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Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

Apples: a preschool theme week

Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Fall · September, October, November

One week on apples for twos to fours: a five-line circle time, 4 books (3 free to read on Peabody), one craft with 6 materials, “Oranges and Lemons” with its words, a snack from the Kitchen and the letter A.

Plan this weekPrint the two sheets

Circle time

  1. Good morning song, then say each name together.
  2. Calendar: the day, the date and the weather.
  3. Ask: “What do you think is inside an apple?”
  4. Sing: Oranges and Lemons.
  5. Read: Meg and the Seed (level 3).

Threes and fours: ten to fifteen minutes; let a child hold the book.

Books

  • Meg and the Seed (level 3, free on peabody.kids): A seed goes in the ground and takes its time: the apple's whole story in a few lines.
  • Jen and the Jam (level 1, free on peabody.kids): Fruit turned into food, and a silly mess to talk about.
  • A Bun for Fran (level 2, free on peabody.kids): Sharing food with a friend, for the snack-time talk.
  • Johnny Appleseed (read aloud, level 5): A tall tale to read aloud: a man who planted apple seeds wherever he walked.

Craft: Paper-plate apple

You need (6): paper plates, red or green paint, brown paper strip, green paper leaf, glue stick, a brown crayon.

  1. Paint the plate red or green and let it dry.
  2. Glue on the brown stem and the green leaf.
  3. Draw three seeds in the middle and count them together.

With a grown-up. No heat, nothing hot.

Song: Oranges and Lemons

The words

Oranges and lemons, Say the bells of St. Clement's. You owe me five farthings, Say the bells of St. Martin's. When will you pay me? Say the bells of Old Bailey. When I grow rich, Say the bells of Shoreditch. When will that be? Say the bells of Stepney. I do not know, Says the great bell of Bow. Here comes a candle to light you to bed, And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!

Traditional; public domain. From Top 52 nursery rhymes with lyrics.

Snack

Rainbow Fruit Cup from the Peabody Kitchen: picture steps, allergy swaps and safety lines on the recipe.

Letter pack

AaA is for apple. Print the two pages (a trace page and a color page).

Threes and fours: trace A and a once, then find A in the room and in the book.

Outside: Apple roll relay

Roll a ball (the apple) along the grass to a partner and back. Count the rolls.

All themesSeptember themesOctober themesNovember themesThe theme plannerPreschool and daycare

The books are Peabody's own open library, free with no sign-in. The song is public domain. The snack links to the Peabody Kitchen. Nothing here asks for a child's name.