Mommy's Apple Craft

Mommy Project

This idea popped in my head about mid week and I just had to do it. Thomas is always getting himself so messy, or I can't hold him still long enough to get clothes on him--so, I find myself breaking one of my cardinal rules and he ends up running around the house in just a onsie.

So, why not make it cute!

For this project I used:

• White onsie (I used a stained one so I didn't waste his nice good white ones)
  
• Fabric paint in red, brown, green & black
• Cut piece of cardboard
  
• My hand & his precious little hand

I simply painted our hands in red fabric paint. If you do this cover yourself and him/her completely or let them go naked. Fabric paint will not wash off clothing!! It will come off your hands and you need to wash them right away, especially baby's since you don't want it in their mouth.

I made my hand print the night before and let it dry. I added his hand print the next day so it wouldn't smear. You need to put thick paper, cardboard, or a cut up paper plate between the layers of your onsie or it will bleed through and stick together.

I added a few finishing touches and let it dry for 24 hours.

Isn't it adorable?!!

Mini Caramel Apples

Toddler, Pre-K, K, 6 & Up

I am not a huge fan of caramel apples (or giving my kids sugar ;), but when I found this idea, I just had to give it a try!

For this snack idea you will need:

• Apple(s) I just used 2 for my family. If you have more kids, you will want more apples
• Melon baller
• Caramel for melting
• Pretzel sticks or thin popsicle sticks

Enjoy!

Mommy Notes:

The woman who made the original idea has hers looking so much prettier than mine. I did not have a metal melon-baller, and my plastic one was struggling, so I used a metal measuring scoop spoon. It is a really cute, and easy snack to make, and you can add nuts or other toppings. Her caramel looks better too, it may be the brand I used, or that she melted pieces, and I just bought a tub of ready to microwave and dip caramel. However they look, just enjoy making them and eating them too!

Here is what the original idea looked like that I based my apples on.

Apple Print Tote

Toddler, Pre-K, K, 6 & Up

Of course you can do apple prints on anything from paper to fabric. But, I love to have things I can use, and keep, that the kids have a hand in making. I had bought a 3-pack of canvas totes for a different project months back, and had this one left over. I think we will use it for a library bag to take to story time.

For this craft you will need:

• Paint in red, green, and/or yellow (use fabric paint for fabric craft, washable for paper craft)
• 1-2 apples. You will cut these in half, and you need one apple half PER color you want to use
• Paper or fabric for your art
• Paper plate for paint--one for each color

Cut your apple(s) in half vertically at the stem. Use paper plates to pour a little paint on, and be sure to have a different plate for each color.

Take your apple half and dip it into the paint making sure to cover the entire half. Stamp your paper or fabric and bring it straight up to minimize blurring.

Mommy Tips: Use a Popsicle stick or something else thick to insert in the back (skin) half of the apple to make it easier for toddlers to stamp their art. This keeps more of their fingers and arms out of the paint, and they have an easier time getting to do the craft. If you are doing a fabric craft and have a design in mind, make sure you pull out some paper so that your child can have fun making the prints without worrying over smearing the design on your fabric, or only getting to do so many stamps with the paint. Now you have what you wanted, and they can have fun stamping apples too!


With Gracie two years ago (2008) I did this fabric craft with apple prints. It is currently hanging in our living room with the other fall decorations.

Apple Sauce

Make for: Toddler, Pre-K,
Make with: K, 6 & Up

A yummy tasting, and yummy smelling treat for fall!

If you want to make some for your kids, or with your older ones...here's how.

To make this snack you will need:

• 10 lg. cooking apples, peeled, cored & sliced or cut in chunks
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 to 1 c. sugar

Put all ingredients into crockpot. Should be about 3/4 full. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours (high 3 to 4 hours).

Enjoy the smell through your house as it cooks, and then enjoy the yummy taste when it is done!

Mmmmmm....

Paper Plate Apple

Toddler, Pre-K

This is just a fun and simple apple craft for littler ones. And what a HUGE hit it was with my 20 month old!!

**If you are doing one of the other apple paint activities, this would be a good time to let your child paint the paper plate. You can then let it dry and put it away for later in the week or month and you only have to clean up the paint once!***

For this craft you will need:

• 1 paper plate
• Crayons, markers or paint in red
• Brown pipe cleaner, or brown construction paper
• Green construction paper

Once you paint your entire paper plate red and it dries, cut the plate into an apple shape--just cut a curve out of the top.

Now cut a small vertical slit in the right side of your paper plate. Don't make it to large, about 1.5 inches long.

Cut a wiggly worm out of your green construction paper and add some eyes and a smile. Decorate him, or anyway your child wants.

Add a brown paper stem, or use a small cut from a brown pipe cleaner for a stem. Glue in place.

Have your worm wiggle his or her way through your paper plate apple and watch your small child giggle with delight.

Mommy Tip:

I laminated my wiggly worm since my toddler wanted to put the worm through his apple again and again, and I knew it wouldn't last too many times wiggling through the apple.

Here's a look at the original idea I based my craft on:

Apple Thumbprints

Toddler, Pre-K, K

Another fun apple painting craft is a thumbprint apple tree. Thomas' thumprint went on a pre-made paper that I have for his fall fun book...but you can do the same apples with your child.

To make this craft you need:

• Red, green, and/or yellow paint (washable is best)
• Paper
• An adorable thumb

Draw and color a green bushy tree top, or you can cut one out of construction paper. Add your drawn or cutout tree trunk.

Paint your child's thumb the apple color you want and have them add apples to the tree. They can make as many as they want, and don't forget a few that would fall to the ground for the animals to eat.

If you don't feel you are artistic enough to draw or cut out your tree top and trunk, print the below picture and you or your child can color it in and add painted thumbprint apples, or use as a pattern.

You can get the free PDF version where I got it, by clicking here.

Apple Print

Toddler, Pre-K, K

A simple and fun way to make apples for fall!

For this craft you will need:

• Red, green, or yellow paint (washable is best)
• Brown paint (optional)
• Paper of any kind
• One adorable little hand

Simply paint the palm of your child's hand with your preferred apple color paint, making sure not to cover any of the fingers.

Press your child's palm down firmly and bring back up. There you have your apple!

Now, you can either drawn on your stem, or get out the brown paint, and paint your child's index finger to press down for the stem. You can stop there, or paint your child's thumb green to make a leaf for the side. (This is what I did with Thomas, and thought it looked super cute)

Be sure to add your child's name and the date.

Mommy Tip: Your child's hand is already full of paint and you can get more than one apple out of the layer you just put on their hand. Have a second piece of paper ready and make a second apple (or more if they are having fun). Save the other apple to send to Grandma or for daddy's desk at work.

Apple Games

Toddler, Pre-K

I needed a fun way for my toddler to play with apples this week, and I stumbled across these two very fun game ideas.

For these games you need:

• Cut out apples. I cut out some red, some yellow, and some green apples from construction paper. I also laminated them for future use. (well, I use contact paper)
• Cut out worm on brown construction paper. I just free handed this worm and laminated as well.

Game 1:

Hide the apples around the house or room and let your toddler or preschooler find them.

Game 2:

Lay the apples out on the floor and hide the worm under one of the apples and let him or her find the missing worm by turning the apples over.

Mommy Tip:

I turned these two games in to many more with my Thomas. Since I used three different color apple shapes we worked on sorting, and we worked on counting and colors. Talk about a multi-use activity.

The above picture shows my laminated apples that I put up on Monday for this week. I wanted a place to store the apples when we weren't using them, plus a I wanted a way to show the different colors and for him to be able to count. So, I got the idea to make an apple tree. The board and the plastic clips came from the Dollar Store. I painted a bushy green tree and hot glued on the clips (15 for $1 and much safer than the old fashioned wooden ones!). Thomas has had a ball playing with these apples today. I think I will recycle my idea and make a new board for next week and turn it into a pumpkin patch!

Apple Week

When I was planning out all of my fun things for Thomas, I totally forgot that Gracie was out of school Monday. So, I slid apple week back a day and he and I will start our fun activities tomorrow.

Fall is my favorite season, so I find lots and lots of great activities to do with the kids.

So, come and join us for apple week and have fun right along with us!

Come on...play with us!