The Apple Pie Tree

By Zoe Hall

The Apple Pie Tree is a cute story about the experience of two little sisters as they watch their apple tree go through it's life cycle starting from the Winter season through to the Fall. It follows not only what happens to their tree during the space of a year but also a family of Robins that are growing along with the tree. The back of this book also contains a recipe for Apple Pie and shows how bees pollinate apple tree blossoms.

I loved how simple this book was and also how clearly it teaches about the life cycle of an Apple Tree. I found the illustrations simply beautiful. This book provided me and Sweetie Pie opportunities to have numerous conversations about the seasons, the life cycle of an apple tree and also the desire to make Apple pie! I promised Sweetie Pie that we had lots more apple books to read and we will be making yummy apple pie soon!



Activity #1: Apple Tree Sun Catcher

While Sonny Boy was down for a nap, Sweetie Pie and I made this beautiful apple tree sun catcher that is hanging so beautifully on our front door. It is so lovely!


Supplies:

Clear contact paper
Brown cardstock or construction paper (for the tree trunk)
Scissors
Red tissue paper (for the apples)
Green tissue paper (for the leaves)


I cut the tree trunk from the brown cardstock (you can get a pattern from the pictures in the book itself), the leaves from the green tissue paper and red apples from the red tissue paper. I folded the tissue paper many times before making any cuts, and this made the cutting much faster. Cut the contact paper twice the size of your tree because you will be folding this in half.


Lay the sheet of contact paper sticky side up, and attach the tree trunk to one side. It might be helpful to secure the sides of the contact paper with masking tape to avoid it shifting around.

Have your child to arrange the leaves and apples on and around the tree branches. When they are done fold the blank side of the contact paper over to cover their work.


I just love Sweetie Pie's idea of having an apple falling from the tree.


A beautiful sight!




Activity #2: Apple Wrapping Paper

Supplies:

Red Tempera paint
Green Tempera paint
Paper (any size you wish)
Half an Apple
Potato (cut to make a leaf stamp)


Secure your child's paper by taping down the sides with masking tape. Have your child stamp away.



When Sonny Boy was done painting and ready to eat an apple, I let him do that. Sweetie Pie was ready to take over and stamped the leaves on with the potato stamp.


I wish I got a picture of the very end but I didn't. When the paint was dry I went around the edge of each apple print with a black marker. This made a lovely gift wrap for my nieces birthday present.


Thanks for the inspiration Frugal Family Fun Blog