Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You An Apple Pie Sensory Invitation
Fall brings the perfect opportunity to explore the comforting scents of cinnamon, the excitement of apple picking, and the joy of creating our very own apple pies! From gathering apples to mixing ingredients and baking delicious treats, the season is filled with opportunities to connect children to nature, food, and the traditions that make this time of year so special.
Inspired by Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie, written and illustrated by Robbin Gourley, we extended our literacy experience through a hands-on apple pie sensory invitation. The book shares the childhood experiences of celebrated chef Edna Lewis, exploring the connection between seasonal harvests, family, and preparing food together. I love how this story celebrates the simple joys of gathering ingredients and creating something delicious, making it the perfect inspiration for an open-ended sensory experience!
To bring the story to life, I filled our Tuff Tray with expired oats that I’ve been repurposing for sensory play for years. I placed food dispensers filled with oats for children to use independently and added cinnamon spice to shakers, cinnamon sticks, red and green play apples, pie tins, and an assortment of kitchen utensils to create our very own pretend apple pie bakery.
Children were invited to scoop, pour, mix, and measure as they created their own apple pies. Some carefully filled their pie tins with oats, while others experimented with different combinations of ingredients, sprinkled cinnamon, and used their imaginations to bring their delicious creations to life. With the comforting scent of cinnamon, the different textures of the materials, and endless opportunities for imaginative play, our sensory tray quickly became a bustling little bakery!
This open-ended invitation encouraged children to strengthen fine motor skills through scooping and pouring, explore early math concepts through measuring and counting, and develop language through storytelling and pretend play. It also provided opportunities to explore their senses, practice problem-solving, and make meaningful connections between literature and real-life experiences.
The beauty of extending literacy through play is that stories become experiences! By transforming a picture book into a hands-on invitation, children can revisit its themes, explore their own ideas, and discover the joy of learning through their senses.
And sometimes, all it takes is a handful of oats, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a little imagination to create something truly wonderful!
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