Fall Activities for Children
Visit an Apple Orchard and Make Seasonal Recipes Kids Love
Sep 22, 2009
Crisp, tangy, juice-dribbling Jonathans or sun-warmed Golden Delicious apples carry autumn in their taste. And the experience of picking one’s own apples in a local orchard creates memories in a way no store-bought apple can rival. So scout out the nearby orchards, set aside a day, and pack up the children and a picnic for some hours of fun. When calling to check participating orchards, ask about other activities as orchards often host hay rides, apple-butter making, and free samples on certain days.
Comparing Apples to Apples
“What’s in an apple?” to paraphrase the great bard. Everything. Here are some tips on selecting the perfect apple to suit the purpose. A natural division falls between apple varieties that cook well, and those that taste better fresh, although many varieties serve both functions. Baking apples, such as Granny Smith, Macintosh, Jonathan, and Rome typically retain their firmness when cooked rather than disintegrating. They also share a similar tartness which many prefer in cooking apples.
Red and Yellow Delicious, Gala, Braeburn, and Fuji apples are sweeter, with softer flesh, and taste delicious fresh off the tree.
Experiment with different apple varieties available in the area. Help children learn to distinguish between them. Take colored pencils and a pad of paper to the apple orchard. Children can sketch and label various apples according to types and tastes. Finally, take home the day’s bounty, tie children in aprons and let small hands help make one of the recipes below for a nutritious autumn snack.
Seasonal Snacks
Home-made applesauce is a worldwide favorite with kids. Here is the basic concoction:
- 6 - 8 good cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced.
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- Dash of nutmeg
- Dash of ginger
- 1/2 tsp. of lemon juice
- Dash of finely grated lemon peel
- 1/4 C of sugar (more or less as desired)
- 1 C of water
Place apples in a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer apples for fifteen to twenty minutes with lemon juice until the slices begin to soften and disintegrate. Add sugar and spices. Beat vigorously. For smoother sauce remove and blend in a food processor. Simmer for another five to seven minutes, stirring well. Final consistency should be smooth and moderately thick. Serve warm or chilled.
Fried Apples
- 2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 heaping T brown sugar
- 2 T butter
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add apple slices. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and turn to medium low heat. When apples begin to soften, flip and add brown sugar, more butter, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon. Cook until tender, adjusting heat as needed.
Visit these recipes for more appetizing ideas:
Memorable Moments for Kids
While mixing up these seasonal snacks, use the time in the kitchen to reinforce practical mathematics for kids. Help them identify fractions, convert ounces to cups, and measure spices. Remember the ability that children have to absorb information like human sponges. Every moment of the day they are thinking and learning whether they show it or not.
With some parental planning, the visit to the apple orchard and its subsequent yield of mouth-watering desserts can prove both fun and educational. Children will observe first-hand the process of an apple from seed to cobbler. They will learn the difference between types of apples and their uses, and they will have occasion to meet a fraction outside of the math book while mixing up a pie in the kitchen. So squeeze in time for this fall excursion and make it a day to remember!
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