15+ Fun and Hands-On Apple Activities for Kindergarten

Today I’m sharing some of my favourite apple activities for Kindergarten… because apples is one of my favourite themes to kick off the school year! 🍎 Not only are they perfect for September, but they also lend themselves to so many fun hands-on literacy, math, and fine motor activities that keep students engaged while building important early skills!

In this post, I’m sharing a peek inside my Apple Centres Pack, a fun STEM centre idea, and two no-prep freebies you can use right away in your classroom. Whether you’re setting up September centres or just looking for fresh apple-themed activities, you’ll find plenty of ideas here to make learning both meaningful and fun!

1. Apple Inquiry Table

I always like to follow my students’ interests as much as possible, and inquiry tables are one of my favorite ways to do this when topics don’t naturally come up in conversations or observations. An inquiry table gives students the freedom to explore, wonder, and guide where the learning goes… which makes it easy to adapt or expand lessons based on what this particular group of kiddos is most curious about!

For this apple-themed inquiry table, I set out:

• A few real apples and a magnifying glass (I keep them whole at the start of the week, then cut them in half mid-week so students can investigate the inside too!)
• An apple words chart
• Apple-themed books (My favorites are How Do Apples Grow by Jill McDonald and is An Apple’s Life by Nancy Dickmann)
• Apple fact cards to spark curiosity, support writing and build background knowledge

I also added a See/Think/Wonder recording sheet to help uncover student questions and observations. Of course, blank paper works too but I’ve found this framework often leads to deeper inquiries that grow naturally out of student wonderings.

Any printable shown in this post that is not a freebie (like the apple words chart, the see/think/wonder page or the apple fact cards) can be found in my Kindergarten Apple Themed Centers: Literacy, Math, Fine Motor & More! pack.

2. Apple Poster + Labeling

I first created this Parts of an Apple poster for our inquiry table, but it also works perfectly as an anchor chart for any apple-themed lesson. To extend the learning, I added a labeling activity that pairs well with any non-fiction apple book you read.

Two student versions are included so you can easily differentiate:

• ✏️ Tracing labels – for students who need extra support with printing
• ✏️ Copying labels – for students ready to print independently

This way, every child can participate meaningfully at their own level while reinforcing key vocabulary and concepts!

3. ✨FREE✨ Apple Life Cycle Cut + Paste Printable

Since many teachers introduce life cycles during their apple unit, I created this simple cut-and-paste activity as a perfect follow-up to a non-fiction read aloud about apples. Students cut, sequence, and glue the stages of the apple life cycle — making it both hands-on and a great way to reinforce comprehension.

🍎 Grab this freebie by clicking here or on the button below!

4. Chop the Apples!

If your students love using scissors but need more practice with precision cutting (and let’s be honest, that’s most of them 😉), this activity is the perfect fit!

I’ve included a variety of apple templates with different cutting lines, plus blank apples for those who enjoy cutting “creatively.” Copy them on red, yellow, and green paper to mimic real apples, and let the kids chop away!

✨ Bonus ideas:

• Laminate and reuse with dry erase markers for pre-writing practice
• Use the included Tracing Apples page for extra fine motor and handwriting support

This activity is simple, hands-on, and a classroom favorite for building those essential scissor skills!

5. Snap Cube Build & Trace

Snap cubes are always a class favorite, and these apple-themed mats give students a focused way to build and learn!

Students can:

• Build apple designs with snap cubes
• Trace the outlines for extra fine motor and handwriting practice
• Practice spatial awareness, counting, and one-to-one correspondence

Designs include red, yellow, and green apples, plus apple core, seed, tree, seedling, and even apple cider!

6. Pattern Block Build & Trace

After lots of requests, I created a pattern block version of my popular Build & Trace mats!

These mats give students a hands-on way to:

• Develop spatial awareness
• Explore composing and decomposing shapes
• Strengthen fine motor and handwriting skills by tracing the outlines

With designs like apple, apple core, apple tree and seedling, these mats fit perfectly into your apple theme while reinforcing important math and fine motor concepts🤍

7. Pick, Find & Cover (or Dab!)

This versatile alphabet activity includes lots of options so you can easily adapt it to the needs of your classroom:

• Uppercase & lowercase matching mats
• Dabbing printables
• Uppercase, lowercase, and beginning sound cards

To play, simply choose the cards and mat/recording sheet you want to use. I like to place the cards in a sensory bin with brown shredded paper for an extra layer of fun! Students pick a card, find it on the mat, and cover or dab the matching letter.

You can use any small manipulative for covering, but magnetic bingo chips are always a hit — especially when students get to swipe them away at the end with a magnetic wand!

This centre makes letter identification and sound practice hands-on, engaging, and easy to differentiate.

8. Apple Words Chart + Mini Book (3 options!)

Thematic word charts are a staple in our room, and this Apple Words Chart is a versatile tool that can be used in many ways:

• Students can use it to draw a apple themed picture
• Students can draw and label an apple word
• Students can use the chart to help them write an apple sentence!

To extend the learning, I’ve included Apple Mini Books with multiple versions so you can choose the one that best fits your class needs:

• ✏️ Tracing only
• ✏️ Printing only
• ✏️ Color/Trace/Print (with and without handwriting lines) + coloring picture

This flexibility makes it easy to differentiate and provide the right level of support for every student while reinforcing apple-themed vocabulary.

9. Apple Colour/Trace/Write the Room

Write the Room is always a class favorite, so I knew I had to include an apple version in this pack! Since the apple theme is often taught early in the school year, I designed this activity with multiple levels of support so all students can feel successful:

• 🍎 Color the Room – for students still building fine motor strength
• 🍏 Trace the Room – for those ready to trace letters with support (shown above)
• 🍎 Write the Room – for students confident with printing

This flexibility makes it easy to differentiate and ensure every child participates meaningfully in this engaging literacy activity!

10. ✨FREE✨ Apple Cotton Swab Painting

My students always loved Q-tip painting, so I created this FREE printable for you to try with your class! Just add paint and cotton swabs (or Q-tips) and let your students dot away.

I like to set out the paint in small plastic shot glasses from Dollarama — they’re the perfect size for this activity. Since there are lots of dots to fill, it’s also a great way for students to practice perseverance, stamina, and fine motor control in a fun and engaging way!

🍎 Grab this freebie by clicking here or on the button below and add a little apple-themed art and fine motor fun to your September centres!

11. Tracing Numbers

This one is super simple but always effective! A no-prep printable you can pop into your writing centre to give students extra practice with number formation (1–10)❤️

12. Worms in My Apples!

This fun activity combines counting practice with fine motor skills with something my last class went crazy for… hole punchers! Students read the number above the worm and then use a hole puncher to make that many “bites” in the apples.

Numbers 1–8 are included, making this a perfect math centre or small group activity for the beginning of the year. Plus, using hole punchers is a great way to build hand strength for writing!

Simple, hands-on and always a hit with students. 🍎🐛

13. Roll & Fill

This centre is simple to set up but always a class favorite — especially for students who enjoy partner games!

Students can:

• 🎲 Play independently by rolling a die and filling in the circles until their apple is complete
• 🎲 Play with a partner, taking turns rolling to see who can fill their apple first

Use magnetic bingo chips, pom poms, snap cubes, mini erasers or any small manipulatives you have on hand! This game provides meaningful practice with subitizing, counting, and one-to-one correspondence, all while keeping learning fun!

14. Apple Picking Sensory Bin

This one takes a little more prep than the other centres, but I promise it’s worth it — students LOVE it (and it targets so many skills at once!).

To set it up, I:

• Filled the bin with black beans to mimic orchard soil
• Made apple trees by cutting slits in toilet paper rolls and sliding in treetops (Tip: use green cardstock or foam for durability — construction paper is too flimsy)
• Attached pom poms to the trees with Velcro dots
• Added tree label cards, extra pom poms on the “ground,” cups, tweezers, and Pick the Apples cards

Students can:

• 🍎 Pick apples according to the cards
• 🍏 Sort apples into the correct tree by color
• 🍎 Practice fine motor skills with tweezers
• 🍏 Build counting and sorting skills while they play

This sensory bin is engaging, hands-on, and always a hit during apple season!

15. 2D Shape Hunt

This activity is just like Write the Room — but with a math twist! Simply tape the shape cards around the classroom and invite students to go on a hunt to find and record them.

Two recording sheet options are included so you can easily differentiate:

• ✏️ Colouring version – great for students still developing fine motor skills
• ✏️ Tracing version – for students ready to trace and refine their shape formation

This centre makes practicing shape recognition active, hands-on, and fun — and it’s always a class favourite!

16. Apple Patterning Cards

These simple and versatile cards are perfect for introducing and practicing patterns in a hands-on way! Students can extend AB, AAB, ABB, and ABC patterns, and you can add pom poms and tweezers for an extra fine motor boost.

For even more flexibility, a photo version is also included in the apple pack — perfect if you prefer using real-life images alongside your manipulatives!

17. Apple Tree STEM

This STEM challenge invites students to get creative while building their very own apple trees! Using simple materials like toilet paper rolls, green craft sticks and red pom poms, students can design and construct trees and test how many “apples” their tree can hold.

This activity encourages:

• 🌳 Creative problem-solving
• 🌳 Fine motor skill development
• 🌳 Exploring balance, stability, and design

It’s a low-prep, high-engagement way to bring STEM into your apple theme — and every tree turns out unique! My own kiddos (age 4.5 and 7 at the time) loved this one and kept rebuilding their trees until they could fit ALL of the pom poms on the trees🤣

Apples are such a fun way to kick off the school year, and I know your students will love exploring these centres just as much as mine have. With a mix of literacy, math, fine motor, and STEM activities, I hope you were able to grab a few hands-on and engaging ideas to try! 🍎

👉 You can grab the all of the printables shown in this blog post in my Kindergarten Apple Centres Pack here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Apple-Themed-Centers-Literacy-Math-Fine-Motor-More-14411864 or by clicking on the image below!

Happy teaching❤️