John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, is a historical figure that kids learn about on Johnny Appleseed Day. The lessons and activities below are great ways to introduce apples and Jonny Appleseed into your daily lessons. Kids will love the books, crafts, science activities, and math activities outlined below. Enjoy these 25 Johnny Appleseed Preschool Activities!
1. Bubblewrap Apple Painting
Kids will love painting with bubble wrap. This sensory activity is perfect for toddlers. Use bubble wrap to make apples. All you need is bubble wrap, red paint, green paint, and paper! This hands-on activity is a great way to start a Johnny Appleseed unit.
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2. Jumping Apple Seed Experiment
This STEM experiment is so fun for little ones. They will be amazed at how the seeds "jump". This is also a great activity to introduce and teach the scientific method to little ones. Help them to write a hypothesis about what the seeds will do in the water, baking soda, and lemon.
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3. "10 Red Apples"
Read "10 Red Apples" and do the hand motions during circle time. This is a fun apple activity to practice motor skills while also either introducing or finishing a Johnny Appleseed unit. This activity for preschoolers is also great for counting skills.
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4. Apple-Themed Show and Tell
Show and Tell is a classic activity. Encourage students to bring in an apple-themed item for Johnny Appleseed day. This is a great way to get kids to think critically about how to connect the lesson to their own lives.
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5. Apple Counting
This apple-themed counting craft is the perfect hands-on activity for preschoolers. Use the free counting Johnny Appleseed printable to teach students to match the number of apples to the appropriate number for the matching apple cut-out.
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6. Apple Glasses Craft
This fun apple craft is easy, cost-effective, and perfect for preschoolers. Students will use red and green craft paper to create colored apples to construct the eyes of their glasses. They will love wearing their glasses at home to show off to their parents.
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7. Johnny Appleseed Read-a-Loud
There's no better way to start a Johnny Appleseed unit than to read aloud to kids during circle time. This collection of books provides John Chapman and Johnny Appleseed storylines. Read a book a day during your unit study.
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8. Johnny Appleseed Sing-A-Long
Preschool isn't complete without sing-a-longs. Use the Youtube sing-a-long link to teach kids the Johnny Appleseed song. Kids will love singing and watching the video. This is another lesson that's a perfect introduction to a Johnny Appleseed unit.
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9. Watch the Legend of Johnny Appleseed
The Legend of Johnny Appleseed is a classic cartoon movie. A great way to culminate a Johnny Appleseed unit is to watch the movie. Or, you can break the movie into parts and pair the movie with other apple-themed lessons.
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10. Explore the National Apple Museum
Even if you don't live in the area of the National Apple Museum, their website is a great place to find apple resources to use in the classroom. The website has an apple history, pictures of different types of apples, and beautiful images of orchards. Use this website to add to your lessons.
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11. Visit an Apple Orchard
This is another location-based activity, but if you live near an apple orchard, this is the perfect field trip opportunity for your preschoolers. They will love exploring the orchard, picking apples, and participating in the many kid-friendly activities that orchards provide.
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12. Apple Taste Test
This is another STEM activity that preschoolers will love, plus it doubles as snack time. Keeping with the apple preschool theme, kids will try different kinds of apples. They will observe the taste, smell, and color of each apple.
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13. Apples and More WebQuest
This is another website that offers fantastic apple resources for kids to explore. Use the resources to support your own lesson plans, or use the website as a guided WebQuest activity. The website includes apple facts, pictures of apple trees, recipes, apple histories, legends, etc.
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14. Johnny Appleseed Chainlink Craft
Kids will love this creative Johnny Appleseed chainlink craft. All you need is red, blue, white, and black craft paper and markers. Kids will use the strips of blue paper to create the chainlink legs for their Johnny Appleseed. This is a great craft activity to add to a Johnny Appleseed unit study.
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15. Appleseed "A" Craft
This adorable Appleseed craft is a great way to make a fun bulletin board to kick off your Johny Appleseed unit study. As an added bonus, kids will practice creating the letter A, which is an important literacy skill for Kindergarten.
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16. Lifecycle of an Apple Seed
This simple worksheet is a great lesson about apples and how apples grow from seeds. This is one of the apple life cycle science activities that kids will enjoy coloring, as well as following along to learn the science behind apple creation.
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17. Lego Apples
This apple craftivity is a great learning station for preschoolers. Kids will create apples out of legos. They can choose which apple color they want to create. As an added bonus, kids will practice using their motor skills to put the legos together.
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18. Apple Coloring Pages
What's preschool without coloring activities? Use this website for cute coloring printables. Use one a day or let kids choose which ones to color during your Johnny Appleseed unit study. Put their completed coloring pages up to create an apple bulletin board.
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19. Tissue Paper Apple Craft
This easy and cost-effective apple craft is perfect for preschoolers. Use a fun paper plate, green craft paper, tissue paper, and glue to craft a green apple. There are lots of apple crafts, but this one is fun, easy, and cost-effective.
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20. Apple Matching Number Game
Teach preschoolers their numbers using this cute apple-themed number-matching game. Use clothes pins, green craft paper, and red craft paper to create the materials. Kids will match the numbers on the apple to the numbers on the clothespin to practice their math skills. This is perfect for math apple-themed centers.
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21. Apple Toss Game
This apple toss game is the perfect way to get your kids up and moving. This is also a fun indoor apple game to practice gross motor skills. Use apple prints and bean bags to set this activity up. This creative idea is perfect for preschoolers and perfect for a rainy day.
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22. Apple Stamping
Johnny Appleseed units aren't complete without an apple stamping activity. Use this adorable apple craft to create apple baskets. All you need are apples cut in half, red and green paint, and brown strips of paper. Kids will love apple printing their apple shapes.
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23. Apple Craft Poem
Preschool is about more than just singing, crafting, and reading. Add some apple-themed writing to your lesson plans using this cute apple poem. Kids will write an apple-themed poem using apple adjectives. Then, they will create their apple to display their poem on.
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24. Apple K-W-L
This lesson activity is the perfect way to get to know your students' background knowledge of apples and Johnny Appleseed. Use apple cutouts to correspond to K-W-L, and have kids help you fill in the charts for what they know, want to know, and learned.
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25. Short Vowel Apples
This apple-themed activity is great for emergent readers. Students will practice using the short vowel "a". Use this apple-themed spelling activity in your daily lessons for kids to practice letters, sounds, and phonemic awareness. This is a great activity to add to your literacy centers.
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