| The Overall Experience | | | | of the apples. Next, glue or staple two apples together, |
| When approaching preschool from an educational | | | | leaving a small hole for the insertion of the noise |
| perspective, it's important to remember that at that | | | | makers. After the noise makers have been slipped in, |
| tender age children learn holistically, that is from the | | | | glue or staple the rest of the shaker. For added fun, |
| whole experience, as opposed to from the individual | | | | have children compose a short song about how much |
| parts of the experience. This is why educators | | | | like apples. |
| integrate a variety of experiences including song, | | | | Not all preschool activities should involve cutting, pasting |
| crafts, and activities into a typical preschooler's day, | | | | or stapling, such as this version of Bobbing for Apples. |
| which helps to reinforce both social lessons and | | | | This activity requires a large bucket and a number of |
| educational development. | | | | small apples. Fill the bucket up with water and place |
| Among the most common topics for preschool | | | | the apples in the bucket. If the children are having |
| educators to cover is the alphabet, since it helps to | | | | difficult grasping the apples, try cutting the apples into |
| provide children with, literally, the building blocks for | | | | smaller slices. |
| reading and writing. Try integrating some of these | | | | One at a time, children are to try and retrieve an apple |
| preschool activities into lesson plans about the alphabet | | | | from the bucket without using their hands. This activity |
| in general or when focusing on this letter in particular. | | | | is popular around Halloween, and provides an excellent |
| The Letter A: Apples | | | | opportunity to begin educating the children about a |
| A is often the place where educators begin their | | | | healthy diet and lifestyle. |
| alphabet exploration, seeing as it is the first letter of the | | | | The Letter A: Alligators |
| alphabet. These preschool activities and crafts focus | | | | Finally, here's a game that children really enjoy called |
| on two of children's favorite letter A things: apples and | | | | "Feed the Alligator". To begin, draw a large alligator |
| alligators. | | | | head on a piece of green poster board. Make sure the |
| This craft, called Apple Shaker, requires red poster | | | | alligator has a mouth that's approximately double the |
| paper or paper plates and red paint, brown and green | | | | size of a beanbag. Cut out the mouth, and add paper |
| construction paper, and a small amount of noise maker | | | | teeth if desired. |
| such as dried beans, rice, button or small rocks. To | | | | Tape the alligator head to a chair or small table. Now |
| begin, cut out a number of apple-shaped pieces from | | | | it's time to feed the alligator by standing a few feet |
| the poster paper, or paint the paper plates red. Also, | | | | away and trying to throw a beanbag through its |
| cut out some small stems from the brown construction | | | | mouth. If the preschool activity is too easy, increase |
| paper and green leaves from the green construction | | | | the difficult level by having children stand further away |
| paper. | | | | from the alligator. |
| Glue or staple the stem and leaves to the top of one | | | | |