I love the excitement of a new school year and the beginning of the fall season. One thing that has become a tradition in our homeschool is our ongoing study of nature and beginning our new school year with the study of apples. Apples are the first unit in Treehouse Nature Study and it always marks a distinct end to the summer and ushers all of the excitement of the autumn season. 

In this blog post I am sharing some of our favorite apple unit study activities from Treehouse Nature Study and how we do a Charlotte Mason unit study in our homeschool.

In this blog post:

• How to do a Charlotte Mason-inspired unit study
• Favorite apple-themed living books for children
• Apple music, poetry, and art study for kids
• Apple-themed activities for preschoolers
• Apple-themed language arts and science activities for kids
• Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum from Treehouse Schoolhouse

How to do a Charlotte Mason-inspired unit study

When people refer to the Charlotte Mason method, they are referring to a way of teaching and living, rather than a specific curriculum. The Charlotte Mason method focuses on learning through living books that inspire further learning and educating the whole child through a feast of learning opportunities including literature, art, poetry, and time spent outdoors.

When planning a unit study for your children, drawing from the Charlotte Mason method is an intentional way to explore a subject and make learning unique and meaningful for your children, plus make special memories together. Enjoy what Charlotte Mason would call a “feast of learning activities” as you study through the lens of poetry, art, language arts and more. You can easily tailor this experience to what your children are more inclined to by choosing activities and books that will spark their imagination as you learn together.

Favorite apple-themed living books for children

Here are some of my favorite books to read when learning about apples. For more living book lists, browse our free book lists for more book titles and inspiration for your homeschool. Browse our curated list of apple books on Amazon.

Apple-themed picture books and fiction books for kids

• The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons
• The Apple Doll by Elisa Kleven
• The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson
• Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss
• How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Majorie Priceman
• The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
• The Biggest Apple Ever by Steven Kroll
• Five Bizzy Honey Bees by Lance Douglas
• The Apple Cake by Nienke van Hichtum
• Applesauce Day by Lisa J. Amstutz
• No Ordinary Apple: A Story About Mindful Eating by Sara Marlowe
• Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg

Apple-themed non-fiction books for kids

• Apples by Gail Gibbons
• How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
• One Red Apple by Harriet Ziefert
• Apples by Jacqueline Farmer
• Canning for Kids: The Canning and Preserving Adventure by Well-Being Publishing
• Apple: A Global History by Erika Janik

Reference books for studying apples with kids

• Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
• Food Anatomy by Julia Rothman
• Farm Anatomy by Julia Rothman
• Smithsonian Children’s Encyclopedia
• Everything You Need to Know to Ace Science

For more autumn picture books, check out our Abundant Autumn Picture Booklist.

Apple music, poetry, and art study for kids

Part of the way we do nature study is gathering together for poems, hand-rhymes, and singing little songs around the theme of apples. There is something for everyone – my older children can read-aloud or practice reciting poems from memory, my little children can laugh and play as we sing folk songs and do simple hand rhymes together, and we can all listen to poetry read-aloud and consider different classical art together. It makes for a sweet time to join together for learning.

Apple-themed folk songs, hand rhymes, and music for kids

Music and hand-rhymes are a sweet and simple way to involve little kids in learning. Over the years I have found that starting our learning time with music and movement is a fun way to engage little kids while letting them get the wiggles out and settle into learning. 

Here are some sweet apple-themed hand rhymes for kids to learn together.

Way Up High in the Apple Tree from Treehouse Story School: Preschool

The Apple Tree from Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years

You can also browse our Spotify playlists for more apple songs and fall tunes.

Apple-themed poems for kids

I love the poem An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away from Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years. My older children will read and memorize Poemology by Anselm Hollo from Treehouse Nature Study, Intermediate Years. I also like to browse books of poetry and other poems that align with the season, like Apple Song by Frances Ford in Julie Andrews’ Treasury for All Seasons.

Apple-themed picture study for children

I love to display classical works of artwork in our homeschool space that my children can look at throughout the day. We will also take time to look at art together. We will look at the artwork and play Hide & Describe, an exercise where they look at the artwork for a few moments and then I take it away and ask them to describe what they saw. We will also learn about the painter or the style of painting and talk about it together. We may compare the artwork with more pieces of that style, or look at other well-known works of art by the artist.

Over the years we have enjoyed looking at Dish of Apples by Paul Cézanne in Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years and Apple Gatherers by Camille Pissarro from Treehouse Nature Study, Intermediate Years. 

We may also get out paints, markers, or pastels and try to replicate the image.

Apple-themed activities for preschoolers

Studying apples is a simple way to engage toddlers and preschoolers in learning. There are so many ways to use a study of apples to learn about letters, early math skills, practice fine motor skills and do hands-on projects together. Here are some ideas for little kids and preschoolers, ages 3-5. 

• Narrate The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree with the Storytelling Pieces from Treehouse Story School: Preschool and watch the tree change with the seasons.
• Give your child a bowl of 10 apples. Show them how to take one apple at a time out of the bowl and place them in a line. As they line up the apples, encourage them to count them aloud.
• Practice peeling an apple with an apple peeler. After peeling, slice the apple and sprinkle cinnamon on it or dip in peanut butter for a snack.
• Cut samples of different types of apples and conduct a taste test. Ask your child to rate each apple on a scale of 1 to 5 based on their preference. Discuss flavors using terms like sour, sweet, and bitter.
• Cut open 2-3 apples with your child and carefully collect the seeds of each. Cut the apples horizontally so the apple seed star is revealed. Which apple had the most seeds? Which has the least? Count the seeds together.
• Draw the letter A on paper with a pencil. Help your child squeeze white glue on the letter and then place the apple seeds on the glue to make an Apple Seed A.
• Brush red or green paint to the flesh side of one half of a horizontally cut apple. Then, press it onto white paper to create apple star prints.
• Make the Apple Blossom Wreath from Treehouse Story School: Preschool.

Apple-themed language arts and science activities for kids

Use an apple unit study to learn about science, nature, and practice language arts writing skills. This list is a variety of activities for elementary to middle school learners. Many activities can be done with multiple age levels, or choose activities that suit your child’s learning needs or interests best.

• Apple Dissection Activity: Cut open the apples and separate and label the parts, using the Anatomy of an Apple Display Sheet and Worksheet from Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years. Observe and discuss the life cycle of an apple together.
• Apple Tasting: Slice up a few varieties of apples and compare the flavor, texture, and color of each variety. Use the Varieties of Apples Display Sheet from Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years to help you identify each.
• Apple Pie Baking: Use your favorite recipe or the Apple Pie Recipe from Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years to bake an apple pie together.
• Apple Picking: If possible, take a day trip to an apple orchard to experience picking apples. Another option would be to visit a farmer’s market or grocery store to observe all of the varieties available.
• Homemade Apple Sauce: Make homemade applesauce using your favorite recipe or the recipe from Treehouse Nature Study, Intermediate Years. If you’d like, take it a step further and preserve it by canning.
• Research and writing: Do research through reference books or online and write a description of the health benefits of apples and ideas for including them in your diet.
• Research nutrition labels: Research and compare nutrition facts for common apple foods such as raw apples, apple juice, applesauce, etc.
• Apple Oxidation Experiment: Perform the Apple Oxidation Experiment from Treehouse Nature Study, Intermediate Years. Make predictions on how liquids affect the oxidation process on apple slices, test, and observe findings. Present your findings to your family members or friends.

Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum from Treehouse Schoolhouse

Treehouse Story School: Preschool

Treehouse Story School: Preschool is a gentle, literature-based preschool curriculum that invites children to learn through the themes in stories they love. Each week will focus on a picture book, inviting children into connection and learning through music and movement, play-based narration, alphabet and number play, motor skills, practical life development, crafts, and baking together.

Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years

Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years is a seasonal nature study curriculum designed with family-style learning in mind. It is a gentle guide meant to invite various ages to connect with each other and the world around them through living books, nature notebooking, hands-on projects, and beauty subjects such as poetry, picture study, and folk songs. From preschool through upper middle school, it appeals to every age and is easily used with multiple ages at the same time. 

Treehouse Nature Study, Intermediate Years

Treehouse Nature Study, Intermediate Years is a nature study curriculum geared for grades 4th-8th. Experience a seasonal study that invites your older children to connect with each other and the world around them through living books, nature notebooking, hands-on projects, poetry, and picture study. Deepen your child’s learning through advanced language arts and scientific experiments.

Will you study apples in your homeschool this year? Share your favorite ideas in the comments below.