Toddler Lesson Plan: Ten Apples Up on Top!

Book:Ten Apples Up on Top! is written by Dr. Seuss as Theo LeSieg. Ten Apples Up on Top! is illustrated by Roy McKie.

Color: red

Shape: circle

Number: 10

Letter: Aa

Song/Fingerplay:Ten Little Apples Up on Top! written by Susan Sonnen. Sing to the tune of Ten Little Indians.

One little, two little,
Three little apples!
Four little, five little,
Six little apples!
Seven little, eight little,
Nine little apples!
Ten little apples up on top!

While singing this tune, utilize your classroom felt board and let your students take turns adding felt apples on top of the head of a felt person as the song moves along. When the song is over, have your toddlers count the apples along with you as you point at them, one at a time.

Fine Motor Activities

1. On day one of this toddler lesson plan, have your toddlers glue a human form die-cut to a long piece of construction paper. This paper may be any color but red. Day by day, have your students place a red apple die-cut on top of the person's head until there is a stack of ten. Using a glue stick and picking up the die-cuts with their fingers will promote fine motor skills.

2. Have your toddlers do an apple shaped dot-to-dot. Here is one that I recommend for this age group: Connect the Dots From 1 to 10 A variation on this connect the dots activity, is to lightly trace a circle on a piece of white paper, one for each toddler. Give each toddler and red crayon and encourage them to trace the circle.

Pre-Math Activity

Each day, after adding another apple to the fine motor activity listed above, have each child count the current number of apples up on top. Do this with each child individually.

Art Activity

Finger painting: Give each child a large apple shape cut from white construction paper. Drop a dollop of red finger paint on the apple shape. Let your toddlers go to town finger painting their apples red!

Pre-Writing Activity

Put masking tape down on classroom tables in the shape of the letters A and a. Have your toddlers trace these masking tape letters with their fingers while saying, "A."

Gross Motor Activity

Hopping: In the book, Ten Apples Up On Top!, a dog is hopping with four apples on top of his head. Actually, he is jumping rope. Jumping rope is probably too difficult for your class, but you might set out a jump rope for them to experiment with anyway. But back to hopping. Play Simon Says or Follow the Leader with your toddlers, using hopping as the primary motion.

Snack

Apples, obviously! Sliced apples, applesauce, apple juice!

Sensory Activity

Place a few apples in your classroom sensory table. Let your toddlers touch and smell the apples. Use this opportunity to discuss the size and color of the apples.

Ten Apples Up on Top! is a fantastic way to introduce your toddlers to the concepts of the color red, the number 10 and the letter Aa. Enjoy!

Applicable Articles by the Author:

Letter A: Free Printables and Coloring Pages

Preschool Lesson Plan: The Color Red

Free Coloring Pages: Number 10

Free Coloring Pages: Sesame Street, Numbers 1-10

Ten Apples Up on Top! is a fantastic way to introduce your toddlers to the concepts of red, circles, hopping, the letter Aa and the number 10. Enjoy!