Apple Pie Sensory Play in Preschool

Turn the discovery center into a bakery, with apple pie sensory play! It’s just the ticket for a preschool apple theme this fall.

The setup was very basic, but it packed a punch! It was really an extension of the sensory play we’ve done with oats in the past.  As I go over the instructions for this activity, please keep in mind that I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. To begin, I poured a large container of instant oats into our sensory bins, then added lots of apple pie spice.  Once the oats smelled delicious, I added “apples” — red, yellow, and green pompoms.  Plastic containers, measuring spoons, and measuring cups completed the bakery aspect of the bins.

When I introduced our centers to the students, I told them I couldn’t wait to taste all of their delicious apple treats!  The children delved right into the apple pie bakery, creating “pies” and “cakes” and even some “apple soup”.  I had fun watching them as they got into the center, especially their reactions to the apple pie scent.  Throughout center time, it was obvious which children liked how the apple pie sensory bin smelled . . . they all had bits of oats on the tips of their noses!  🙂

Related: Individual Sensory Bins

I had the apple pie bakery set up in our discovery center all week long, and the children never tired of it!  Some children just loved the scent, while others love the feel of the oats in their hands.  Still others loved the pretend play aspect of this sensory bin.  I definitely “tasted” a lot of apple goodies that came out of this center.

While it was a very simple setup, the children were exposed to so much:

• They used all of their senses — smelling the apple pie spice, touching the oats, hearing the oats as they were poured, seeing the different creations they made, and some even managed a tasting of the oats and spices.
• They explored the concepts of measuring and volume.
• The compared more and less when adding oats to different-sized containers.
• They were able to sort the pompoms based on size and colors.
• Plus, the had FUN while exploring all of these concepts (and more)!

Shared at Discover and Explore: Fall, Tuesday Tots, Mom’s Library, What I Learned Wednesday

Done-for-You Preschool Resources

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