Expect that there will be a mess, put down a mat or do this activity outside if the weather is nice.
This activity takes about 35-40 minutes. While the sauce cooks down, you could read a book about apples like Applesauce Day.
What You’ll Need
- 4-6 apples (sweet varieties like Fuji or Gala work well)
- Water
- Optional: cinnamon, sugar, or honey
- Large pot (you can also use a crock-pot which you set and leave)
- Potato masher or fork
- Child-safe tools: Kid-safe knives, apple corer (adult-supervised). Other kid safe options include pull choppers and bop-choppers.
Instructions
- Wash apples together in a bowl of water.
- Core & peel apples. Or leave peels on for more fiber and a darker applesauce.
- Cut the apple pieces.
- Put the apple pieces into a pot with 1/2 cup of water, and place on stove, hot plate, or induction burner.
- Bring apples & water to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until soft. From a safe distance, talk about what is happening in the pot: The apples will get soft, the pot will steam, the room will begin to smell sweet.
- Once the apples are soft, divide them into small bowls to cool.
- Mashing the Apples: When the apples have cooled enough to safely touch, hand out bowls to students along with a potato masher or fork to smush.
- Seasoning & Tasting: Add a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired and stir together. Let the sauce cool completely before tasting. Enjoy!
Extra Tips
- Pre-work means less wait time for kids, so if you don’t intend to let the kids peel and core the apples, do that ahead of time. Just be sure to add a small amount of lemon juice to the cut apples to prevent browning.
- Many hands make light work, have one person designated to help clean as you go!
- Always supervise closely, especially around hot pots and sharp tools.
- Let everything cool adequately before letting toddlers touch.
Download PDF.
