Let’s peel into apple math activities for preschool with some fun apple facts! There are 7,500 varieties of apples worldwide, with 2,500 grown in the U.S. It takes 2 pounds of apples to make a pie (equivalent to the weight I gain every time I look at a pie), and the largest apple ever picked weighed over 3 pounds! Most trees take 4-5 years to bear fruit. While these facts are fun, we focus this week on helping toddlers grasp number sense through counting, measuring, and comparing. Check out these hands-on math apple activities for preschoolers!
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Apple Lesson plans
Apple drop
Apple Counting Activities for Preschoolers
When I was younger, I watched The Price is Right on summer mornings at 11 a.m. I know it’s not what you think a typical kid would watch, but we didn’t have cable, and I absolutely loved numbers (and still do).
Of course, I hoped certain games would pop up whenever I watched: Pathfinder, One Away, and Plinko! The sheer excitement pulsed through the audience in the studio and through me!
Because of the excitement I experienced watching games on The Price is Right, I wanted that same exhilaration for this next math apple activity.
Apple Drop was inspired by the game of Plinko, in which the contestants had to drop chips down a board with offset rows of pegs to try and win some cash! Now, our toddlers won’t be winning any cash (or a car, bummer), but they will be winning the skills of number recognition, counting, and color identification with this exciting activity.
To play, draw a card and drop the number of pompom apples down the tree trunk tube. (Cut the trunks off the apple trees and tape them on the front of a cardboard roll.) Set a tub below to catch the dropping apples.
The kids sure did have an exhilarating time with this apple math activity for preschoolers! Maybe inspire future Price is Right contestants?!?
Materials:
- Apple Drop Counting Activity
- ping pong balls
- OR pompoms
- cardboard tubes
- tub
Apple Crisp Pie
Apple Counting Sensory Bin
There’s nothing that says fall more than pie. While my specialty is peanut butter pie, my sister makes a delicious apple pie topped with a made-from-scratch lattice crust. In this apple math activity, we used oats as our base to make an apple crisp pie. Yummy!
To create this inviting activity, pour oats into a sensory bin with a dash of cinnamon for that added sensory experience. Cinnamon also screams fall.
Use red and green pompoms as your apples, tossing them in the bin for a straight-from-the-ground feel. Just add pie tins, felt pie crusts, sticks, or even better, cinnamon sticks, and this apple pie-making experience is ready to go!
My little ones baked pies for the whole family, carefully serving each of us our own apple crisp pie and pretending to pop them in the oven.
I love how this math apple activity blends imaginative play with sensory exploration, making it the perfect apple-themed math experience. It engages their creativity while reinforcing important skills!
Materials:
- Apple Crisp Pie Recipe Cards
- red and green pompoms
- pie pans
- cinnamon sticks or sticks
- oats
- tan felt cut into pie crusts
Worm Measure
Apple Measurement Activity
Crabapple trees were the ultimate climbing trees for me, my siblings, and our neighborhood friends. We spent hours in those branches, creating forts and secret hideouts.
Sometimes, we’d get hungry and snack on crabapples—despite how sour and disgusting they were. I guess we didn’t want to leave our treetop adventures! But we always had to check for worms before taking a bite. While I was lucky enough to avoid them, my sister wasn’t so fortunate.
This next activity takes me back to those summer days in the crabapple trees, watching out for worms! First, draw a numbered worm card. Then, slide the worm ruler out of the apple until the matching number is revealed. Finally, roll a playdough worm to match its length.
Warning: Old brown cracked playdough sure does look like something stinky. I found that out the hard way. LOL!
Materials:
Apples Up on Top
Apple Math Activities for Preschool
Reruns of “Friends” would play in the background as my sister and I attempted to annihilate one another at Speed, Rummy, Kings in the Corner, and War during late nights on the bedroom floor. It was such a great way to pass the time, build memories with my sister, and develop mathematical skills and reasoning.
Because card games and math skills go hand in hand, we played a game of War after reading Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss. Just like in the book, the dog, the lion, and the tiger compete to stack apples on top of their heads.
Stack tiddlywink apples on top of each animal’s head to match the number on each card. The player with the most apples up on top won the cards for that round. Luckily for you, there isn’t an angry Mama Bear chasing after you while playing this game.
Build counting and comparing numbers skills with this hands-on apple math game!
Materials:
Johnny Appleseed Game
Cooperative Apple Game
As we’ve explored this apple theme, we’ve learned more about the life cycle of an apple and how Johnny Appleseed planted apple seeds across the country.
Before I knew it, my daughter was running outside to check on something over and over again. Curious, I asked her what she was doing. Apparently, she planted apple seeds from her apple outside and was checking on them to see if they sprouted. So cute!
As our math activity for the day, we played a Johnny Appleseed cooperative game. The object of the game is to plant an apple seed on each space before Johnny lies down to take a nap (before turning over all of the pieces to the puzzle).
On your turn, flip over a card and move the number of spaces indicated in any direction, planting seeds along the way. Work as a team to plant all of the seeds.
This apple math game involves many skills: counting, number identification, logic, puzzles, and teamwork! It’s a great game to play with the teacher!
Materials:
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MORE Apple Activities for Preschoolers
Incorporating apple math activities for preschool is a fun and engaging way to help your learners build essential number sense skills. By using apples to count, measure, and compare, kids can better understand math concepts while enjoying hands-on learning. Whether through games, creative play, or exploring real apples, these activities make math accessible and enjoyable for toddlers. So, as you plan your next lesson or playtime, don’t forget to add a little apple math magic to your day!