It's Harvest Time! Apple and Pumpkin Fun for the Wee Ones

Bobbing for Apples
Clara M. Burd
Early 20th Century

Storytellers are blessed with a wide range of audiences, from preschoolers to adults. When it is time to play with the wee ones, fingerplays, songs and story stretchers always come in handy.

Here are a few I put together for a lapsit program last year.  These are found all over the web without any attribution so feel free to have fun!

COUNTING AND FINGERPLAYS

Way Up High in the Apple TreeWay up high in the apple tree,
Five red apples smiled at me.
I shook that tree as hard as I could,
Dooowwwwwwwn came an apple….
Mmmm, it was good!

A Little Apple Seed (Tune: Eensy, Weensy, Spider)

Once a little apple seed  (hold one finger up)

Was planted in the ground. (pretend to plan seed)
Down came the raindrops, (wave rain down with fingers)
Falling all around. (move hands out)
Out came the big sun, (make circle above head)
Bright as bright could be.
And that little apple seed grew up
To be an apple tree. (raise hands  up to sky)

Five Little Apples (Tune: Five Little Monkeys)

Five little apples hanging in a tree,

Teasing Mr. Slinky worm can’t eat me,
Along comes Mr. Slinky worm quiet as can be…
and…CRUNCH!
*keep counting down until there are none.



We Are Pumpkins Big and Round - Sung to Mary Had a Little Lamb

We are pumpkins big and round, big and round, big and round; (point to self)
We are pumpkins big and round, sitting on the ground. (make circle with hands)
See our great big shiny eyes, shiny eyes, shiny eyes; ( make rings around eyes.)
See our great big shiny eyes, looking right at you. (point from self to children)
See our great big laughing mouth, laughing mouth, laughing mouth, (spread smile with fingers)
See our great big laughing mouth, smiling right at you. (point to children)

STORY STRETCH

Way Up High in the Apple Tree

Way up high in the apple tree (arms above head)

Two little apples did I see. (make two fists)
So I shook that tree as hard as I could, (wiggle body all over)
Down, came the apples. (bring arms down, wiggling fingers)
Mmmmmm, they were good! (rub tummy)


SONGS
The Pumpkins Are Here - Sung to The Farmer in the Dell
The pumpkins are here, the pumpkins are there.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins are everywhere.

The pumpkins are up, the pumpkins are down.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins are all around.

The pumpkins are in, the pumpkins are out.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins are all about.

The pumpkins are low, the pumpkins are high.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins all say good-bye! 

Pumpkin Song - Sung to "I'm a Little Teapot"
I'm a little pumpkin orange and round.
Here is my stem,
There is the ground.
When I get all cut up,
Don't you shout!
Just open me up
And scoop me out!


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

If you are looking for some more fun songs and fingerplays to celebrate Halloween and Scarecrows head on over to this link:
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/10/scarecrows-and-halloween-fingerplays.html

If you are interested in apple stories for the older set,  this blogs for you.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2008/09/the-falling-leaves-drift-by-my-window.html

And another link to fright and delight, filled with tales of Ghouts, Ghouls and Goblins!
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2010/09/ghouls-ghosts-and-goblins-halloween-is.html

 

Karen Chace 2014 ©

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