Apple Ideas for Second Grade

Crafts

• Make crafts to go along with a second grade unit on apples. Engage students in making apple fingerprint trees. Cut a piece of brown paper into the shape of a tree trunk and glue it to a piece of paper. Have a second grade student dip her finger in green paint to make leaves on the tree. Then have the student dip her pinkie finger in red paint to add apples.

  Create an apple out of a paper lunch bag. Stuff the bag with crumbled newspaper and tie the end of the bag. Paint the bag red and the stem green to create an apple.

Games

• Play apple-themed games with a second grade class to enhance a lesson on apples. Crumple red paper into balls to represent apples. Have students line up and put an apple basket about six feet away from the start of the line. Have the children take turns throwing their "apples" into the basket.

  Another apple-themed game is a scavenger hunt. Hide apples around the classroom or playground and let children go one at a time to search for an apple. Let them keep the apple they find.

Recipes

• Engage second grade students in creating yummy apple-themed recipes. Create an apple smiley face.Cut a red apple into slices. Use two slices as the lips. Spread peanut butter between the slices and stick mini-marshmallows into the peanut butter to look like teeth. Place the lips on a plate and use banana slices with a raisin in the center for eyes.

  Another kid-friend apple recipe is an apple salad. Dice an apple and mix it with walnuts, grapes and plain yogurt. An adult should do the cutting job for the second-graders and parents should be consulted about food allergies prior to using the recipes.

Other

• There are many ideas on incorporating apples into second grade lessons. Read apple-themed books to second-grade children. There are many children's books on the topic such as "The Apple Pie Tree" by Zoe Hall; "Ten Apples Up On Top!" by Dr. Seuss; or "Johnny Appleseed" by Steven Kellogg.

  Another apple themed activity is to take children on a field trip to an apple orchard. If there are no apple orchards nearby, find an apple tree to visit.