Apple Life Cycle Craft
Do you want to add a fun, hands-on activity to your lesson on the life cycle of an apple? Look no further than my Apple Life Cycle Craft! This craft is a perfect addition to your fall lessons and engages your child in a fun, creative way.
Check this list of apple activities for kids for more ideas on how to make your apple lover happy.
This craft is an excellent way to introduce your children to the natural world and help them understand how the food they eat is grown.
As they create the craft, they will be able to see and touch each stage of the life cycle, making the concept more tangible and memorable.
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What is the life cycle of an apple?
The apple life cycle consists of four main stages: seed, sapling, tree, and fruit.
In the seed stage, the apple’s life begins as a tiny seed that contains all the necessary genetic information to grow into a mature tree. In the sapling stage, the young apple tree starts to take shape, growing roots and leaves.
As the tree grows, it moves into the tree stage, where it can produce fruit. Lastly, as the tree reaches maturity, it moves into the fruit stage, where it can bear fruits such as apples.
The apple life cycle is a natural and fascinating process that allows us to see the cycle of life.
Recommended Apple Books
Bring apples into your homeschool with any of these fun apple books. See how they grow or how you can turn them into treats. We’re fans of apple bread and apple chips.
Hello, World! How Do Apples Grow?Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple PieTen Apples Up On Top!Apples (New & Updated Edition)Apples for Everyone (Picture the Seasons)Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship
Why Kids Should Learn the Apple Life Cycle
Understanding how apples grow from seeds to fruit gives kids a real-world look at science right in their kitchen or backyard. It’s an easy concept to tie into seasons, healthy eating, and even a fall trip to the orchard. I’ve found that kids are naturally curious about how things grow, and when you show them how an apple changes over time, it just clicks. When mine were younger, we used apple slices during snack time to talk about seeds and fruit, and it always turned into a bigger conversation.
It’s also one of those science topics that blends well with other subjects. You can use it to work on sequencing, vocabulary, labeling, writing, and more, all with one theme. If you’re teaching in a multi-age homeschool setting, it’s helpful to have a topic like this that you can adjust up or down. My daughter did a more detailed version in early elementary, and my boys were into it when they were younger too. It’s a flexible subject that fits well in fall or during any plant science unit.
Recommended Fall Printable Packs
Print out these fun, fall-themed worksheets! Your kids are sure to enjoy learning with the exciting activities included in each pack.
Apple Life Cycle Craft Supplies
- Printer (I have this one) for the template
- Paper plate
- Red acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Colored paper (black, green, red, and brown)
- White paper
- Scissor
- Glue
- Marker
I have the HP printer 8710, but it’s no longer available. It’s been running well for years now. Consider another HP Instant Ink-ready printer so that you can use their program to send you ink cartridges whenever your printer gets low on ink.
Pureegg Paper Plates 9 inch – 150 Packs, 100% Compostable & Disposable Plates, Heavy Duty Paper Plates for Dinner or Lunch, Sturdy Dinner Plates, Sugarcane Fiber Party Plates, White Paper PlatesGOTIDEAL Acrylic Paint Scarlet Red Tubes(120ml, 4.1 oz) Non Toxic Non Fading,Rich Pigments for Painters, Adults & Kids, Ideal for Canvas Wood Clay Fabric Ceramic Craft Supplies (ScarletNeenah Astrobrights® Bright Color Paper, Letter Size Paper, 24 Lb, FSC Certified, Assorted Mini Pack, Pack Of 200 SheetsLIVINGO 5Elmer’s bundle Washable Liquid School Glue, White, Dries Clear, 4 fl oz Plus Disappearing Purple Elmer’s School Glue Stick, 7g, 2pkSHARPIE Permanent Markers Variety Pack, Featuring Fine, Ultra-Fine, and Chisel-Point Markers, Black, 6 Count
Making the Apple Life Cycle Craft
We’ve made a lot of paper plate crafts over the years, and this apple life cycle one was a solid win during our fall science week. I prepped some of the pieces ahead of time when my daughter was younger, especially the smaller bits like seeds and tiny apples.
She helped with painting and gluing, and we used it as a chance to talk through each stage while putting the shapes in order. It wasn’t just a craft. It actually helped her remember how apples grow. She liked choosing the colors for each part and ended up adding her own little details with colored pencils, which turned out really cute.
What surprised me the most was how focused she stayed during the whole process. Sometimes crafts can get messy or feel rushed, but this one gave us space to slow down. She asked good questions about why the seed came before the sprout, or how long it takes a tree to actually grow apples.
We didn’t finish it in one sitting, but that worked out better anyway because the paint needed time to dry. The next day, she came back excited to finish the last part. I saved her final version for our fall science wall that year, and we even used it as a reference when we read apple-themed books later on.
Ways to Take the Apple Life Cycle Craft Further
If your kids are engaged and want to keep going, here are a few hands-on ways to make the most out of this apple life cycle theme:
- Apple Worksheets for Elementary – This apple worksheet pack adds in math and writing practice using the same apple theme, which helps keep learning consistent across subjects
- Apple Investigation Worksheet – Use this observation sheet while cutting up different apple varieties to compare color, texture, and taste
- Create a 3D Apple Life Cycle Model using clay or felt. My daughter used felt pieces in second grade, and we hot-glued them onto a paper plate. It made a fun wall display we kept up through the fall.
- Go outside and look for apple trees if you’re near an orchard or even a neighbor’s yard. Real-life observation always helps the concepts stick better
More Apple Activities
If you’re looking for more hands-on ideas, I’ve put together a list of other apple activities we’ve enjoyed that pair well with this craft.
- Apple Art Activities for Preschoolers
- Apple Activities for Preschool
- Apple Activities for Kindergarten
- Apple Life Cycle Coloring Pages
- Apple Coloring Sheets for Toddlers
- Johnny Appleseed Craft by Homeschool Preschool
- Yarn Apples by 3 Dinosaurs
Apple Life Cycle Craft
Equipment
- Acrylic Paint in Bright Red
- Tru-Ray Colored Paper
- 35 All Purpose Paint Brushes Value Pack
Materials
- Template provided
- Paper plate
- Red acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Colored paper black, green, red, and brown
- White paper
- Scissor
- Glue
- Marker
Instructions
- Cut a little curve from the top and bottom parts of the paper plate to make an apple-shape.
- Paint the shape red. Make sure it's dried up for the next step.
- Start cutting the green and brown colored paper into the shape of the leaf and the stem. Attach them to the apple.
- Make a slightly smaller circle that can fit inside the apple by cutting a bond paper. Glue it nicely to the apple.
- Using the template, start cutting the shapes. Use black paper on seeds, green on plants and trees, brown on the trunk of the tree, and little red circles for the apple fruit.
- Glue the shapes on the bond paper on top of the apple according to the apple life cycle stages.
- Draw some arrows in between the stages. Now, you're all done!
So what are you waiting for? Try the Apple Life Cycle Craft today and watch your child’s love for learning grow like an apple tree!