Back to School

Circle Time/Small Group

Interactive Attendance Board- Make an apple tree with apples on a small board. I use assigned color shapes for the children to identify with, so I make red apples with the colored shape drawn in the center with the names underneath. (You could however, make red apples with names and then on the duplicate apples, place the students picture.) At circle, we sing a who is here song and then each child will be given their colored foam shape. Then they will place their colored shape onto the matching colored apple with their name/shape. This reinforces colors, shapes, and name recognition. ((However, I use the colored shapes continously. I make the shape from colored foam and use them for lining up, attendance, etc; The pictures work well too and can be matched to the student's names or placed on a shape, if children need extra help.))

School Shapes Interactive Attendance Board. Made the same way as above, just substitute large school related shapes: pencil, crayon box, School, Apple Tree, scissors, backpack, apple, chalkboard, etc;). This is the one that I decided to use this year. This one is used the exact same way as described in the apple one above.

Calendar-I have a Calendar that has the month, days, and number cards (usually thematic, ex. apples). We go over the month, today's day and then place the number card on the calendar and choose our Weekday animal. For example: Today is August the 20'th, place the 20'th apple number card on the calendar. Today is Tuesday. What animal loves Tuesday?? That's right Tuesday the Tiger. Come find Tuesday Tiger and place him by our calendar. On Friday, we briefly say that we will not be in school the next three days for the weekend, but will be back on Tuesday. Once attending Kindergarten, they will add on Monday.

Let's Go Play in the Centers!-Again here come the colored shapes! I use a paper covered board with bits of velcro, (This helps the child identify by the color. Place each child's picture on the board, and at circle time give each child his/her shape to choose a center. Have the child place his colored shape, at the center of choice, onto paper slots at the center. When the child is ready to move from the center: He cleans up the center, takes his colored shape from the center, and places it at the next center. When it is time to cleanup, the students clean up, get their shape, place it on the board, and sit on their colored pillow. (If you have a non-verbal child, create an aac display that has these displays: child's name, answer choice, and any other questions that you will ask for this activity).

Let's Still Play in the Centers! If your students cannot handle the above center transition, this one will work. I use this for my younger and lower functioning students. At circle, have the student choose his/her center by giving them a choice of two concrete actual objects that represent the center. For example, give Tyrone a choice between a red cup for the kitchen, a puzzle piece or manipulative for the games, or a block for the blocks. Tyrone makes his choice and then takes that item to the center to play. When he is ready to leave that center, he simply cleans up, and chooses another center to go to. Then at cleanup time, we clean up and come sit back on our pillow at circle.

Books

Who Will Help Me?
by Kristal Petersen (This is an adapted book that I have made about Making applesauce)Click on the title if you would like to download this colorized handmade adaptive book.

I Need A Lunch Box by Jeannette Caines

We Like School(Sesame Street Book) by Michaela Muntean

Curious George Goes To School by Margaret and H.A. Rey

Show and Tell by Patricia Relf(A Sesame Street Book)

Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss

The Apple Pie Tree Big Book by Zoe Hall

A Bus Trip by Baby's First Book Club, Sandvik Publishing Ltd. (This is a 3-D fabric bus book that has soft vinyl wheels).

Clifford's First School Day by Norman Bridwell

The Crayon Box that Talked

ABC, I like Me by Nancy Carlson

Little Monster at School by Mercer Mayer

Big Red Apple by Tony Johnston

The Teeny Tiny Teacher by Stepanie Calmenson

Winnie the Pooh's First Day of School

Froggy Goes to School by Frank Remkiewicz

Storytelling

The Little Red House with No Doors or Windows

-Wonderful flannelboard story that demonstrates the beauty of the inside star of an apple, through the journey of a young boy. These characters below are the ones I use with my story. (Click on above story title to link to a page that has the story, if you do not know it.)After reading the story, I take an apple and slice it horizontally to show the "star" inside.

Cooking

Worm in an apple-Need: red apples, knife/corer, crunchy peanut butter, gummi worms. Core out the middle of the apple. Spread in enough peanut butter to fill apple, then place a gummi worm or two in the middle peanut butter filled apple; place worm so it is peeking out of the apple.

Crayon Cookies- Make up a batch of sugar cookie dough and divide the dough into 4 sections. Use food coloring (red, yellow, green, and blue) to color each section a color. Then to make each crayon, roll a small amount of dough into a log shape. Then pinch one end of the log to form a crayon point. Add details on the crayon, such as the name of the color, with black cookie gel.

Bus Cookies-If you don't mind a really sweet snack try this: Take a graham cracker and spread with yellow lemon frosting, then add oreo wheels. If desired, use dark brown gel to add details.

Apple Cookies

-Using sugar cookie dough and apple cookie cutters, make apple shaped cookies. Then paint your apples using the recipe below. Paint the apples red, yellow, and green. Then bake.

Cookie Paint-Need: evaporated milk, food coloring. First, pour evaporated milk into a small container and add a few drops of food coloring. Then use cookie brushes (or new clean brushes designated for this) to brush on the red, yellow, or green "cookie paint".

Jello Letters-I have a gelatin alphabet mold that I use to make gelatin letters.You can also use alphabet cookie cutters.

Apple Waffle Cookies-Need Cookie recipe and waffle iron. Cookie recipe-1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 margarine, 2 eggs, 1tsp vanilla flavoring, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 cup shredded apples, pam spray. Beat sugar and margarine, then add eggs and vanilla, mix. Then add all other ingredients, mixing well. Spray the waffle iron with Pam and then drop a spoonful of cookie mixture onto the waffle iron, close the lid and cook for 2 minutes. Then sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar

Applejuice-Need: Apples sliced/diced/chunked, water, and sugar to taste. Place apples (about 1/2 cup) and water (1 cup) in blender, sugar (1 tsp) and blend. Manipulate recipe, as needed.

Spicy Applesauce-Need: Cinnamon imperials (red hot candy), applesauce, cups, and spoons. Have children spoon out a small portion of applesauce into a paper cup and then count out (3,4,5,6??whatever!) cinnamon candies, stir, then eat!!

Apple Carousels-Slice an apple in half and stick four pretzel sticks in the bottom slice. Carefully place a dab of peanut butter on an animal cracker and attach to a pretzel stick. After all of the pretzel sticks have animal crackers, carefully lay the top apple slice on top.

Individual Apple Pies- Large refrigerated biscuits, canned apple pie filling, fork. Encourage each child to flatten their two biscuits slightly. Put a spoonful of pie filling in the middle of one biscuit. Place the second biscuit on top. Use a fork to crimp the edges and pierce a few holes in the top with a toothpick, to allow steam to escape. Bake in a toaster oven for 10-15 minutes.(If you cannot use two biscuits per child, use one biscuit, and just fold the two sides together, to resemble a turnover).

Crock pot applesauce- 8-10 medium apples, peeled/diced/chunked, 1/2 cup water 1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Combine apples and water in the slow-cooking pot. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until apples are very soft. Add sugar and cook on low for another 30 minutes, and then sprinkle with cinnamon. s or until brown.

Microwave applesauce- Combine apples and water in 2 quart glass container, and cover with lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes or until tender;stir. Add sugar and spices, and mix. Leave for chunky sauce or process in blender for a smooth sauce. For additional servings, increase cooking time by 2 minutes for each apple. Of course, you can always add water as needed for desired consistency.

Art Activities

Pie Tart Art -(Taken from Aug/Sept Mailbox). Need: 2 small paper plates, 4 inch brown circles to cover plates, glue, cinnamon, poem. Now: On first plate glue down one brown circle. Then drizzle glue on the circle and sprinkle with real cinnamon. Then staple on top of this the second brown circle, and bend this circle up some. Then on top of this circle or on underneath of bent part add this poem.

Bake a Pie! Poem

Bake a pie, bake a pie, apple pie!

Roll out the dough in the wink of an eye

Apples and sugar and cinnamon too.

Put it in the oven for me and you!

Apple prints-Need: red tempera paint, real apples horizontally halfed to show star, and long white paper. Dip the apples in paint and print onto paper. If children are defensive to picking up the apple, simply stick in a pencil lead down for them to use as a handle.

Apples Up on Top-We read Dr. Seuss' book Ten Apples Up on Top to enhance this activity. First, take a skin toned face shape and let the children decorate it to resemble themselves using yarn for hair, googly eyes, and markers. Then glue this head onto a piece of paper. Then use small die cut apples and stack one on top of the other according to how many letters are in the student's name. Example: Carlos has 5 letters so he would have 5 apples stacked on top of his head. Then with hand over hand assistance have the student trace or write each letter of his name on an apple. Underneath label 5 apples on top of Carlos!

Muffin Crayons- Place two muffin pans on table along with lots of old crayons/thick/thin. Let the children unwrap the crayons and break them into very small pieces; then sort into tins by color. This is a great fine motor activity and encourages color recognition and color attribution/matching/sorting like/unlike items. Once done, place in oven on 250, until crayons have liquified; place in freezer and pop out when cool!!!

Musical Apples-Most All children love things that make noise! For a neat music and language activity make an apple tambourine. Need: Small or large paper plates, tempera paint, green leaf, brown pipe cleaner or twig, apple seeds or dried beans, masking tape, and stapler. First have the children paint an the plates red, yellow or green, modeling language. Let dry. The have the student build a face on one of the plates, modeling the language. What's Missing? A nose! Where is your nose? Where should the apple's nose be? etc; Then after completing a face, hand over hand staple ontop of the other colored plate. Leave an opening at the top to insert your sound makers (beans or seeds) then tape on the stem and leave and staple the opening closed. Have the children use their apple tambourines to accompany you on a song at circle time.

Apple Tree- I have a brown blackline master of a bare tree. I let the students use bits of sponges to dab on leaves and then use their thumbprints to make apples on the tree.

Handy Apple Tree-Another way to make an apple tree that my kids loved is this: Using a white piece of paper, dip the child's arm (elbow to wrist) in brown paint and press onto the paper. This creates the trunk. Then use their hands dipped in brown paint to press on the branches. Then Use their fingertips to make leaves and apples on the tree. This is a great sensory activity, although some children cannot tolerate this.

Apple Seed Number Books-Make a large apple template from tagboard, then trace off apples on halfsheets:make two red for each child; this will be the front of the book and the back of the book. Then using your apple template, trace off 5 apples on white paper. Program each apple with a number 1-5. Run on copier paper and cut out. Have each student glue that many seeds on to the inside white pages. This reinforces counting, language, and fine motor. and requires adult modeling/assistance.

Apples on Top Book -Prerun the animals the book (I handraw mine)for numbers 1-10 (or the number your children can handle). Then attach those pages into an apple front and back cover. Using small apple stickers, or an apple stamp, let the children place that many number of apples on the animal's head. One apple on top with the number one showing, would place one apple sticker on the animal's head.

Shiny Apple Dazzlers(Adapted idea from the Mailbox) -Draw a large apple onto wax paper with a black marker, cut out. Let the children use colored glue(red, yellow, green) to paint the inside of the apple. While still wet, use colored yarn to outline the shape and then let dry. Once dry, peel the glue apple away, if thick enough, from the wax paper and hang! Truly luminous dazzling apples!

Center Activities

Exploratory(math/science)

Apple Graphing-Let each child pick his favorite color of apple by showing real red, yellow, and green apples. Tally up the results. Make a graph from posterboard and add a medium sized yellow, red, and green apple. Then graph the results using the children's pictures(photocopied) on top of a small colored die cut apple. This makes a pictorial graph that is easy for the children to understand who likes what!

Growing Apples-We eat a number of apples throughout this unit; each time we do, I save the seeds until there is enough to plant. I let the children plant the appleseeds in a small cup and place in our science center to observe and take care of.

Wiggly Worm Grows Hair-Cut a sponge into a worm shape and place in a clear pyrex plate. Add water in the plate, allowing the sponge to absorb the water. Then let the children sprinkle grass seeds onto Wiggly; lightly mist the seeds with water if needed. Wait and watch for Wiggly to grow fuzz/hair!!!

Sensory Table Play

A. Apples- Add green easter grass to table, small fake red apples, and mini rakes, trowels, etc;

School Things-Add colored grass, shredded paper, or other sensory filler to table, put in small school items, crayons, books, fake scissors, etc;

C. Apple Orchard-Add dirt to table, twigs, mini red balls/apples(be careful if you have children that "eat" things!)small tractors, etc; to allow children to create an apple orchard.

Fine Motor

Lacing apples-Using red posterboard, cut out large apple shapes and punch holes around the outside to create a lacing card. Then use brown yarn and a green part of pipe cleaner so that the children can lace the worm thru the apple.(You can also create back to school lacing objects, just make buses, crayons, etc; from colored posterboard and add yarn.

Applejack necklace-Provide a small bowl full of Applejack's Cereal and a piece of yarn. (Make sure to provide a plastic lacing needle,if appropriate, or tape one end with clear tape.)Let the children string applejacks onto the yarn and then tie on as a necklace. This also serves as a snack, ha! ha!

Applesauce playdoh -Use red, yellow, and green colored playdoh, adding cinnamon spice to it. Lay out apple cookie cutters and tools. Model to the children on how to create a playdoh ball to resemble and apple. If desired, add handmade laminated appletree mats to accompany play. Watch that someone doesn't want to take a bite!

Cognitive

Apple Sorting-Make a large apple tree from laminated bulletin board paper and tape to a wall. On the tree add some velcro. Then buy artificial small apples and artificial large apples, place velcro on, and then sort into apple baskets. Place half of a small apple on the small basket and half of a large apple on the large basket. Have children sort apples from the tree into the basket.

Apple Matching -Create file folder games using apples or school related items as the theme. Matching colors, shapes, etc;

Language

Add apple or school related books/tapes to your center, related puppets, etc; I also added a hands on apple picking bulletin board. It is a laminated tree with lifelike plastic apples attached, in two sizes: large, small. Two baskets are placed under the tree to sort into. Great for small vs. large concept.

Social

Housekeeping - Add a pictorial apple recipe chart to your housekeeping center, as well as fake apples, apron, etc;

Bulletin Boards

Apple Harvest
-This is my main thematic bulletin board. This is a purchased bulletin board by Carrie's Diecuts. Click on title to see more detail about his board.

An Appealing Door-I always cover my door to suggest the new theme that we will be studying. Since I am doing Back to school, I did this: cover the door with white bulletin board paper. Then using an apple sponge, sponge on red, yellow, and green apples (or make die cuts). Let Dry. Make a large posterboard apple and put on a green worm coming out of the apple. I try to use tactile objects like pom pom balls or felt. On the Apple I write Hi! On the Worm: Wiggly Worm Welcomes You. I also put up an apple border around the edge of the door. Then I use a black marker to write the student's names on the sponged apples.

Preschool Express I cut out a huge bus shape from posterboard. Then I let the children fingerpaint the bus yellow together, as a collaborative project. Once dry, I then mapped off bus windows with a black marker and drew a face on the bus. I then take pictures of each student and glue them onto a bus window. I label the board: All Aboard the Preschool Express. This is one of the children's favorites!!!

Theme Train-This is a year round display that I created to help my students and parents review our themes. I make a train, using great clip art; but you can use die cuts. I make an engine that has children on it, passenger cars labeled with the Month name, and a caboose with children waving. On the first passenger car I write September. Then I take small pictures/clip art of our theme and stick them in as the cargo of the cars. On Septembers, I place a mini apple, bus, etc; It is a nice way for the students to see what we learned and what we are going to learn about.

I also use purchased bulletin boards. I use an apple tree with apples from Carson Dellosa and a apple basket from them as well.

Worm Words-This bulletin board is the purchased apple tree. On each apple, I place thematic shapes with thematic words. For example, backpack, crayon, teacher, etc; (If you have intellipics or boardmaker, you can use that program to print up picture symbols.

Want to add some of your apple ideas to this page??? Add your Apple Ideas!

Back to School Links

World of Kindergarten

Theme Links

The Mailbox

"Mrs. Griffin's Kindergarten

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