Friday Favorites: September 2nd, 2011

September has officially started, so I can break out some fall ideas.  (I know fall isn't official until the last week of September, but that is okay).  I am accumulating and saving all the cute pumpkin, fall ideas for a week or two more, but, since school is starting, let's talk about apples!

When I taught, apples were the theme of my room for September.  We did a fall sensory poem, apple stamping (see an example of apple stamping here), hanging apple core art listing adjectives describing apples (see similar apple art with expository apple paragraphs here), and apple math and estimation.  If you homeschool or want to do some fun activities at home, these are all really easy ideas.

 Here is the idea of the sensory poem/language activity (uses similes).  You can use this poem for any topic and it can be scaffolded for different levels and developmental stages:

Apples
Apples sound like _______ (example: crunching leaves or my brother munching)
Apples smell like __________ (examples:  cinnamon and sugar or grandma's pie)
Apples taste like ___________ (examples:  fresh applesauce or Thanksgiving or sweet)
Apples look like ______________ (examples:  My teacher's desk, a beautiful orchard, a shiny, red ruby)
Apples feel like ______________ (examples:  smooth skin or a ball)
Apples

To stamp with apples, cut the apples into any shape (even just in half) and use tempura paint to "stamp" on art paper with the apples.

Make applesauce together and have your kids help you with measurement math.  Talk about solids (apple)and liquids (sauce) and gas (steam) to bring in science.  You can talk about taste buds, botany (apple trees), etc.  Estimate the number of seeds your child will find in the apple before you cut it open.  Chart which type of apple each person likes best. Read the story of Johnny Appleseed and study American folklore and history. Thematic teaching ideas are open to almost anything.  Have fun!

Here are some great APPLE ideas I found while browsing the blog world this week!  Enjoy!

Cute Food for Kids had a fun way to give your kiddos an apple snack.  A pretzel stick would be a really cute addition as the umbrella handle. 



Apples can be creative party decorations for a fall baby/wedding shower.
Snippet and Ink shared a school themed wedding where the apples were made into garlands.  So clever!


I wish I knew where this cute idea originated, but the Pinterest link flips to the sign in for Google each time.  If you happen to know, please leave the info for all of us in the comments.  I love the easy idea of apple vases as centerpieces or at each place setting.



Project Wedding shared beautiful photos of apples being used as place cards.  This could be used in a farm themed birthday party, a fall inspired celebration shower, or a fall wedding.  Gorgeous!


Matthew Mead Style made beautiful apple tea light candles.  This is so easy and so beautiful.  I am guessing the apple scent is wonderful too.




Then, of course, there are the wonderful recipes that come with autumn's apple crop.
Gimme Some Oven has a ton of apple recipes in the archives, but I especially loved this simple idea of serving hot apple cider in apple "cups."  What a fun spin for dessert time at a fall dinner party.



If you need a cider recipe to fill those apple mugs, what about caramel apple cider?  Yum!  Our Best Bites is a GREAT creative site that shared a recipe for this.



Atlantis Home made brie, apple and arugula quesadillas.  Doesn't that sound fancy?  It sounds like a really delicious appetizer too!



Eat, Live, Run shared a beautiful apple braid recipe.  Honestly, when it is broken down in steps, it doesn't look hard to make at all.  Wouldn't this be a fun treat to bake with the kiddos on a cold, crisp autumn day?



Leave it up to Williams Sonoma to come up with apple "sandwiches."  Filled with peanut butter, raisins and granola, these apple snacks are healthy and protein packed!



Snack Girl shared an easy recipe for cinnamon, sugar dried apple crisps.



Smitten Kitchen takes apples into breakfast with fluffy apple pancakes.  This would be gobbled up in a second in my house!



Almost Bourdain made apple beignets.  You get to decide if these are breakfast or dessert.



Finally, the Kitchn.com gives us a whole post of apple recipes:  caramel apples; tuna, arugula and apple sandwiches; oven baked apple donuts; apple sauce, apple and potato fritters with sour cream and herb dipping sauce; and chocolate cake with apples and hazelnuts.


Happy fall soon, everyone!  Doesn't it look beautiful and delicious?