Apple Tree Gross Motor Game

We’re kicking off this year’s Virtual Book Club for Kids with an apple theme. Our Apple Tree Gross Motor Game is a fun way to get kids moving and practicing numbers. I made yarn apples to go along with our game. Be sure to check out all of the apple themed activities inspired by Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins. I get commissions for purchases made through the affiliate links in this post.

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins

In Ten Red Apples, the farmer is trying to convince the animals to save some apples for him. Yippee, fiddle-dee-fee! Count down the apples one by one as the animals each take an one. Will the farmer or his wife be left with any apples to eat? The animal sounds and farmer’s fiddle-dee-fee make my kids giggle.

Apple Tree Gross Motor Game

I made our apple tree using a big cardboard box from Ikea. I actually cut the box in half because I didn’t want it to be taller than the kids could reach. I sketched a quick tree and painted it. The kids could totally help with the painting part. Once the paint dried, I used a utility knife to cut out the tree (obviously a job for a grown-up). To make holes in the tree, I traced a cup and again used the utility knife. (My daughter loves playing with the green cardboard circles. We may use them for a future activity.)

The apple tree has ten holes to represent the ten red apples from the book. I made our own apples out of yarn using this apple yarn favor post from Make and Takes for inspiration. I didn’t want Elon (he’s 17 months old) to have pipe cleaners, so I used more yarn to tie the apples together.

The goal of the apple tree gross motor game is to get kids moving. Run and grab an apple. Toss it into the tree. It’s also perfect for adding in other learning skills. Work on letters, numbers, sight words, or even math problems.

I added post it notes with numbers to the apple tree. I encouraged Lily (age 3) to throw the apples through the apple tree. We talked about the numbers as the apples went through.

I placed the apple basket away from the tree and had her grab an apple and place it through one of the holes. I called out a number and she chose the correct hole.

Elon had fun playing, too. He gathered apples from the ground and placed them in the basket. He also put the apples through the tree.

The apple tree gross motor game has been a great activity for the kids to do while I make dinner. They really do like the yarn apples.

More Activities from the Virtual Book Club for Kids

See more apple themed activities inspired by Ten Red Apples:

Apple Tree Alphabet Letter Match – Still Playing School
Apple Piece Names – Preschool Powol Packets
Sea of Knowledge – Apple Addition within 5 Dough Strips
Fingerprint Apple Counting Activity – Messy Little Monster
Apple Math: Counting & Fractions Teach Beside Me
Red apple number bonds to 10 – Rainy Day Mum
Apple Tree Playdough – Clare’s Little Tots
Apple picking sticky wall – views from a Step stool
Baked Apples – Witty Hoots
Caramel Apple Pops-The Moments at Home
Apple Stack Game and Snack – Toddler Approved
Jumping Apple Seeds – JDaniel4’s Mom
Apple Theme STEM Activity for Preschoolers – The Educators’ Spin On It
Glitter Apple Stamping – My Bored Toddler
Apple Tree Tracing Page – Mama Smiles
Apple Farm Song with Movement – My Storytime Corner
Ten Red Apples: Number Words Activities – Growing Book by Book
Apple Sewing – CrArty Kids
Visual Perception Apple Activity – The OT Toolbox

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