Grandparents Day is the perfect opportunity to combine meaningful gifts with hands-on learning. These simple apple crafts help young students develop fine motor skills. They require students to cut with scissors, tear paper, glue, and write/draw while creating keepsakes that families will treasure. These are good fine motor skills to practice during September or the beginning of the school year, when you may be doing your apple theme.
“Love you to the core!” Apple Craft
This adorable apple craft makes a sweet keepsake for Grandparents Day or a fun addition to your September apple theme. I like using real student photos, but students can also draw self-portraits if photos aren’t available.
Materials Needed:
Red, green, & brown construction paper
Printable apple and leaf patterns
Pictures of students
Scissors
Glue
Pencils, crayons, or markers
Print the apple patterns on red and/or green construction paper.
Print the leaf patterns on green construction paper. Cut apart the leaves, one for each student.
Give each student an apple pattern, a leaf pattern, their picture, and a small piece of brown construction paper. Have them cut out the apple and leaf patterns and cut or tear a rectangle or stem shape from the brown construction paper.
Have each student glue their picture on the apple (or draw their picture) and write their names on either the apple or the leaf. Then, glue the stem and leaf on the apple.
Optional: Students can write additional words and/or draw pictures on the apple around their picture or on the back.
If you’re planning a special Grandparents Day celebration, these free apple crafts are just the beginning! You can also find even more ideas, classroom tips, and photos in my Grandparents Day activities blog post.
Apple Suncatchers
These colorful apple suncatchers are another fun way to celebrate your apple theme while strengthening fine motor skills. You can make them using either Contact Paper or wax paper.
Materials Needed:
Apple outlines
Contact Paper OR wax paper
Tissue paper (green and red)
Scissors
Glue
Paintbrushes (wax paper option)
Cut small green and red tissue paper squares OR have students cut or tear the tissue paper into squares themselves (great fine motor skills practice!).
Glue the apple outlines on the wax paper OR place the apple outlines on the Contact Paper, sticky side up (you want the middle of the apple to be sticky).
Cut out around the outside of the apple.
Have students write their names on the apple outlines and then place tissue paper squares in the middle of the apple and leaf. They can choose to use one color or combine the colors.
If using wax paper, give students watered down glue and paintbrushes. Students paint a little section of the wax paper with the watered down glue. Then, place tissue paper squares on the glue. Students continue until the apple and leaf are filled. They can choose to use one color or combine the colors.
Hang the apple suncatchers on a sunny window.
If you would like the free patterns for these 2 apple crafts, CLICK HERE.
If you’re looking for even more Grandparents Day ideas, don’t forget to visit my complete Grandparents Day Activities blog post for additional classroom inspiration, gift ideas, and a closer look at my printable Grandparents Day resource.
