn counted the dots then had to follow the directions to make each spot the correct color.  After counting a few sets she got really good at quickly identifying how many dots were in each set just by looking at them.  

 Apple Mystery Numbers:

To prep this activity I used dry erase markers to draw a treetop and number apples on our clear tray. Then I cut a paper towel tube in half lengthwise for the trunk and poured green sand on top of the numbers for the treetop.  I gave Madelynn a small paintbrush and she carefully dusted off the “leaves” to uncover each apple and read the numbers.  

 Apple Number Hunt:

Madelynn LOVED our letter and number hunts this past year in tot school, so we will definitely be adding them into our activities for preschool starting with our apple theme. Instead of finding and matching the numbers to her paper, I made the activity a bit more challenging by putting dots on our hidden apples. Madelynn had to find each apple, count the dots, find the number on her page, and color it the matching color.  So many skills at work!  

 Apple Ten Frames:

We used these apple number sense printable mats for LOTS of math practice this week. First, Madelynn identified a large number. Then she made it with playdough and counted the apples in the ten frame. Next, she used a dry erase marker to practice writing the number and finally used tweezers to grab and count out pom-pom “apples” to put on the tree.  

 Apple Count & Stack:

For this math game, we started by rolling lots of small balls of red and green playdough for our “apples.” then Madelynn rolled a die and counted out that many apples and tried to stack them up.  Then she rolled again and added that number of apples to her stack. She continued rolling until her tower fell over.

Apple Activities for Preschool Science, Art and Sensory Play

 Apple Parts Labeling:

I’m excited about trying to incorporate more intentional science concepts into our learning this year with preschool. After reading about the parts of an apple we did this labeling activity with a real apple. I printed the words on cardstock then attached them to toothpicks to stick into each part. Great hands-on learning and one of our favorite apple activities for preschool!  

 Apple Tree Collage Craft:

We will be including art projects in our preschool plans each week as well, so for the first craft this week we made a fun apple tree collage. First I gave Madelynn strips of brown paper and she glued them together to make a tree. Next, she used a leaf-shaped sponge to stamp green leaves on the branches.  Finally, she glued red buttons on top for apples.  

 Apple Sensory Bin:

We will also be doing 2 sensory bins each week. This one was one of our favorites from Tot School last year, but I added in puzzle letters to practice letter id and word building as well.   In this bin: water, apple counters, silicone cupcake cups, fine motor tools, mini puzzle letters

 Apple Labeling Craft:

For this apple craft, Madelynn first painted an entire paper plate red.  Then after it dried, she cut out and added the parts of the apple.  And finally, she glued words on to label each part.  

Apple Picking Sensory Bin:

In this bin: red and green pom poms, small cardboard boxes, toilet paper tube, and cardstock trees with velcro dots, tweezers

  Want all of this week’s apple activities for preschool?  Find them here:
On my site : Apple Plans & Printables On TpT: Apple Plans & Printables

Or you can grab our entire year of themes and plans:
On my site here: Preschool Bundle On TpT here: Preschool Bundle

Then check out the rest of our 45+ themes on the Preschool Curriculum Main Page.

The post 20+ Apple Activities for Preschool to Plan your Week Now first appeared on Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten.