Apple Tasting Activity

With this apple activity, you and your preschooler can explore the flavors, textures, sizes and colors found in a single fruit, the apple. This is a great food activity for your preschool circle time or to include in your fall theme. Apples are familiar to most preschoolers so you won't need to worry about introducing a new food. Simply enjoy the flavors, discuss the colors and sizes, and learn about where each type of apple grows.  

Step 1 - Collect Varieties of Apples

Gather multiple varieties of apples from the grocery store or farmer’s markets. For the sake of keeping a preschooler’s attention, limit the number of varieties to four or five.

If you are doing the taste test at home with your preschooler, get one apple from each variety. If you have a preschool class, collect enough so that each child can taste at least one slice of apple.

Try to include red, green and/or yellow varieties. Include apples from a home apple tree or ask a preschool class to bring in apples from apple trees they may have in their back yard. Also, try to include at least one sweet apple and one tart apple. For example, choose a Red Delicious (sweet) and a Granny Smith (tart).

Step 2 - Inspect the Apples

Before bringing out the apples, ask your preschooler(s) what color an apple is. You might get one answer or a few. Bring out the apples and talk about the different colors you see. Then explain that apples come in different varieties. Each tree produces it’s own kind of apple.

Name each variety you have. Then talk about the size of the apples. Are some big and others small? How do the apples from a home tree compare with apples you bought at the supermarket?

Step 3 - Taste the Apples

Slice the apples and let the preschoolers taste the varieties one by one. How crunchy are they? Are they sweet? Tart? Juicy? Which one is a favorite?

Step 4 - Where do They Grow?

If you live in apple country, some of the apples may have been grown very close to home. The Pacific Northwest, upper Midwest, and New England are well known for their many apple orchards.

You may also have some apples that were not grown in the US at all. For instance, Gala and Jazz apples may have come from New Zealand. Look on the label for country of origin. 

Apple Reference Guide

Braeburn – medium to large, pale red, crisp and juicy, tart
Fuji – origin Japan, medium sized, pale red, crisp and juicy, good texture
Gala – origin New Zealand, medium sized, yellow-red, juicy, sweet slightly tart
Golden Delicious – origin U.S., large sized, crisp, juicy, mild sweet
Granny Smith – origin Australia, green, crisp, tart
Gravenstein – origin Italy, large sized, orange-yellow, crisp, juicy, great for baking
Jonagold – large sized, yellow-red, juicy, slightly tart
Jonathan – origin U.S., medium sized, striped red, juice and crisp
McIntosh – origin Canada, deep red, very juicy, perfumed flavor
Red Delicious – red, sweet

For a comprehensive reference about apple varieties, visit AllAboutApples.com

More Preschool Food Activities

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by Kati Chevaux

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