Grab the free printable apple unit now.
Get the free unitThe week at a glance
One book anchors the week: Apple Farmer Annie, a gentle fall favourite about a farmer who picks, sorts, and sells her apples. Here is one sample week from that one story.
That is a full, gentle week for a preschooler or kindergartner, out of one book and a bag of apples.
Why an apple unit is perfect for the early years
Apples are everywhere in fall, so the learning connects straight to your child's real world: the orchard trip, the grocery bin, the snack on the plate. Young kids learn best when the lesson is something they can hold, taste, and see, and an apple does all three.
Also, you really can't mess this up. There is no test and no pace to keep. You read a good book and follow the apple wherever your child's curiosity takes it, which is exactly how real thinking starts at this age. Just have fun with it!
The parts I'm proudest of are the apple taste test and the little critical-thinking exercises woven through, like reading the weather and thinking through a real trip to the orchard. In the taste test, your child tries a few kinds of apple, sweet, tart, crisp, soft, and works out which they like and why. It is real science, observing, comparing, and describing, it is genuinely fun, and a three-year-old can do it. That is the whole idea in one place: real learning that does not feel like school.
Apple picture books that work
Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington anchors this unit, but the activities adapt to any apple book. Other options to borrow from the library:
- The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
- Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell
- How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
- Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss (for counting fun)
Get the whole unit, free and done for you
You can pull this together yourself, or skip the planning and use mine. The free Apple Farmer Annie unit covers about two weeks: read-aloud guide with questions, the market-day math game, the apple science activity, art, cooking, and a page that shows you exactly what your child learned. Print it and start today.
Here's what I hope you feel after you try it: that it was actually cool and interesting, that your child just learned real things about the world in a way they enjoyed, and that they are far more capable, and far more interesting, than you expected. Little kids usually are. They just need something worth paying attention to.
Get the free unitLove it? It is the first unit of The Living Year (this one's mine): a Charlotte Mason inspired, book-based curriculum of seasonal unit studies for ages four to nine. Secular and faith-friendly.
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☕ Buy us a coffee ($5)FAQ
What ages is this apple unit for?
Best for ages four to nine (preschool through about grade three), and usable as a read-aloud from three.
Is it really free?
Yes. The full Apple Farmer Annie unit is a free download, including the printable.
What do I need to buy?
Just a few apples and basic supplies you likely have. You could buy the book, get it at the library, or watch a YouTube read-aloud. No curriculum, no workbook.
Do I need the book?
It is built around Apple Farmer Annie, easy to borrow from the library or buy, but you can adapt the activities to any apple picture book.
Is there a printable?
Yes, the free download includes printable pages.