One of my favorite things about fall is apple picking. I can’t do it in Florida, but the rare times I’m in Virginia in fall, I definitely take full eating advantage of all the fresh apples!

I can’t even eat apples from the store other times of year because the fresh Virginia apples are so so good! All store apples are ruined for me!

Whether you have access to fresh picked apples or not, fall is a great time to celebrate apples so today I offer you 5 ideas for fall apple centered creative nature connection fun!

5 Ideas for Fall Apple Fun

Apple Star Prints

(photo credit)

This is a fun way to kick off apple season in your nature art journal and a great use of any old soft store bought apples that got lost in the back of the fridge.

Simply cut an apple in half directly across the middle. **Cut through the equator if the apple was the Earth, not from top to bottom. Notice how when you cut it this way the seeds in the center make a star shape.

Dip the cut side of the apple into paint or ink pad and stamp into your nature journal. Notice how the seeds leave a star shape in the negative space within the middle of the apple print. If you don’t see a star, try less paint or thinner paint

Make a pattern around the page to create an abstract design, or make gift tags by stamping solo apple stars onto circles & punching a hole in the top for the ribbon.

Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing

This is our go to dressing to make with the children at the garden. They love it and will eat salad for breakfast even when they pick and make it!

Fill a pint mason jar halfway with fresh raw apple cider vinegar. Then add a quarter cup of organic olive oil. Add the juice of 2 lemons. Add a couple tablespoons of local raw honey and a pinch of salt. Then, add any fresh picked herbs you have growing (and a pinch of cayenne if you like spice).  If you have fresh picked apples, dice one up and add it too! Put on the lid and shake, then use on your fresh picked salads with no abandon!

Apple Tasting

(photo credit)

This one is so simple, but so interesting! Get a few different types of apples, ideally fresh picked of course.

Observe each one: name, where it’s grown, color, size, shape, texture, smell, and taste. Document your observations in your nature journal and decide which kind you like best and why!

Then, if you like, do a little ethnobotanical study on your favorite variety. This can even be tied into both math and geography if you do this in the classroom by making graphs of people’s favorite apples and doing economic geography with map studies.

Bobbing for Apples

I never see this old fashioned game around anymore, but it’s so fun – unless you are about 7 and have loose teeth up front, then it’s pretty tricky. I loved it when I was a kid!

Pull out a big tub, fill it up with water, dump in a bunch of those apples you picked, and go to town laughing and trying to get some apples. But remember, no hands allowed!

If you need or want to make it educational, add a science study on why apples float and document your findings in your nature journals along with sketches of the different apples and notes on which apples are easiest or hardest to catch while bobbing.

Apple Teeth Cleaning

After your drink plenty apple cider and eat many apple cinnamon donuts at the fall festival, eat an actual fresh apple! (Maybe the one you caught while bobbing?)

Biting into the crisp, firm apple and peel will remove that “sweatery” feeling from the surfaces of your teeth that you get after too many sweets. And chewing the apple will increase saliva production, thereby cleaning out your mouth – it’s nature’s quick on the go toothbrush for all ages of teeth!!

(Of course apples are not a substitute for proper dental care, brushing, and flossing. Just to clarify)

Okay! So have some fun with apples this week! I sure am!

What is your favorite thing to make or do with apples?

Share in the comments below!

Share your apple fun on Instagram #wingswormsandwonder so we can see!

Seeds to Sprout:

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If you live in or near apple country, discover where you can pick your own here

Learn more about apple ethnobotany here

Get 6 more ideas for unexpected ways to use apples from Rodale’s Organic here