Easy Apple Painting Idea for Kids

Learning Process Art in Preschool

APPLE ART FOR PRESCHOOLERS

PROCESS ART FOCUSES MORE ON THE PROCESS OF CREATING IN UNIQUE WAYS, RATHER THAN ON THE OUTCOME OF A PERFECTLY PAINTED APPLE TREE.

I love process art because it allows kids to develop creativity and problem-solving while engaging senses in different ways.

Toddlers and preschoolers benefit from process art in a lot of ways, from fine motor development to developing neural connections within the brain.

It’s a great opportunity to work on oral language, apple-related vocabulary, or the life cycle of an apple from seed to tree.

This apple painting activity is fun to do with other preschool apple themed activities, or it can stand alone as just a fun apple painting project.

In addition to creating a nice apple craft for kids, this process art activity improves other skills. Encourage talking while painting:

• What color(s) are you using?
• What happens when the colors mix?
• What does the paint look/feel/smell like?
• Can you make a pattern with your apple prints?

What Can Children Learn While Engaging In Process Art Crafts for Preschoolers?

EASY APPLE CRAFTS

PRESCHOOL APPLE CRAFTS GO BEYOND A FINISHED PRODUCT. EXPLORING WITH TOUCH AND SMELL WHILE INTERACTING WITH SHAPES AND COLORS IS A GREAT EXPERIENCE ANY TIME OF YEAR.

Whether you’re working on fall crafts or Christmas ornaments, process art has its benefits:

• Fine motor control
• Pre-writing skills
• Colors/patterns
• Attention span
• Social skills
• Language
• Crossing the midline
• Hand-eye coordination

Apple Painting Tips & Tricks

Tip One:

You don’t have to buy a big bottle of paint for this apple painting. If you are like me and your paint supply has sadly dwindled, you don’t have to buy anything special. IF you have a can of sweetened condensed milk in your cupboard, that is.

I divided one can of condensed milk into three styrofoam trays (good for reusing things before they go in the trash and super easy to clean up!). And a little bit extra onto a plate.

I added some gel food coloring. I absolutely love Wilton gel food coloring, so I definitely recommend buying some, but if you don’t have any you can use whatever food coloring you have on hand.

Swirl it together. Let the kids do this because it’s so fun to watch it change colors.

Tip Two:

Stick a fork in it.

Really.

Stick a fork in the apple to use as a handle.

It is so much easier to hold than the apple itself, plus, since you’re using sweetened condensed milk, your hands won’t get as sticky if you use a fork to keep some distance between you and the paint.

Tip Three:

You don’t only have to make apples, though those are fun.

You can use the apples as paintbrushes to make any kind of design your can think of.

My kids made roses, a ‘rose’ that looks more like a tulip, trees, and Emma made the letter ‘E’ by printing the apples into formation.

Ways to Extend Your Apple Activities

Dramatic Play

While you’re waiting for your apple painting to dry, why not engage in some dramatic play?! Pretend you’re Johnny Appleseed planting across America.

Make Pie

Of course some tasty apple pie goes well with any fall or apple themed art project. Make it together, or go to the store and buy it!

Play Dough

Instead of using paint as your process art medium, try playdough. Press apples into play dough to see what kinds of designs and shapes you can make.