Have the children guess how many apples are in your basket, then
 count the apples as a group to see who had the closest guess.

Make a large flannel apple tree. Follow directions given at Sharing Time and
make several different colored apples. Let children count the number of
apples on the tree or let them name the colors.

Hold up an apple and ask the children to predict the number of seeds that will be found inside.
  Cut the apple open and count the seeds with the children.  Have them compare the number
 of seeds with their predictions.  Try the experiment with another apple.  Does it have the same
 number of seeds as the first one?  Try the same experiment using a different colored apple.

Children can help you sort apples by type, color or size. Make a class graph using different
 colored apple cut-outs to represent the apples you have. Children can count to see which
 has more, which has least and which have the same amount.

Five little apples in the bowl, (hold up five fingers)
One fell out and started to roll. (rotate fists.)
It bumped the table and hit my feet, (clap hands)
How many apples left to eat?  (wave fists in the air)

Give each child one half of an apple. Next each child can find the partner who has the matching half.
  Once children have found their partner, have them sit together and dig the seeds out. They can put
 their seeds together and count how many there are, OR, older children can keep their piles  separate
 and make math sentences telling about the seeds in their apple (for example, 3 seeds + 2 seeds = 5 seeds.)

Have an Apple Tasting party, providing children with apples in the following forms: whole raw apples,
 apple sauce (you can make homemade applesauce as a group! See recipe on recipe page), apple pie,
 and apple juice. Each child can try each item, then....Make a large class graph entitled "How Do You
 Like Your Apples?" Title each column with a word and draw a corresponding picture such as: Raw,
Sauce, Pie, Juice etc. Children can come up to the graph one at a time and put their name tag in
 the column they choose. Have a discussion to determine which column has the most, least, same.

Read the book, "Ten Apples Up on Top" by Dr. Seuss. Have children draw a picture of themselves.
 Then they can glue apple cut-outs on top of their heads, (the ones they've drawn!). Have each child
 count the apples on their picture for you, and write (or have them write) the number on the page.
 You can bind each child's picture to make a class book and give each child a turn to take it home.
 This is a fun activity that encourages them to count the apples on each page!

Review numbers during circle time with this super sensory idea.  Create a counting box
 by filling a small plastic tub with a sensory material, such as rice, sand, or dried beans.
  Each day, bury a specific number of mini apple erasers in the tub.  Write the corresponding
 numeral and draw a matching set of dots on a small dry-erase board.  Place the board near the tub.
  Ask a volunteer to identify the numeral on the board; then have him/her find the corresponding
 number of erasers.  After completing the activity at circle time, hide the erasers again
 and make the box and board available at your sensory center during free play.

Combine rhyme and numbers in this seasonal group activity.  To prepare, cut ten apple
 shapes from red construction paper.  Label each apple with a numeral from 1 to 10.  Tape
 a craft stick handle to each apple.  Then tape a two inch long piece of green pipe cleaner
 (a worm) to the back of one apple.  At circle time, have ten children stand in front of the
 class and give each one an apple cutout.  Have students recite the following poem; then
 have a child try to find the worm by naming a numbered apple.  Direct the child holding that
 apple to answer yes or no and show the back of it.  Continue the activity until a child
 finds the worm.  Then collect the apples, move the worm, and play again.

Ten red apples growing on a tree-
Five for you and five for me.
There's one little worm that you can't see.
Where, oh, where can that little worm be?

Draw a tree shape on 5 sheets of paper. Write a number from 1 to 5 under each tree.
 Cut 15 apple shapes from red construction paper. Children identify the numbers
 below the trees and place the corresponding number of apples on them.

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.  After the paint has dried, use the prints for counting.

Cut out construction paper apples of various sizes and colors and have the children sort them.

Children make patterns with die cut or real red, green, and yellow apples.

Children color, cut out and glue on to construction paper strips of the sequence of eating an apple.
 Copy a paper that has three apples on it, first a whole apple, then one with a bite out of it, then just
 the apple core.  Have the  kids color it, cut out the apples then glue on the strip of construction paper.

Ask each child to bring an apple to school, but don't specify what kind or color.
Graph the apples by color, using  diecut apples on the graph (as mentioned above).
 For older children, write sentences about your graph, telling how many of each color, 
 and which color has the most, the least, fewer, greater, more than and less than. 

Have an apple tasting, and graph each child's favorite color apple.

Glue a felt tree shape to each of five cardboard squares.  Write a number from 1 to 5 under
 each tree.  Cut fifteen apple shapes out of felt.  To play the game have the children take turns
 identifying the numbers below and placing the corresponding number of apples on them.

Cut a apple in half, paint with red paint STAMP on one and write the word ONE on the first piece of paper
next page STAMP 2 apples and write TWO  ETC. till you have 10 pages  you have just made an
APPLE COUNTING BOOK

Materials Needed:
Real apples or pictures of apples of different sizes.

Directions:
Have the children line the apples in a row from largest to smallest or from smallest to largest.

Note:
For younger children start with 3 apples, challenge older students with more apples

Materials Needed:
Real apples (I use different color/type apples) and knife (used by adult only)

Directions:
Graph with each child's name at the top and approx. 10 rows going down, crayons
 (I use a different color crayon for each child) Cut an apple open for each child and
 have them dig the seeds out, count them and color the number rows as the number
 seeds they have. Have the children compare who had the most seeds, who had the
 least amount of seeds. Did anyone have the same number of seeds. Then look
 and compare the results for just yellow apples, red apples and green apples.

Apples prints with the numbers, they connected the dots to form a number, then glue each
 number apple on a color paper, glue apple die cuts on the colored paper under the apple numbers.

I cut out about 10 apples each of red, green and yellow. I use construction paper and the
 Ellison machine to make it easy. I proceed to cut the leaf off some, the stem off others and
 a bite out of some. I use these for patterning, color recognition, same/different, more/less,
 sorting by color and/or feature and, if you add dice, you have a simple math game
 (just have them roll and take that many apples from the pile).

Talk about the size of apples: Large, Medium and Small

Using a balance scale weigh apples against blocks or something.
 Then ask the children how you could let some juice out. Bring it around
 to peeling the apple, I use my peeler and measure the strip, so some of the juice will evaporate.

Before peeling have the children brainstorm what will happen when the apple is peeled.
 Will it weigh less? What will happen if we leave it for several days?

After peeling reweigh, take out some blocks so it's even. Then leave alone.
 Have the children observe and make note of changes.

The apples will lose weight by end of day.

Draw a large apple print on poster board. Cut a real apple in 1/2 and ask each child to guess how many
 apple prints it will take to go around the outside (perimeter) of the apple. Write their estimations on apple
 shaped paper and compare to actual number it takes with the children taking turns doing the prints. Next
 have them guess how many prints it will take to fill the inside of the apple and let them help with the printing!

You can have your class taste the difference between apple juice and apple cider.
 After they have sampled it, you can make a graph of which drink each child likes better.

Share the story Ten Apples Up On Top by Theo LeSieg (Random House, Inc).
 This wild, rhyming story about critters that balance apples on their heads will have your students
 in stitches! After reading the story, create a class book your youngsters will want to read again and again.

For each page, you'll need a 7 1/4" x 28" piece of poster board (a standard sheet cut lengthwise into thirds).
 To prepare the book, program each page with a head and shoulders photo of a student in the class.
 Then duplicate and cut out a large supply of construction paper apples. Assign each child a number
 beginning with one and going as high as the number of students in your class. (For a fun way to assign
 the numbers write them on slips and have each student draw from an apple shaped basket.)

Each child then completes his page by counting out the assigned number of apple cutouts and gluing
 them to his page above the photo. Assist each child in writing his name and the correct number on the
 bottom along with the phrase: "________ has ______ apples up on top." If the children are able, have
 them number the apples as well. Print the title "We Have Apples Up on Top" on a cover. Punch two
 holes in the top of each page, place them in numerical order and bind the book with metal key rings.

Try to estimate how many seeds are in an apple and how many
 marbles are in a clear job. Which is easier to estimate and why?

Measure the circumference of different sized apples. Line up the apples from largest to smallest.