Hello back to school season and planning season. It’s apple week! We have a big apple tree in our backyard that is FULL of apples this year. They aren’t the best for eating, but they work great for cooking. Honestly, I don’t even know what kind of apples we have, it came with the house. Now that it’s apple season, it’s the perfect time to add the apple themed fine motor and gross motor activities to your classroom, home, or therapy sessions! 
Apple Themed Fine Motor and Gross Motor Planning Ideas
Start your apple week right with a fun gross motor activity. Johnny Appleseed is perfect for apple week and so are Johnny Appleseed moves. These fun cards are easy to implement pretty much at anytime as the moves are designed to be fast, fun, and effective! Check out all of the ideas in the Johnny Appleseed moves post and be sure to check out the video! You can get the Johnny Appleseed Brain Break Cards ready made for you in the shop.
What’s great about these as you don’t need any equipment and can socially distance appropriately give the space.
The Apple Life Cycle
Nothing is better than combining movement with learning. This can easily be done while playing the apple life cycle game! The beauty of this game is that you can play it digitally on your tablet, computer, interactive whiteboard, or screen cast it OR you have the option to print it and use it that way too. This game works in all ways!
See the Apple Life Cycle Game played in digital format! This game can be played in PowerPoint, Google Slides, or play it right in the PDF file.
Apple Play Dough Mats
Combining counting skills and fine motor skills with apple themed play dough mats. Get these in the Apple Themed Fine Motor Pack.
Apple Clip Cards
Another great way to work on fine motor skills and one to one counting at the same time. Get these in the Apple Themed Fine Motor Pack.
APPLE PICKING GROSS MOTOR GAME
Go digital and play the Apple Picking Gross Motor Digital Game. This game can be played on a tablet, computer, or interactive whiteboard. It is a great option for in the classroom, distance learning, teletherapy and beyond! The best part about this game is that not only can it be played in a digital manner, but you can print and play too. This is a big hit with my kids!
GET THE APPLE PICKING GROSS MOTOR GAME
This game is fun not only playing in a digital manner, but can also be played by printing it out!
Apple Pom Transfer
Transfer the correct number of poms onto the apples, Use a tongs, your hand, a spoon etc. to vary how the poms are transferred. This could even be fun using a larger seed such as a sunflower seed and calling it an “apple seed” transfer. Get these in the Apple Themed Fine Motor Pack.
Don’t forget how easy it is to add a gross motor component to this game as well. The balance beam is a great way to do this. Have a designated apple number at the end of the balance beam. Bringing one pom at a time walk across the beam until you have filled your apple.
Repeat this until you have filled up the poms corresponding with the number on your apple!
OR
try clips!
Apple Hop
The apple hop game is a fun way to get the wiggles out with an apple theme. The kids move from apple to apple while the music is playing. When the music stops they must perform the move on their apple. It can also be played in musical chairs fashion! Grab the apple hop cards in the members only product library.
This is a great option to put up around the room as well as stations. This allows for social distancing and no touch is necessary!
Apple Counting
The Apple Counting Movement Gross Motor Game is the perfect way to work on one to one correspondence and movement at the same time. This can be played on a computer, tablet or interactive whiteboard. Play it on it’s own or use it as a station or part of an obstacle course.
Apple Pre-Writing
Now it’s time to put those fine motor skills to work with pre-writing tasks. Pre-writing skills are lines and strokes that need to be mastered BEFORE learning how to print the alphabet. Each is developed in a sequence. Get these in the Apple Themed Fine Motor Pack.
- Laminate and cut out pre-writing strips.
- Use a dry erase marker for writing so it can easily be wiped off lamination and re-used again.
- Pre-writing strips can be practiced in multiple ways.
- Use of fingers to follow lines.
- Follow the lines with a paint brush
- Use materials such as Wiki Stix to go over lines and shapes.
- Follow the lines with pipe cleaners.
- Follow the lines with manipulatives.
Apple Scissor Skills
Work on scissor skills with the apple fine motor cutting. Cut squares of paper out in the color you desire for your apple..Glue the paper onto the apple. Color in apple stem. Get this in the Apple Themed Fine Motor Pack.
Apple Eye-Hand Coordination
The apple toss is a fun game that works on eye hand coordination. This game can be played with the apples up on the wall and a bean bag is tossed at the apples OR the apples can be placed on the floor and the bean bag is tossed at the apples. See where your bean bag lands and do the move written on that apple. See more on the apple toss gross motor game.
Get This Game In The Fall Themed Movement Games.
If bean bags are off limits, use these to create stations or have them on the floor and have the kids run towards them (not touch them). Pick them up as they perform the activity until they are all gone.
Apple Themed Pencil Control
Challenge pencil control with the apple themed pencil control strips. ‘Get these in the Apple Themed Fine Motor Pack.
Pencil strips can be practiced in multiple ways.
- Use of fingers to follow lines.
- Follow the lines with a paint brush
- Use materials such as Wiki Stix to go over lines and shapes.
- Follow the lines with pipe cleaners.
- Follow the lines with manipulatives.
Apple Tree Balance Game
This is such a fun way to work on balance! Walk the apple tree and pick the apples.
This can also be done by just walking the apple tree with no picking necessary.
Work on pencil control in even more fun ways. The cool thing about these is that they can be done as table top activities OR you can add a gross motor component to them as well. A vertical surface is another great way to utilize these sheets.
A great tip is to laminate and use a dry erase marker so that you can use these over and over again. I’ve found that a magic eraser works fantastic to wipe away previous work and start more!
You can also go non-traditional and instead of tracing use stickers or poms along the lines. Even wiki sticks are a great option. The options are not limited to pen and pencil!
Try these apple themed tracing sheets, mazes, and connect the dots worksheets! Get these in the Apple Themed Fine Motor Pack.
Add a gross motor component to these worksheets. The Bosu is my favorite way to add this component, but something as simple as working in half kneel or tall kneel on a vertical surface is great for shoulder and core strength!
Apple Basket Gross Motor Games
Use red bean bags and challenge your balance and strength with these fun apple balance games including squatting, jumping, twisting and more. All great ways to work on motor skills while getting the apples in the basket.
No bean bags allowed? Try “apples” that can be recycled such as scrap paper that is a one time use. Use a circle on the ground in chalk or tape to create your basket.
Apple Themed Resources From Pink Oatmeal
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL APPLE THEMED RESOURCES
