Photo submitted by Shell
Painted Apple cutouts with green pipe cleaner worms

Use red or green tempera mixed with starch to finger paint an apple shape.

Make a birthday card for Johnny Appleseed on his birthday.

Glue scraps of red and green paper, fabric or tissue paper to an apple shape

Have children create their own apple collage by using different
 cut outs  of apples that they have drawn or traced and cut out.

Take two paper plate & paint the outside red. Put the plates facing each other & punch two holes
 near top & tie with green yarn. Open "apple" and have kids glue a star- shape using real apple seeds.
 Cut out stem & leaf pieces & glue to the peek-a-boo apple.

Lay butcher paper with a simple tree drawn on it on the floor. Using the wood blocks and
 brown or black paint have the children print the tree. Have  them make green handprint leaves.
 Have them cut out an apple shape, and print the apples using the sides of their fist dipped in paint.

Using red, yellow, and green crayons with the paper peeled off have the children make crayon shavings
 with a pencil sharpener or potato peeler. Turn an iron on a warm setting. Put the apple shapes,
and the crayon shavings on the art table. Sprinkle crayon shavings on one side. Then lay the apple
 on a stack of newspapers, cover it with several pieces of newsprint, and iron the apple until
 the shavings have melted. Take the apple out from underneath the newsprint.

Children paint coffee filters red, green, or yellow with water colors. Add a stem
 and trim a little off the bottom of the filter to make it apple shaped.

Give each child a white paper apple, and finger paints it red. When it's dry, add
 green paper leaves and a brown stem, and glue real apple seeds to the center.

Set out corks and shallow containers filled with red tempera paint.  Give each child an
 apple tree shape cut out of construction paper.  Let the children use the round
 ends of the corks to print "apples" on their tree shapes.

Cut brown construction paper circles with a pinking shears. Let the children
 shake apple pie spices and sugar on it, then mount it on a big doily to look
 like an apple pie. Let the babies play with dollops of apple jelly.

Use red, green, and yellow apple cutouts or stickers (or sponges and paint) to make an apple
 pattern on a sheet of finger-paint paper. Add red, yellow, and green streamers. Roll paper into
 a tube and tape. Punch 4 holes in the top and thread with matching yarn. Hang in the breeze.

You can make paper plate apples a few different ways. Give a child a 9 inch paper plate.
 Have them cut out the shape of a leaf from green paper (you can draw out the leaf for
 them or let them be creative) and this will be added to the apple last. They can make the
 apple red by simply coloring the whole plate red, paining the whole plate red, sponge
 painting the plate red for a textured look, or by tearing up pieces of red construction
 paper and gluing them on the plate for a unique textured 3-D type of look. Don't forget
 to add the leaf. You can also add a piece of brown paper for a stem.

Materials Needed:
1 small paper plate per child
Small amounts of green and brown construction paper for leaves and stem
red, green and yellow construction paper for the apple.

Directions:
Give each child a small paper plate and some green and brown construction paper,
 also their choice of yellow, red or green construction paper for the color of their apple.
 Have them begin with the paper plate turned face side up.  The children tear small
 pieces of their choice of construction paper and fill the plate with them. When their
 plate is filled, they dump out the paper strips, turn the plate over, flatten it and glue
 on the strips so that they cover the back of the plate. Then they tear two leaves
 and a brown steam and glue at the top to create an apple.

Cut a large apple template from a file folder or tag board. Give each child a piece of waxed paper larger than
 your template. Give them red, yellow, green tissue paper to tear or cut into squares. Put white glue slightly
 thinned with water on the waxed paper and have the children cover the waxed paper with the tissue squares.
 When finished have them trace the apple template onto green, red, or yellow construction paper. They cut
 around the template, then you will have to do this next part. Leaving about a 1" frame, cut out the center of
 the apple. Have the children trace the template onto the waxed paper tissue paper and cut out, then glue
 the frame onto the apples. These look really great hanging up, especially where sun can shine through them.

Use two paper plates and have the child color the outside red, yellow or green.
Put the two plates together facing each other so the outside is showing Punch
 two holes in one side and tie together with yarn. Open Apple up and glue apple seeds in
 the middle of the plate. Cut out stem and green leaf cutouts and glue them to your peek-a-boo apple.

Materials Needed:
red, green, and brown construction paper
pattern of an apple
scissors and paste

Directions:
Have children trace and cut out apple pattern. Trace and cut out their own hand on green construction
 paper and cut out. Use the hand cut out as the leaf on the apple, then cut out brown stem.

Use a large piece of bulletin board paper. Draw a tree with branches.
Children can use an apple shaped sponge or use paint and a brush to put
apples on the tree. When paint is dry write the children's names on their
apples. Hang apple tree art in the classroom or on a bulletin board.

Let the children fingerpaint using red, green, and yellow paint.

Different shades of yellow can be obtained by adding small amounts of white paint
 or lighter shades or orange paint for darker shades. Let the children help make
 these different shades and discuss which is lighter and which is darker.

We made apples out of paper plates. The children color the backs of two paper plates
 red and add stems (brown or black) then staple one side together so one side can still
 open then we glued real apple seeds inside. They like to open and close them!!

Materials Needed:
red strips of paper about 1 1/2 " wide
green strip about 3" long and 1" wide
brown strip about 2" long and 1" wide

Directions:
Take the red strip of paper and bend the ends together. Should resemble and apple.
 Bend the green strip and add to the apple. Do not fold paper then stick
 the brown strip in the top. Stick a stapler inside the apple and staple.

I don't know if this would work, but it is a thought I had. Cut an apple shape out of sand paper.
 Color the sand paper green or red with crayon. Then rub a cinnamon stick over the paper to make it
 "smelly". I know the smelly part will work, I am just not sure of how to get it to be a color.

Draw an apple shape - a little more oval through the sides than up and down  on green
 or red construction paper. Cut the apple in half through the sides, not the up and down.
 Cut out a white core. This is shaped like a long rectangle with the ends flared out on each
 side. Glue this between the two apple pieces. Either draw on
 or sponge paint on black seeds in the middle of the core.

Materials Needed:
red, green or yellow paint, (brown & green paint for stem),
paint brush, white construction paper, construction paper  for the frame
 (I usually let the children choose this color),
marker, glue, sequins (red, yellow & green), paint glue pens (3D type) and a picture of each child

Directions:
After each child has chosen the color construction paper they wish for their frame, I cut these out leaving
 a 1 to 1 1/2 in. border. (Older children may cut the frames out but too difficult for younger ones) Each child
 then glues their frame onto the white sheet of construction paper. Then have them choose the color apple
 they wish to have-yellow, red, or green and have them paint only the palm of their hand and press it on the
 right side. Have them wash their hands and paint their little finger brown and press it on the apple for the
 stem. Then paint one fingertip green for the leaf. After washing their hands, have them glue their picture on
 the left. When they have decided who they wish to give this gift to, write, "You are the apple of my eye"
 between the apple and picture, then write the child's name and date near the bottom

Let the children paint using an apple that has been sliced in half.

Paint the child's hand and arm brown, then put on large sheet of paper. Next
 finger paint green leaves and red apples on the top to make an apple tree.

Mix Karo Syrup with red food coloring or paint. Paint shiny red apples.

Add small amounts of water to soap flakes until the desired consistency is
 obtained.  Add red food coloring. Use on finger-paint paper or a tabletop.

Let children make apples out of red play dough, put twigs in and let dry.
 If provider prefers, use a neutral color and then paint the apples.

Finger paint with red finger paint directly on the table surface. With your finger, draw
 an apple, add a stem and leaf. Place construction paper face down on paint and rub gently.
 Peel off carefully. Let dry, cut out, add smile, eyes, nose with black marker. Color stem and leaf.

Draw an apple on the rough side of some sandpaper, draw the outline of an apple and fill
 in with a red crayon (being sure to press hard as you color). Draw on a leaf and stem. Place
 a piece of white paper on the table and put the sandpaper on top of it, drawing side down. Iron with
 a warm iron (making sure the children are at a safe distance) and the print will transfer to the white paper.

Fill a paper bag with leaves and tape closed. Paint the bag red and add a stem and a leaf.

Take two paper plates, and have the children color or paint them, red on one
side and yellow on the other, staple together around the edges, leave an
opening big enough to insert some beans, and fasten shut.

Have a class supply of apple shapes and have children tear pieces of construction
 paper and glue them to the apple shape. Paint the child’s hand green and stamp it
 onto the paper as a leaf. Add the following poem, date it, and have child sign it:

This little apple that you see here
Was made just for you my preschool year.
You'll never see one like it in all this great land,
Because for a leaf I used my own little hand!

Read the story Apple Pigs by Ruth Orback.
 Make an Apple Pig using 2 red apples (one small, one large; 6 toothpicks,
 6 silver ball cake decorations, 1 slice lemon, 1 pipe cleaner, scissors, apple corer of knife.

Hold the large apple on it's side and insert four toothpicks for legs. Cut the small apple in
 half and attach one half to the body with 5 toothpicks (with cut side facing out to make the face).
 Rub the cut side with the lemon slice to keep it from turning brown. Cut a cylindrical shape from
 the remaining apple piece for the snout. Attach with toothpicks. Make holes for nostrils. Make two
 small holes for eyes and insert silver balls. Make slits on top of head and put in leaves to make ears.

Staple two 6" x 12' black construction -paper strips end to end. Glue an apple cutout to the center of the
 band. Staple the band to fit a child's head. Round one end of a 9" x 3" construction-paper rectangle to
 resemble a pot handle. Use a round or apple-shaped hole punch to punch a hole in the rounded end of the
 handle. Fold the opposite end of the handle, creating a tab for gluing. Glue the handle to the headband.

Cut a tree trunk shape out of brown construction paper and glue on to a large sheet
 of white construction paper. Paint tree leaves above tree trunk with green paint (dot paint
 works well for this project). Cut circles out of red construction paper for apples and glue on tree.

Grate green crayon ahead of time. Tear out 1 piece of wax paper approximately
 9" x 9" per child. Fold wax paper in half. Have child sprinkle green crayon
 shavings onto 1/2 of the wax paper. Fold wax paper in half. The teacher will
 iron wax paper to melt crayon. Next have the child glue wax paper to back of
 apple frame. Glue a back to the wax paper for form the back of the frame.
**The frames that I use are what is left over from my die cut machine after I
 have cut out several apples for another project. These frames could also be made by tracing an
 apple pattern onto construction paper squares and then cutting the apple out of the middle.

Peel the apple and leave the stem at the top. Tie a string to the stem.
 Hang in a dry area like a window for a couple of weeks. The apples
 will shrink and wrinkle up like little old ladies. You can make a body
 by putting the heads on small bottles (shampoo, dish soap
etc.) Make a dress out of a piece of fabric. You can even use a small paper clip to make
 glasses. If you don't want the apples to be that brown then dip them in lemon juice first.

Roll up crinkled old butcher paper from the floor up to 3/4 of the wall.
 Take branches and extend it up the wall and the ceiling, make handprints
 for leaves and start out with green leaves. Use palm print apples. The next
 month, green starts coming down and a few of  the yellow and orange go up.
 By November all green is gone and brown appears. By December you should
 have brown only. In January there are no leaves and the tree comes down.
 To make the apples for it, paint only the palm of the child's hand red, cut out and post.

Green watercolor pencils or crayons
White construction paper
Cups of clean water
Paintbrushes
Brown paint
Red paint

Use pencils or crayons to make treetops by scribbling some lines and circles on the construction
 paper, covering an area approximately the size of a saucer. Once this is done, give the children cups
 of clean water and paintbrushes. Tell them to paint with water over the scribbled section. This will make
 the scribbling spread to fill in the white spaces so it looks like the leaves on trees. Let the pictures dry.

Invite one child at a time to come to your table. Spread some brown paint onto the child's hand and wrist.
 Ask the child to hold his fingers apart. Guide his hand to make a print halfway on and halfway below the
 painted treetop. The print from the fingers should look like the branches of the tree,
 and the wrist print should look like the tree's trunk Set out red paint in a shallow container.
 Show them how to dip the pointer finger into the paint and make a print with it.

Fold a 12x18 sheet of white construction paper into four sections.
 For each section, tear a paper trunk from brown paper, and glue on.
 Tear thin branches -- or draw them with brown crayon or marker.
 Label the four sections at the bottom, in this order: spring, summer,
fall, and winter. For spring, attach 1 inch squares of green tissue paper,
Scrunched over the tip of a pencil and dipped in glue. For summer, tear
 green construction paper into small pieces and glue on in a mosaic pattern.
  Top with tiny paper punch apples. For fall, attach fall colored square
 of tissue paper. For winter, leave the branches bare.

Make a stencil for apples and worms and let the student make a rubbing
 over the stencil with crayons to make the magic picture appear.

Teach the children how to make a large Y on the blue paper representing a tree
 trunk and branches and then they sponge paint green leaves or tear green
 construction paper leaves and then they index finger print red apples on the tree.

Small water balloons
Red Tissue paper
Green and Brown Construction paper
String
Liquid starch
Paintbrush
Scissors

Blow up the balloons to about half their size. Cut the red tissue paper into small strips. Then tie a string
 to the knot in the balloon. Now place a strip over the balloon and paint it with the liquid starch. Keep doing
 this till the balloon has a few layers on it. Then hang it to dry at least overnight, maybe more. Now cut out a
 stem from brown paper, and a Leaf from the green. When the balloon is dray take a pin and stick it through
 the tissue paper and pop the balloon. Now pull the balloon parts out of the tissue apple. You will now need
 to re-glue the string inside the apple. Once that dries you can glue on the stem and the leaf, and hang.

Inflate balloons to the size of an apple. Cut red tissue paper into strips (about 1" by 4").
 Cover the balloon with a light coat of Vaseline. Dip strips of tissue paper into diluted glue
 but don't let them soak. Stick them on balloons. These take about 24 hours to dry.
 When they are dry, you can pop the balloon with a pin and remove the balloon.

Many children will really enjoy painting with crab apples that are inedible.
 Start by using all five senses to explore each part of the apple. Have the children place an
 apple in a shallow amount of paint in a bowl.  Each child picks up an apple by the stem
 and places it within a lid of a box that is lined with paper.  The children manipulate the
 box so that the apples roll back and forth vertically and horizontally.  Talk about its spherical
 shape as it rolls.  This is very similar to marble painting but you are using an apple instead.

Paint the palm of the hand, red.  Press the palm down on construction paper. Paint the thumb
 of their hand, green.  Press their thumb down to make the stem/ leaf of the bitten apple shape.

Fabric bag
Newspaper
Fabric paint- red, green & brown
Paint brush
Apple

Fold over newspaper and insert it into the fabric bag, laying it flat so the paint will not seep through.
  With a brush, use brown paint to fashion a tree trunk and let dry.  Then use a horizontally
 cut apple to make leaves by brushing a thin layer of green fabric paint onto the apple and
 pressing it around the top of the trunk.  Repeat several times (make sure to look for star in the print!)
 After the green paint dries; cut an apple in half vertically.  Pick the side that still
 has the stem and brush with red fabric paint. Then “hang” juicy apples on the tree.

Spin a paper plate on the record player while the child holds different
 colored markers on for a great look. Then cut small wave on the top and bottom
 for an apple look, then they pasted green leaves and brown stem in the middle!

Cut a sponge to look like a tree trunk. Cut apple shapes out of sponge. On white paper, place the tree trunk
 sponge (dipped in brown paint) on paper. Use fingers to press on leaves with green paint. Sponge red apples
 onto the paper for family members. After it dries, family member names may be printed near apples with
 fine tip black marker. These are gorgeous especially when packed with colored paper. (Try dark blue.)

Make a blob of black or brown paint on white construction paper. Blow through a straw to
 make the paint spread out to form branches of a tree. When the paint is dry, use small pieces
 of red tissue paper made into little balls to glue on the branches to make apples on the tree.

The children paint a small paper plate an apple color (red, yellow, green).
 Then, when it is dry, the teacher punches holes around the edges and adds
 stems.  The children take brown yarn and weave it in and out of the holes. 

Fine- grain sandpaper
Scissors
White paper
Crayons
Cinnamon oil or vanilla
An iron
Old towel

Before class cut out the sandpaper into apple shapes (one for each child) be sure each sandpaper
 apple is at least 3” across. Set out crayons and give each child a sandpaper apple to color.
  Encourage the children to press hard while coloring.  As children color their apples, heat the
 iron to low.  Be sure the iron is out of the children’s reach.  When the apples are colored, hand
 each child a sheet of white paper, and then help the children to fold the paper in half. Demonstrate
 how to slide a sandpaper apple between the fold.  Place the folded papers contain the colored
 apples under a towel. Iron gently over the towel for 30 seconds.  Make sure children to do not
 touch the iron. Let the children unfold their papers to reveal “bumpy” apple pictures.  Then invite
 children to put a drop or two of scented oil on their sand paper apples to make them smell good.
*These scented sandpaper apples make great sachets for dresser drawers or family car.

Red paint
Toothbrushes
White construction paper cut into large apple shapes (approx. 10 x 10)
Green construction paper cut into stems

Have the kids paint their apples with the toothbrushes.
 They will glue the stem on the apple where they think it goes

Cut large apple shapes out of butcher paper and spray on puffs of shaving cream.
 Then sprinkle on powdered red tempera and let the children Fingerprint on their apple shapes.
When the shapes have dried, attach green construction paper leaves to the top of each apple

Cut the apple in half to reveal the star of seeds (cut the apple the night before and allow
 to dry out a little bit for best results), paint the apple (using tempera paint and a paper towel in a plate)
 and print. Print the following poem on the paper:

In every apple near and far,
There is a special little star!

Take photos of the kids a few days before. Get prints back for this activity. Head shots are really
 the best, but you can do the full child too. Read the story by Dr Seuss to the children. Have them
 glue their photo on to a construction paper, give each child 10 apple stickers to place on top of
 their pictures head. I also use a plastic apple and let each child try to hold it on their head.

Pre-K Fun Theme Pages are for educational reference only! 
No copyright infringement is intended.
I do not claim any of these as my own ideas.  
They are shared from friends and fellow group members.  
Thanks for sharing all your great ideas!