Apple Tree - a home made activity for autumn

I have this little English playgroup called Mums' English Club (MEC)  Nyíregyháza chapter where we have thematic events each week. The topic for September is autumn (what else) and I thought it might be nice to do some colour matching, sorting activities with the little ones. So I laminated a tree sticker (which I found in my son's room on the wall, well I borrowed it for good) and punched some apples from coloured paper (red, green and yellow) plus dedicated three mini fridge boxes to be our baskets and that is all really. (oh, yes and we had some leaves I borrowed from a previous game 'the ladybird number match, which I do not use with that game but I make use of them here).

I laminated an apple tree (a sticker from our rented apartment's wall, I only hope the owner doesn't mind), you need a punch apple shaped and some colour papers and three little baskets.

The punch and the yellow, green and red apples (I stuck to reality, did not make purple and blue apples and also I think 3 colours to sort are plenty... especially knowing what I know (ie. the little one is more interested in blowing the apples off the tree than picking them up :) So if you fancy trying out this game at home, be careful with the apples :) do not punch too many of them.

The song (and sing along)

The apple tree song

Here is the tree with leaves so green

Here are the apples in between

And when the wind blows

The apples fall

Here are the baskets to gather them all.

We act it out, I show my son (and the other toddlers) the apple tree, the leaves (name the colour 'green' and you can count to ten), the apples (punched them with an apple shaped punching maching) and then I put a pile of colourful apples on the laminated sheet and started blowing (pretending I am the wind) and then the apples fall and then the apple picking can get started. (at the moment the blowing part is the absolute favourite of my son, so he doesn't want to stop blowing the apples and start picking them up and put them into the baskets sorting them by colors). 

Extra features:

After picking and sorting apples by colours you can also have some real apples on a tray and eat those crunchy things together, you know 'an apple a day...'.
Follow up:
We use this game to introduce the story of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. (watch the author reading out the story).

 

Summary

Plus side: The fun factor is high, cheap and education game, can be played anywhere anytime.

Downside: Can be a bit messy. I always put a blanket on the floor before the fun kickstarts it makes life a bit easier when you have to clean up the mess ... well you might be able to encourage your little ones to start and pick up the apples... in our case we always end up with a mess and finish it with the blowing part.