Putting Together the Toddler and Preschool Apple Theme

Last Updated on October 3, 2025 by Sheryl Cooper

Inside: Come see how we set up our classroom for the toddler and preschool apple theme. So many fun hands-on learning activities that our students loved!

We like to kick off our fall themes with apples. There are so many fun ways to explore them – in fact, we could have extended this theme for weeks!

We explored apples in just about every learning center, and we had our first cooking activity of the school year making apple muffins.

I added a new fingerplay, we took a nature walk and found apples on the ground, and we did several different fun art activities.

👉 Scroll down towards the end of this post to find some free apple printables!

Table of Contents

Putting Together the Toddler and Preschool Apple Theme

Watch the Video

Light Table

We set up an apple sorting activity using the apples from our Attribute Apples toy. We rummaged through our storage closet to find matching rainbow blocks and I added our apple printables.

Sensory Bin

We added oats, burlap bags, felt apples, small pretend apples, and cinnamon sticks for a fun sensory activity!

Dramatic Play

We had a simple apple market happening in our dramatic play area!

Related: Fall Dramatic Play Ideas

Easel

We added apples to the apple tree using red Do-a-Dot Markers. (Printable available towards bottom of this post.)

Blocks Center

We brought out our over-sized hollow wooden block set and added loose parts and apples for some fun building.

Related: The Best Blocks Activities

Felt Board

I cut a trees and apples from felt for a simple “put the apples on the tree” activity.

Art

Apple Trees

We made 3-dimensional apple trees.

You can read more about it here.

Apple Prints

We used a simple 2-ingredient fluffy paint recipe to make apple prints.

You can read more about that activity in this post: Easy Apple Art Activity

Apple Collage

We used the same apple printable (available to download towards the end of this post) to for a textured red collage.

More Apple Art

Cooking

We kicked off our first cooking activity of the school year making easy apple muffins.

You can get the recipe and see how we made them here: How to Make Easy Apple Muffins

Fingerplays

One of our new and favorite finger plays for the apple theme: Five Apples in the Apple Tree.

I used a felt tree and apples as a visual.

Way Up High In the Apple Tree

Circle Time Counting Activity

Toddlers
Preschool

Details and props here >>>

Music Playlist

Free Printables!

Printable Activities

Apple Counting Cards

Put the Apples on the Tree

Use Do-a-Dot Markers or apple stickers!

free apple tree printable for preschoolers

Sorting Apples by Color

In addition to how we used these in the photos above, we’ve also used them for graphing during our preschool circle time. You can see that post and get the free download here: Preschool Apple Math Activity

Apple Counting 1-5

You can see how we used this printable and get the free download here: Apple Counting Activity for Preschoolers

Apple Outline

Can be used for an art activity or at the writing table.

You can find the free download in any of these posts: