(Planting seeds or a tree in honor of someone can be a meaningful way for a child to remember and for a family to share memories.)
For Apple Learning Activity #2, choose a big, crisp, juicy apple to eat. Instead of tossing the core, save it and find the seeds. Count how many seeds. Do apple seeds look like apple trees? What other foods have seeds? Compare some other seeds to apple seeds and see how they are the same and different. Late summer is a perfect time to find seeds outdoors, perhaps in a garden or a park. Exploring nature, even in something as small as an apple, is another way of helping your child prepare for kindergarten.
I hope there’s some apples left from Tuesday’s apples-for-lunch shopping. Since today is Sept. 10th, the next 10 days will be apple learning activities, covering many aspects of early childhood development and kindergarten readiness. And including fun for both kids and adults. For today, have your child choose an apple. Here are some ideas to talk about this apple: is it the same color all over? are there any bumps or ridges or other marks on it? is the skin smooth or rough? is the shape short and round, or tall and skinny? This gives your child the opportunity to practice describing and to use some specific vocabulary. Have your child observe if there is a stem or leaf attached. This encourages your child to note details. Now, have your child draw and color a picture of this special apple. Drawing and coloring gives a reason to learn to use writing tools. Have your child tell you about this apple and write down a few words in fairly big letters. Read these words together and let your child share the picture and the story with someone else, encouraging pride in his or her work. Most fun of all, how does the apple taste?