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Fun Apple Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study for Multiple Ages

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This fun apple lapbook and hands-on unit study for multiple ages is another one to add to your lineup of lapbooks for the fall season. Don’t forge to look at my apple unit study and lapbook here too.

Besides, studying about apples doesn’t have to be a lapbook just for young children.

When we studied apples the first time, I included my middle and high school kids.

So when deciding what to include in your multiple ages apple lapbook, you can decide if it is one lapbook for multiple ages or one lapbook per child.

Fun Apple Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study for Multiple Ages

And include a fun field trip like apple picking or do apple activities like baking applesauce, make apple pie or make apple butter.

It makes for such a fun and memorable time.

Add in a few apple books too like Farm Anatomy and Food Anatomy which have a couple of pages on apples to learn from.

Apple Unit Study Ideas

Next, add some topics to make this apple unit come alive for multiple ages.

Look at these ideas for a science apple unit study.

Science about Apples

For ideas on science cover these topics.

  • Cultivating, Harvesting and Storage of Apples
  • Is it a Deciduous or Conifer Tree
  • Important to the Apple Tree label page
  • Isaac Newton and His Apple
  • 3 Laws of Motion
  • Life cycle of an apple
  • Sir Isaac Newton – Father Of Modern Physics Notebooking Page
  • Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation

History and Geography Apple Themed

Also, include some geography and history ideas.

Learn about Johnny Appleseed and the states he toured.

  • John Chapman American Pioneer Notebooking Page
  • John Chapman Orchardist Notebooking Page
  • Johnny Appleseed Minibook

Too, include some fun language arts.

Language Arts Apple Themed

  • I have some gorgeous pages for your Prek kids to learn the alphabet on how to make an apple pie
  • Do acrostic for older kids
  • Write about Jonny Chapman’s life and contribution as a nurseryman and define what it means to be an American Pioneer.
  • Understand what it means an Apple a Day Minibook
  • Read and do copywork for Proverbs 25:11 Quote Minibook

Also, I created some notebooking pages for writing prompts

  • Signs of Autumn Coloring/Notebooking Pages
  • Signs of Autumn Textbox Notebooking Page
  • Spectacular Recycling Process Notebooking Page

Lastly, besides crafts add in learning about apple themed art and artists.

Art about Apples

Here are some art ideas and artists

  • Apples and Oranges  {Paul Cézanne}
  • Apple Tree  {Gustav Klimt}
  • Portrait of young man with apple or Portrait of Maria della Rovere – {Raphael}
  • Virgin and Child under an Apple Tree {Lucas Cranach the Elder}

For math ideas, cooking is a great life skill to do here.

Fun Apple Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study for Multiple Ages

In addition, notebook pages can be used by older children.

Notebooking Pages About Apples

In addition, not all kids love lapbooks.

For your older kids, use my free notebooking pages which I include in this one free huge download.

Remember that any worksheet can be turned into a fun minibook printable.

So if you find a worksheet your child wants to include in this apple lapbook or apple unit study, look at how to do it below.

Fun Apple Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study for Multiple Ages

Easily turn any minibook into a treasured keepsake by following the 4 steps above and glue the back of the minibook anywhere on your file folder.

Other Apple Resources

Adding more hands-on ideas will round out your apple unit study and lapbook.

Too, gardening ideas can be added if you make this lapbook more science based.

Lastly, ALL of the above topics have been turned into ONE 48 page download with the following minibooks and notebooking pages.

Cultivating, Harvesting and Storage of Apples Minibooks
An Apple a Day Minibook
Proverbs 25:11 Quote Minibook
Apple Art/Artists W/Pocket
Apple Pie Alphabet Sheets
Deciduous or Conifer Tree minbook
Important to the Apple Tree label
Isaac Newton and His Apple/3 Laws of Motion Minibook
John Chapman American Pioneer Notebooking Page
John Chapman Orchardist Notebooking Page
Johnny Appleseed Minibook
Life Cycle of Apple Tree Minibooks
Sir Isaac Newton – Father Of Modern Physics Notebooking Page
Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation
Signs of Autumn Coloring/Notebooking Pages
Signs of Autumn Textbox Notebooking Page
Spectacular Recycling Process Notebooking Page

Fun Apple Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study for Multiple Ages

Free Apple Lapbook and Notebooking Pages

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Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

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If you’re doing an apples unit, your kids will love making this fall garland craft. Add this hands-on craft to my fall unit apple study for a study for multiple ages.

Bring some nature into your learning space or for home decor while your child works on fine motor skills.

Too for an apple unit your child can work on artistic expression and just have fun learning about apples and all of fall’s wonderful aromas.

Apples, cinnamon, and pinecones are some of the warmest and coziest symbols of fall.

They make you immediately think of cooler temperatures, crunchy leaves, and nature walks.

The natures colors are a perfect way to usher in fall.

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

Incorporate the fall garland apple craft into a simple fall unit study or create it as a stand-alone fall craft with your kids.

Middle schoolers will easily be able to do the entire craft on their own.

Younger kids will need a bit more help with the oven, knife, and hot glue gun.

Add other fall items like leaves, acorns, twigs, or similar items from your fall nature walks if you like.

12 Things to Make From Apples

While making your fall garland apple craft, talk about all the various things that you can make from apples.

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

Here are 12 things to make from apples. You can easily stretch this unit study to a full cooking unit.

  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Apple pie
  • Apple dumplings
  • Candied apples
  • Dried apple rings
  • Apple crisp
  • Apple turnovers
  • Apple Sauce
  • Apple Butter
  • Apple juice
  • Apple cider
  • Apple muffins

Expand learning by having a taste test and try as many of the above apple forms as you can.

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

Have your child rate the flavor of each one, take a poll of the family, friends, and neighbors to see what is their favorite apple treat.

Then, create an apple graph for a bit of math.

Also use both Farm Anatomy and Nature Anatomy have a couple of pages on apples and make great books to keep in your home library for many topics.

They are known for their pretty illustrations and fantastic information on a wide variety of themes within a topic.

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

How to Make a Fall Garland

Next, make a fun fall garland. Here are some supplies:

  • Apples. Gala and Granny Smiths are a favorite for baking.
  • Pinecones. If you aren’t able to harvest them locally you can get a bag at the craft store.
  • Unfinished wood beads.
  • Cinnamon Sticks- in the grocery or seasonal aisle at craft stores.
  • Twine.
  • Lemon juice.
  • Salt.

Even using some fall colorful wooden beads would be pretty to add to it.

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

First, dry your apples.

Preheat your oven to 200℉.

First, you are going to want to slice your apples.

Instead of cutting them horizontally across the apple the way we did in our dried apple slice recipe we are going to cut these vertically down through the top.

Start on either side of the stem so you get a good cross section view.

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

Fill a bowl with cold water, add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of table salt.

And soak your slices for 10 minutes.

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

Lay the apple slices on a metal rack then place it on a baking sheet.

Bake for 2-4 hours or longer until completely dried.

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

Once your apples are dried you can begin to create a pattern on your twine.

Decide how long you want it to be. 

Place your first piece all the way to the end of this length by sliding it over the twine through a hole, hot glue in place, or tie a knot around it.

Apples Unit How to Make a Fall Kids Garland Apple Craft

Continue the pattern all the way to the end until your garland is as long as you like it to be.

Other Fall and Apple Unit Study Crafts

Then, add some more fun fall and apple unit study crafts.

What do you think? Add a few of them to your learning area and you’ll have the smell of fall year long.

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

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If your kids love dried apple crafts, they’ll love this fun fall shrunken head apple activity. Add this hands-on craft to my fall unit apple study or to my BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook.

Fall immediately turns my mind to cooler temps, pumpkins, and of course apples.

It is a great time of year to talk about harvest.

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

You can ask your kids what fruit is in season during the fall season, where it’s grown and even gather a list of uses for it.

Today it’s apples. They’re yummy to eat but also great for a wide variety of crafts like this fun shrunken apple head.

Do you remember making shrunken heads as a child? It’s such a fun activity to do and you don’t have to necessarily set aside a few weeks to do one.

Also, you can use this dried apple craft to supplement a Johnny Appleseed, Pioneer study or a Colonial study.

In addition, you can turn it into a cute mini scarecrow. 

Provide your child some yarn, fur, fabric, and other craft items.

Then encourage them to make period appropriate clothes for whatever topic you choose. Give them total free rein to create.

Other Ways to Use the Dried Shrunken Apple Head

Our shrunken apple head is a replica of Johnny Appleseed wearing the tin pot hat.

He is often depicted as wearing a tin pot hat.

We made a quick hat with some tin foil out of the pantry.

Here is one fun fact about Johnny Appleseed.

He didn’t wear a pot on his head. Look at the book Who Was Johnny Appleseed?

But he did prefer a tin hat believed to look like a baseball cap with a very long front brim to protect his eyes while working which likely doubled as his cookpot.

Also, we made a Daniel Boone apple head complete with a fur hat made with some scrap craft fur we had.

And here is a fun fact about Daniel Boone. He is also often pictured wearing a hat which he didn’t actually wear.

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

Although Daniel Boone is shown in a furry raccoon hat, he preferred a wide brimmed beaver hat Quaker-style.

How to Make a Shrunken Apple Head

Now, make your own fun apple head craft.

Look at these materials you’ll need:

  • Apples
  • Apple peeler
  • Paring or other small knife
  • Assorted craft items for decorating

First, fill a bowl with cold water, add several tablespoons of lemon juice and a tablespoon of salt. Stir well.

Peel your apples right up to the stem and then cut out the stem.

Pop the apples into the water mixture and let them sit until you are ready to carve.

Take a small knife and carve out your features.

I found it easier to outline everything with a shallow groove.

And then begin in the middle at the nose and work my way outward to get a face shape, thinning out cheeks, forehead, etc. as I went.

You don’t have to spend too much time on the details as the shrinking will take most of the detail away.

Just give it a noticeable nose, eyes, and mouth.

For younger children you can give them a plastic knife or even a spoon to carve safely

You may even outline the features for them and let them scoop it out.

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

Once you are done place your apple head back in the water bath and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

There are a couple of ways you can dry your apple head.

First, let it air dry by placing them in a dry area.

Too much humidity will cause them to mold. This method takes the longest- 3 to 4 weeks to fully dry out.

Second, the oven dry method is easier. This method is much quicker and lessens the chances of mold if dried all the way through.

But it requires you to run the oven all day, it may take a full 24 hours to dry it out.

Preheat oven to 200℉. Place your apples on a shallow baking pan with a rack.

This allows the air to circulate all the way around, drying it faster and more evenly.

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

Other Fall and Apple Unit Study Ideas

Next, look at these other resources and crafts for a fall unit study or apple unit study.

Continue on with your craft.

Once fully dry, it will have shrunk to less than half its original size.

You can add a bit more character with paint, markers, fabric, yarn, or other craft items.

Set out a bunch of craft items and let your child go crazy with their imagination.

You can decorate just the head or add some sticks and wire to form a body. I love the character that the shriveled little faces have.

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

To make a tin foil hat I just wrapped a piece around the end of the roll to form it and then adjusted it when I added it to the apple, twisting one corner into a handle.

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

We also made a redheaded lady with a little bit of yarn. Who do you think she is? Lucille Ball? Queen Elizabeth?

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

What will you use your shrunken apple head craft to create? A famous hero from history? A scary scarecrow?

Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids

Share yours with me. I’d love to see what your kids create.

Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey

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Rainforest crafts for kindergarten encourages creativity, fosters imagination, and strengthens fine motor skills. Crafts are part of kindergarten homeschool curriculum.

And learning about the rainforest with a unit study approach is one of the best ways to teach kindergarten aged children.

Rainforest crafts for kindergarteners introduces young children to one of the most important ecosystems in the world.

Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey

And a fun paper plate monkey craft encourages young children to understand the diversity of the rainforest.

Not only can you help your child understand the difference between plants and animals, but your child can use their sense of hearing.

Howler Monkey Facts

First, help your child know how the animals of the rainforest depend on the trees (canopy) and even the understory (layer of vegetation under the canopy) to survive.

The understory is where tree trunks, vines, and bushes grow. Animals who live here in this section can climb very well.

But the emergent layer or the layer above the canopy is bright and sunny and animals with good balance like howler monkeys live here.

Then, look at a few facts about the howler monkeys.

  • Howler monkeys are one of the loudest animals in the rainforest.
  • Their howls sound like a strong wind blowing through a tunnel. Have you child stand up and see how loud he or she can howl. Watch the video above and listen to the male howler monkey.
  • Monkeys live in the trees and eat only vegetation like fruit and flowers.

However, more than just the howler monkey makes its home in the Amazon Rainforest.

What Monkeys Live in the Amazon Rainforest

Squirrel monkeys also live there and are very intelligent animals.

Squirrel Monkey Facts

Look at a few fun facts about squirrel monkeys to share with your child.

  • They are not the same color all over which makes it harder for predators to see.
  • Long tails are used for balance.
  • Also, they have hands with thumbs and can grip branches and food.
  • Squirrel Monkeys live in large groups like 100 in a group and this way they can warn each other of predators.

However, besides the howler monkey and squirrel monkey there are many species which live in the rainforest.

Some other monkeys are

  • Pygmy marmoset
  • Gray woolly
  • Emperor tamarin
  • Peruvian spider
  • Dusky titi

Your child will love the book Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme.

In this book there is not only rhyming language to share with your child but it about the Manú National Park in Peru where an amazing fourteen different species of monkeys live together.

Add in some sweet lovable friends, and you can study the rainforest a couple of days or even extend it to a week.

Make a Rainforest Paper Plate Monkey

Next encourage your child to make this easy rainforest paper plate monkey.

We simply followed the instructions at the adorable paper plate monkey at Easy Peasy and Fun.

Look at this list of things we used.

  • two paper plates
  • beige paper
  • glue
  • scissors
  • pencil
  • black marker
Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey

This was such a fun and easy rainforest activity. We traced Mr. MunchKing’s hands on light brown paper.

Then we pained the paper plates.

And cut out the legs, arms and face on lighter paper we already had.

Following the instructions for the craft on Easy Peasy and Fun we outlined a face.

We cut out the ears and tails separately and glued on.

Mr. Munchking loved his craft.

More Rainforest Crafts

If you’re looking for more rainforest crafts for kindergarten, you’ll love my huge Amazon Rainforest Unit Study and Lapbooks.

Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey

Also look at:

Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey

Look at these other posts for Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

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This diy easy duct tape pencil pouch back to school craft is a great way to start your year. Before you jump into learning how to homeschool or a full schedule, have some fun first.

As homeschoolers sometimes we don’t really get the full traditional back to school shopping experience, so I like to work in some fun activities to freshen things up and get them excited.

Even though we school year-round we take breaks and this is the perfect activity to jump back into a new unit.

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

It would also make a great craft to do with your co-op or just a couple friends.

Offer a few duct tapes and bag sizes. And put them on a table with an example to invite them to create.

Fill it with pencils yes but it is sturdy enough to hold scissors, pencil sharpeners, protractors, calculators and more.

Just because you are not heading off to school outside the house doesn’t mean you don’t need somewhere to gather and hold all your small supplies.

How to Use the Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

We are going to make a full sized pouch to carry our watercolor palette and brushes in our backpack for nature hikes.

Upper elementary to high school will be able to complete this project on their own. However, younger kids might need a little help with the steps.

It is very user friendly for all ages.

Let your child pick up their favorite pattern on Amazon.

I have linked several of our favorites below or you can find some at Hobby Lobby near the art supplies like canvasses and artist paints.

I have even found a good variety of solid tapes at Dollar Tree, making it a very economical craft.

You can use duct tape for a great number of projects.

For example, you can make pouches in different sizes for different uses.

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

Besides pencils turn it into a makeup bag or for collecting specimens on a nature walk.

Cover a jar or can for a desk pencil holder, make a custom composition notebook, wrap around pens and pencils to coordinate with your pouch, or cover a plain phone case with it to jazz it up some.

Your pouch should last you the school year with normal wear and tear but should it not last it is very economical to make a new one.

Duct Tape Options and Patterns

Here are a few of our favorites duct tape patterns. I love this wave blue.

And I also love this checkered one.

And it’s so easy to make with only 3 components.

  • duct tape
  • gallon bag slider top
  • scissors
DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

You probably have all three things in your home now.

How to Make an Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

You can make your pouch the full size of the bag or adjust it to any size you like by cutting off the bottom at the measurement you prefer.

We made ours just slightly larger than half the bag.

If you want one that is not so wide you could use a quart, sandwich, or snack size bag too. Just make sure you grab the slider top.

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

Once you have cut your bag down to size lay a piece of your patterned duct tape on the bottom so that half adheres to the very bottom.

Fold it over and press into place to seal the bottom well.

You can repeat the process if you think you need the extra strength, but it is pretty strong with just one.

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

Next, rather than work your way up the bag you are going to want to put the next piece right up under then zipper portion of the bag.

This makes for less cutting. And depending on your pattern makes it easier to match them up.

Leave just a bit on each end to trim at the end.

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

Work your way down the bag by adding another two rows of duct tape.

The final row will cover up the folded tape of the bottom of the bag and cover half of the center row.

Flip and repeat on the other side.

Then, trim the excess to even with the plastic bag. Try not to cut into it, just right at the edge.

To finish off and reinforce the sides, overlap the tape so that half covers each side.

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

Trim off excess.

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

You can go a step further by adding names or other words with stickers, mix up patterns and solids.

Hole punch the bottom and it can be added to a 3 ring binder to keep everything together.

Other Back to School Craft Fun

What do you think? Are you ready for not back to homeschool?

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft