The fall season is an excellent time for hands-on learning! And, the best way to learn with your hands is to learn through play!
There are many fall activities you can partake in with your little ones that they will not only learn from, but they will enjoy!
In this article, we will be discussing anything and everything apple stamping! Apple stamping is a wonderful fall activity your child is sure to love.
So, read on for our apple stamping beginner’s guide and find your new favorite fall activity (see also “Summer Carnival: Beginners Craft Guide“)!
What Is Apple Stamping?
Apple stamping is an art activity suitable for children as young as preschool age! It involves cutting and painting apples, before stamping them on paper to create many beautiful works of art!
Stamping actually has a long history that dates all the way back to ancient times! However, ink, paint, and rubber are more recent inventions and so stamping in this way has not been around for nearly as long.
Apple stamping is a great activity for young children to do because it activates muscles they won’t have used a lot in their fingers and thumbs.
As for older children, apple stamping will strengthen these muscles as well as build tolerance for fine motor tasks they will need to partake in very soon, like writing!
What Materials Do You Need For Apple Stamping?
The materials you need for apple stamping are:
- Apples
- Paints – we like to use yellow, green, and red, but you can use whatever colors you like!
- Paper – you have the choice between art paper, paper towels, or newsprint, all of which will produce a different effect – how awesome!
- Paper plates
- Brown crayon/old marker
- Scissors or children’s safety scissors
- Old tablecloth
- Optional: green craft paper
- Optional: glue
- Optional: Brown construction paper
Guide For Apple Stamping
Follow these simple steps for all you need to know about apple stamping.
Apple Stamping Step 1
The first step in apple stamping is to cut the apple. It is best that an adult does this, do not let your children use sharp knives. So, take a knife and chop the apples in half.
Remove any seeds from the apple as best as you can.
Apple Stamping Step 2
The next step is to pour the paints onto separate paper plates and place them on the table. You may want to place an old tablecloth over the table before you do so to protect it from paint.
Apple Stamping Step 3
This is an optional step to take your creativity skills to the next level. You can make a basket at the bottom of the paper and make the apples look like they are falling into the basket.
So, as the adult of the group, you will need to take the brown construction paper and cut 8 strips, 4 long and 4 short, 1 inch in length.
Apple Stamping Step 4
Glue these long strips to the bottom of the white paper, and then glue the short ones on top of these vertically, making sure they are evenly spread.
Apple Stamping Step 5
Here’s the fun part! Now, you need to place the apples on a separate paper plate and let your children have fun!
All they need to do is pick up one apple half at a time and dip it in the paint color of their choice.
Apple Stamping Step 6
Encourage your children to press the apple onto the paper, painted side facing down. Ensure that they hold it there for a few seconds so the apple shape takes form on the paper.
Apple Stamping Step 7
Now, here’s the difficult part. Once you have all had fun filling up your papers with wonderful apple shapes, it’s time to wait for the paint to dry.
Apple Stamping Step 8
Once the apple prints are fully dry, take a brown crayon or marker and draw a stem on the apple prints. Encourage your children to try this, too.
And, if you feel like it, you can use the crayon to dab three dots onto the apples to represent the seeds! Let your child decide what they want their apples to look like and help them to complete the activity.
Apple Stamping Step 9
If you’re feeling really crafty, you can try taking some green craft paper and cutting leaf shapes out of it. Ensure that you do this and do not let your children use sharp scissors.
Or, supervise them using children’s safety scissors. Once the leaves have all been cut out, you can glue them next to the brown stem you have drawn.
An Important Note On Apple Stamping
Apple stamping is a fun activity for all, but it can become stressful for younger children because they may find it challenging to do the tasks such as picking up the apple halves or alternating between pieces of paper.
It can be frustrating to remember to pick up the apple in the right way, press the apple into the paint, and then press it onto the paper in a smooth motion.
So, be sure to guide them if they begin to feel frustrated and tell them they should be proud of themselves once they complete their task so they feel happy and encouraged to continue.
What Else Can Your Child Learn While Apple Stamping?
As well as learning through play, this is the perfect opportunity for you to teach your child the parts of an apple!
This is just one way to teach your child how small parts can make up one whole, and they’re sure to enjoy learning it through apples!
You can teach your child about the stem, core, and seeds of the apple and why they are important.
For example, apple stems provide support for the fruit to grow and apple seeds are what big apple trees grow from to provide even more apples!
Final Thoughts
Apple stamping is the perfect way to teach your child fine motor skills and the parts of an apple. Follow our simple steps to make the perfect apple stamping artwork your child is sure to love!
In an effort to get them to avoid excessive screen time ( and arguing! ) I turned to more creative avenues that we have all since grown to love.
I created this website in the hopes of inspiring more families out there to enjoy crafting and enjoy a shared bonding experience over it.
Please enjoy it and hopefully, you’ll find something to make that you can display proudly forever!
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