Apple name recognition

Materials:

1.5 white paper plates (I used the small ones)

green or red paint

paint brushes

construction paper (green-leaf, brown-stem and seeds)

scissors

stapler 

glue stick

What adult does:

Collect supplies. Cut one of the the white plates in half. Cut out a green leaf (write the kiddo's name with a sharpie), a brown stem and brown seeds for each letter of the kiddo's name). GRACE = 5 seeds

What kiddo does:

Paint the top side of the whole plate and the bottom side of the half plate. I modeled how to do this by making my own using a different color paint. I had to show Grace how to use the paint brushes- mostly because she was more interested running around and playing in our new backyard. She also had an audience thanks to Uncle Matt and Aunt Libbie visiting. 

After letting it dry, I stapled the the two plates together and had Grace glue on the stem and leaf. With my help, she's learning how to "hit it to make it stick."

I added an upper and lower case A for more reinforcement.

I didn't think to trace the seeds on a separate piece of paper until breakfast the next morning. 

I think it helped having her watch me trace them, because she knew to take them out and place on top of with little prompting. Of course the expectation isn't for her to correctly match the letters yet. However, at times I begin to wonder...

It was her idea to reach for her place mat to "match" the letters. 

Days later, this is still a favorite activity in our house. Notice how she looks at me, waiting my confirmation. 

Ideas for older kiddos: Using the leaf as their example, they can write the letters of their name of the seeds. Add the stem and leaf, write Aa, make the letter seeds themselves. Make more letter seeds and have them make basic words. 

We're going to do this again in October, but this time it's going to be an orange pumpkin. 

Original source: Classified Mom

My daughter's age at time of project: 21 mo.