Apples Theme for #PlayfulPreschool
Fall offers many opportunities for playful learning in preschool. This fall (and throughout the school year) we will be combining forces with some of the best preschool bloggers to provide hands-on and playful activities designed JUST for YOUR kids! The #PlayfulPreschool blogging team is working diligently on a variety of learning experiences centered around a weekly theme. This week’s activities are designed around an APPLES THEME. Be sure to visit this blog each Wednesday throughout the school year for creative and playful learning suggestions that can be used in the childcare classroom, at home, or at school!
APPLE SPICE PLAYDOUGH PRE-WRITING LINE PATHS – APPLE TREE PLAYDOUGH PATHS
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Using apple-scented playdough for pre-writing is a fun way to combine fine motor development with sensory learning! The sense of smell is powerful for children (and adults)! The fall scents of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon used in the playdough will provide lasting memories for the children. By inviting preschoolers to use as many of The 5 Senses as possible, parents and educators can offer learning opportunities that will last long after the activity has ended!
OBJECTIVE: The creation of the apple-scented playdough line paths will encourage the fine motor development necessary for writing through hands-on playful learning.
Materials needed: Homemade apple playdough (or red commercial playdough and apple pie spice), large wooden craft sticks, and a permanent marker. If desired, the children can create the line paths on the APPLE TREE PLAYDOUGH MAT (linked above). Laminate the playdough line path mat for durability or to re-use later. Note – if laminating supplies are not available, clear contact paper will work, too. **If using the commercial playdough, invite the children to press the playdough into a large circle. Sprinkle the circle with 2 tsp. of apple pie spice. The children can then fold the circle over (in half) and then knead the dough to distribute the spices. When the children are finished kneading the playdough, demonstrate for the children how to roll the dough with the palm of their hand to make long playdough worms. Experiment and practice rolling worms with the scented dough. The playdough worms will be used to form the line paths when the children are ready for a more challenging task. 
Prior to the activity: Make different line paths with a permanent marker on wooden craft sticks. Note: the line paths in the photo above are suggestions, but any line path can be used. Invite the children to choose one craft stick at a time and try to copy the pattern (re-create the line path) shown on the craft stick to the apple printable using the spiced playdough worms. 
ADDITIONAL APPLES THEME RESOURCES from THE PRESCHOOL TOOLBOX:
APPLES THEMATIC UNIT – literacy, math, science, large motor, dramatic play, songs/fingerplays, foods and food crafts. This is an entire preschool theme for apples and includes over 80+ pages of playful learning and activity suggestions.
APPLE TREE LIFE CYCLE SEQUENCING CARDS
APPLE CORING AND APPLE PRINTED PINWHEEL CRAFTS
APPLE TREE COUNTING ACTIVITY
APPLES ALPHABET MATCHING CARDS – free printable alphabet and numbers
APPLE MOSAIC CRAFT and APPLE NUMBER MATCHING
APPLE SONG, SENSORY BAGS, RECIPE SEQUENCING CARDS, and a POSITIONAL WORDS ACTIVITY
Meet the #PlayfulPreschool Blogging Team:
Plan your learning week with Preschool Apple Theme Activities from the Playful Preschool Education Team:
SOCIAL STUDIES From Orchard to Table. Watch and Make at The Educators’ Spin On It SCIENCE Examining Apple Parts, How Does It Grow, Sink/Float at Little Bins For Little Hands MUSIC & MOVEMENT Apple Hop at Learning 2 Walk MATH Counting Apples with Preschoolers: Real-Life Math at Life Over C’s Apple Math Fun in Preschool – Tasting and Graphing Apples at Fun-A-Day LITERACY Alphabet Activity: Apple Tree Letter Matching at Mom Inspired Life Alphabet Learning: Apple Stamping at Growing Book by Book Apple-Bet Match : Matching Lowercase with Upper Case Letters at Tiny Tots Adventures SENSORY Applesauce Dough for Sensory Play at Still Playing School COOKING How to Make Homemade Apple Pie – Cooking with Preschoolers at Powerful Mothering SCIENCE Apple Oxidation Experiment at Raising Lifelong Learners CRAFT Paper Plate Apple Craft at The Kennedy Adventures
playdough is always a hit in my house!
In ours, too! Thanks for taking the time to visit!
I love how easy this activity is to put together and complete with your child. I know my son would really enjoy it!
Danielle – it is easy and the kids do love it. We have rolled a LOT of playdough “worms” this week!:) TY for taking the time to visit and comment!
Oh, I bet that apple spice play dough smelled delicious and really worked those little fingers!
Mary Catherine – it does smell good:) Great way to ease into Fall! Thanks so much for visiting and your comment!
I love the idea of using playdough on the prewriting lines! We have some I’ll be printing off tomorrow to do this activity. Thanks!
Colleen – thanks so much for taking the time to visit!:) It’s a fun (and EASY) activity!
Oh my goodness, this is fantastic. We just made a new batch of playdough so I’m eager to introduce this to my preschooler! Thank you!
Jodie – thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment! Greatly appreciated!
This is something that I need to work more on with my three year old. What a fun way to help them with writing. I will be giving this a try very soon.
Natasha – thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you enjoy!
I love the idea of writing the lines on the popsicle sticks. That would make it so easy to use for other themes as well!
Kim – thanks for the comment! We use dice and popsicle sticks OVER and OVER throughout the year!:)