How Wee Learn’s

Kindergarten
at Home
Curriculum
Copyright © 2023 by Sarah Noftle, How Wee Learn

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted

in any form or by any means, including photocopying or other electronic or
mechanical methods, without the prior written permission from the author. For
permission requests, write to the author at: howweelearn@gmail.com.

Cover Art by Brooke Thompson: brookethompson.art@gmail.com

Design and Layout by Mallory Foster: www.malloryfoster.com

Visit the author’s website at: www.HowWeeLearn.com

 Kindergarten at Home

Table of Contents
Welcome..................................................................................................................... 4
Fall Sessions
#1 Apples................................................................................................................ 12
#2 Leaves.............................................................................................................. 24
#3 Dinosaurs........................................................................................................... 36
#4 Pumpkins...........................................................................................................48
#5 Knights & Castles...............................................................................................60
#6 Feelings & Emotions...........................................................................................72

Winter Sessions
#7 Polar Bears........................................................................................................ 86
#8 Holidays Around the World................................................................................. 98
#9 Penguins........................................................................................................... 110
#10 Snow.............................................................................................................. 122
#11 Ice....................................................................................................................134
#12 The Solar System.............................................................................................146

Spring Sessions
#13 The Ocean.......................................................................................................160
#14 Weather..........................................................................................................172
#15 Rainbows........................................................................................................ 184
#16 Musical Instruments.......................................................................................... 196
#17 Hummingbirds.................................................................................................208
#18 Gardening..................................................................................................... 220

Thank you............................................................................................................. 232

Vocabulary Cards & Printables Included separately

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 3
Welcome
 Kindergarten at Home

Welcome
Welcome to Kindergarten at Home! There is absolutely no better place for your Kindergartner to be learning than at
home and with you. What a gift you are giving your child!

This course is set up to be simple and stress-free for you, as well as whimsical and engaging for your child. All core
foundational skills in literacy, numeracy and math are covered, as are all other developmentally appropriate skills, all
within three mornings a week.

That’s right—this kindergarten program only requires three mornings a week!

You might be wondering how this can be. When we work one-on-one with our children, we accomplish so much more
than we do when working with a classroom full of children. We can go at our child’s own pace, we can immediately
catch any areas that are tricky for our child, and we can move through topics our child already has a full understanding
of nice and quickly.

The Kindergarten at Home curriculum is organized by season: Fall, Winter, and Spring. Each season includes six themes
to explore with your child over a two-week period. Exploration and learning will occur through literacy materials,
quiet time, and deep learning activities that can take place at any time over the two week period. Your daily activity
plan takes place on your three mornings a week. In addition, you will find vocabulary cards to display in your home to
make learning natural and beautiful, plus printables to make your role easier! On the following pages, you will find an
overview of what is included in the Kindergarten at Home curriculum.

As you go through this curriculum with your child, you will see how powerful the time spent NOT doing school work is for
our child’s development. It is amazing the questions that arise on a day-to-day basis that lead to meaningful learning
experiences.

The biggest thing for us to remember as we start out on this exciting homeschooling journey, is the importance of
slowing down. We need to walk slow and go slow, allowing all the questions that will come, and including our children in
our daily lives. So much learning comes from doing daily chores and errands when we take the time to include our child.

I am so excited you have decided to bring kindergarten home to your child! I am right here to help you along this
journey and can be reached anytime by email at Sarah@HowWeeLearn.com.

As a public school teacher turned homeschooling parent, I truly feel that homeschooling is a complete gift to give to our
children. The gift of a magical, wholesome childhood with deep, meaningful learning experiences and the ability to go
at our own pace is like nothing else in this world.

I hope you and your child absolutely love Kindergarten at Home!

xo
Sarah

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 5
 Kindergarten at Home

Course Outline
What to Expect
Kindergarten at Home is divided into 18 themes: 6 Fall, 6 Winter, and Each theme has five main components:
6 Spring. Each theme is intended to span two weeks. This provides
a lovely flow to the week—diving deep into a theme for two weeks 1. Session Focus & Materials
and learning all about that topic through crafts, books, readings, 2. Literacy Resources
and hands-on activities. 3. Quiet Time Activities
4. Deep Learning Activities
The program is intended to do in order, however, that isn’t required. 5. Your Daily Activity Plan
You can complete the themes in any order you choose with one
small modification—letters are introduced in a specific order, so While the heart of Kindergarten at Home is the daily activities plan,
it is important you keep the letter order the same. This means you don’t underestimate the importance of quiet time activities! When
will need to swap letters in activities if you choose to complete the children have a quiet time each day to rest and reflect, they are
themes out of order. given the opportunity to consolidate all that they have learned
within that day.

1. Session Focus & Materials

Session Focus Materials List
As we introduce each theme, you will see a section titled ‘Session Each theme includes a supply list for specific materials you will
Focus.’ This section provides you with knowledge about what we be using over the two weeks. For the most, part you will find
are teaching and why we are teaching it. This will ensure you feel these are common household materials. Along with common
confident as your child’s teacher and will be able to recognize the household materials, most weeks will use basic crafting supplies.
skills we want to develop as they are developing in your child. It is a wonderful idea to have some basic craft supplies on hand
throughout the year—both for this curriculum, and also for your
In Kindergarten at Home, each session focuses on: children to enjoy on their own terms. I suggest taking a stroll down
the craft aisle at your local dollar store! A few general crafting
• Literacy and Math (alternating sessions) supplies to have on hand at all times include:
• Health and Wellness
• Nature and Science • Children’s scissors
• Outdoor Learning • Glue sticks
• STEM Challenges • Low heat hot glue gun
• Critical Thinking • Construction paper
• Problem Solving • Crayons or markers
• Pipecleaners
• Beads (pony beads are ideal)
• Popsicle Sticks

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 6
2. Literacy Resources
Song or Poem try a simple chapter book! When a new theme begins, return the
books to the library and take out some fresh ones. This ensures your
Each theme includes a song or poem for you to teach your child.
child is always surrounded by a literacy rich environment.
You can write it down and start a binder full of songs and poems
your child knows, or you can simply enjoy singing and saying
Short Story
the songs and poems together each day. Songs and poems are
excellent ways for children to develop many literacy and pre- I have written a short story to go along with each theme. These
reading skills. stories are whimsical and imaginative, while incorporating factual
information about the weekly theme. Read the story to your child
Recommended Books several times over the two week period. Throughout the two weeks,
chat about the story together and make connections where you
Each theme also includes five suggested books related to the
can as you are doing the various activities. Also encourage your
theme for you to take out from the library. By no means do you
child to retell parts of the story. Can he remember how the story
need to get all of these books! The idea is to get a few books
begins? What happens in the middle? And what happens at the
about the theme to immerse your child deeply in the topic. Please
end? Was there a problem that needed to be overcome in the
also get other books that you think will interest your child, or ideas
story? And so on. I hope you love these sweet stories!
you might like to introduce your child to: picture books, poem
books, atlases, fictional stories, non-fiction stories… you can even

3. Quiet Time Activities

Quiet Time Ideas calm. A daily quiet time will also help our children to solidify the
learning they are playing with throughout the curriculum. The length
Quiet, independent time each day is an integral part of
of quiet time will vary based on the needs of your family and your
Kindergarten at Home. Our children thrive on rhythm and routine.
child. Anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour is suggested.
Children need time together as well as time on their own, times of
Each theme includes five simple, theme-based quiet time activities.
busyness and activity alternating with times of peacefulness and

4. Deep Learning Activities

Phonological Awareness Activity If your child loves crafts, by all means do more! But ensuring one
art project is completed each theme means that our child has 18
One phonological awareness activity is included with each theme.
meaningful and deep art experiences throughout the year. This
A simple explanation of what the skills involves is included, as
keeps things nice and simple for us, while ensuring our children are
well as a game or activity you can do with your child to practice
still having deep art adventures.
the skill. Phonological awareness must emerge before children
are ready to read, so these skills will be played with strategically
Cooking Project
throughout the curriculum, ensuring our little ones are set up for
reading success by the end of the curriculum. There is so much to be learned in the kitchen! Each theme includes
a recipe for a cooking project to enjoy with your child. Encourage
The 7 Phonological Awareness skills that we cover are: Rhyming, your child to do the measuring, stirring, and dishing on his own.
Word Awareness, Syllable Awareness, Sound Identification, Sound
Segmentation, Sound Blending, and Deleting Sounds. You can also write out the recipe and add in some pictures so
you child can follow along, or even create your own recipe book,
Art Project adding each recipe in the curriculum as you go!
A big idea in Kindergarten at Home is that quality is more important
than quantity. Each theme includes one art project for you to enjoy
with your child throughout the two week period.

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 7
5. Your Daily Activity Plan
Literacy & Numeracy
The Kindergarten at Home curriculum alternates between literacy
and numeracy activities. One theme will focus on literacy activities
(spread out over the two week period), and the next theme will
focus on numeracy activities. The reason for this is to allow our
child to fully immerse himself in one area of development for a
stretch of time. This has been shown to deepen as well as simplify
learning.
The School Day literacy activities are focused on letters and
sounds (other literacy activities are included in each theme’s Deep
Learning Activities). Your child will work his way through all of
the letters in a very special order, preparing him for a successful
reading experience as we go through the curriculum.
The numeracy activities in the Kindergarten at Home curriculum
focus on building a strong understanding of numbers and what they
represent and mean. Building a strong mathematical understanding
is the key to all future math learning. These foundational skills will
build slowly throughout the year as we work through all core skills.
What Comes Next?
If you are a planner like me, you might already be wondering,
“What’s next?!” So, let me introduce you to my Grade One
Curriculum Bundle.
In Grade One Literacy, children dive into reading and writing
through a magical and whimsical curriculum which requires only
ONE work-page a day!
This is also how Grade One Math is set up—read through the math
story and complete one page a day with your child, and you can be
sure that all core skills are covered. It truly is this easy!
This takes care of core skills, allowing you to dive into the magical
world of unit studies with your child next. Family Unit Studies use
integrated learning to engage children and teach a multitude of
subjects, including: Art, Science, Music, Geography, History, Physics,
and more!
© 2023 How Wee Learn
Kindergarten at Home, Page 8
Health, Nature & Outdoor Learning
Each of the three mornings includes either a health, nature, our
outdoor learning activity. You will notice that all parts of the
curriculum are weighted equally. We want to ensure our children
know that their mental and physical health deserves just as much
attention as we devote to more traditional academia skills. Health
activities include all topics from healthful eating to meditation and
learning about our emotions. Nature activities might be indoor or
outdoor and have a focus on connecting our child to their natural
world. Outdoor learning activities include skills that develop gross
motor muscles, crossing the midline, balance, and keeping our
bodies healthy with exercise and movement.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
I believe that the world no longer requires little people to memorize
rote facts and information. What the world needs is more critical
thinkers and problem solvers. This part of the curriculum develops
these skills. From simple building challenges that encourage out-
of-the-box thinking and creativity, to discussion questions to dive
into together, to “I wonder” journals… this session builds brains and
hearts as well.
I would love to offer you my Grade One Curriculum Bundle, which
includes the How Wee Learn Grade One Literacy Curriculum, Grade
One Math Curriculum, and my 10 best-selling Family Unit Studies for
the discounted price of $189.
Get the Grade One Curriculum Bundle for $189
shop.howweelearn.com/products/grade-one-curriculum-bundle
Continuing your learning at home should feel fun and easy. That is
exactly what this program provides—piece of mind for you, knowing
there will be no gaps in foundational skills for your child, and fun
and whimsy for your little one!
Please let me know if you have any questions at all. I am here to
help each step of the way.
xo
Sarah
 Kindergarten at Home

Suggested Schedule
Below is a suggestion for how you might choose to implement the Kindergarten at Home curriculum. This layout allows
you to accomplish everything in about an hour in the morning, with a few additional learning opportunities sprinkled
after lunch and before bed. Of course, you are welcome to implement the curriculum however works for your family!

Saturday Morning Take a trip to the library to gather books for your next session

Afternoon Review the material list for your next session and gather supplies

Monday Morning Art or Cooking Project 1 hour

Afternoon Quiet Time Activity #1 30 mins to 1 hour

Evening Read the theme’s Short Story for your bedtime story 30 mins to 1 hour

Tuesday Morning Day 1 Activities (plus a snack and break) 1 hour

Afternoon Quiet Time Activity #2 30 mins to 1 hour

Evening Read/sing the poem/song before bed 10 mins

Wednesday Morning Day 2 Activities (plus a snack and break) 1 hour

Afternoon Quiet Time Activity #3 30 min to 1 hour

Evening Read a library book for your bedtime story 30 mins

Thursday Morning Day 3 Activities (plus a snack and break) 1 hour

Afternoon Quiet Time Activity #4 30 mins to 1 hour

Evening Read a library book for your bedtime story 30 mins

Friday Morning Phonological Awareness Activity 10 mins

Play date, park date, time in the community

Afternoon Quiet Time Activity #5 30 mins to 1 hour

Evening Read a library book for your bedtime story 30 mins

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 9
 Fall
Sessions

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 11
Apples
 Apples

Introduction
Session #1 Focus
Literacy Activities
To start, we will be learning and playing with the letters found in our child’s name. These are important letters to our child because they hold
great meaning and value! During this session, your little one will focus on recognizing his name in lowercase and uppercase form. In the
next session, we focus more on the letter sounds and having your child build his name himself.

Health & Wellness, Nature & Science, and Outdoor Learning

Each week, you and your child will enjoy one health and wellness activity, one nature or science experience, and some outdoor learning to
aid in gross motor development.

Stem Challenge, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

You and your child will also enjoy one STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) challenge, one critical thinking activity, and one
problem solving discussion each week

This session, you will start an “I Wonder” journal with your child. Get a special book for this with blank pages (something from the dollar store
would be perfect!). As you work through the Kindergarten at Home curriculum, encourage your child to record his thoughts, questions and
observations about the materials you cover. Let your child really take his time and “fill the page” with this book, getting lots of ideas and
thoughts expressed. Children sometimes need to be encouraged to slow down, just as we do. Your child can draw pictures to express his
thoughts, practice writing words, or both.

One day a week, an I Wonder journal prompt is provided to get the critical thinking juices flowing. Feel free to use this prompt... or not!
Some days your child might be filled with his own questions and ideas. Other days, he may need a bit of a nudge to think about the
materials in a new way. Both are perfectly okay!

Materials List
Craft Materials Tools & Supplies Food & Recipe Ingredients
• Brown and green pipecleaners • Saucepan • Lots of apples, 3 varieties
• Red, green and yellow beads • Potato masher • 1 tsp cinnamon
• A straw • Coins, optional • Variety of fruits and vegetables
• Red, green and yellow pompoms • Needle and thread or sewing machine Printables
• Old white t-shirt • Scissors
• Fabric paint • Bowl • I Wonder Journal
• Yarn • Knife for cutting apples • Food Journal
• Red, black and green construction • Tweezers or tongs • Fruits
paper • Vegetables
Toys
• Glue, optional • Red Apples
• Markers and crayons • Blocks or LEGO • Green Apples
• Toothpicks • Toy cars, optional
• Little toy people, optional

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 13
 Apples

Poem & Books

Poem
5 Little Apples
5 little apples, not one more, one fell down and then there were 4.
4 little apples, red as could be, one fell down and then there were 3.
3 Little apples, ripe and new, one fell down and then there were 2.
2 little apples, sitting in the sun, one fell down and then there was 1.
1 little apple, wanted to join the fun, so he fell down, and then there were none.

Recommended Books
Ten Apples Up On Top
Dr. Seuss
Don’t let the apples drop! Three animal friends
practice balancing apples on their heads in
this hilarious introduction to counting. This book
teaches all about numbers, with a dose of
signature Seuss charm. Kids will learn to count to
ten--and want to start all over again!
Hello World! How Do Apples Grow?
Jill McDonald
Young children love to eat apples and go to
orchards. Here’s a Hello, World! board book that
teaches toddlers all about how apples grow—from
seed to sapling to tree to applesauce.

Apples Apple Picking Day

Gail Gibbons
Explore the history of the apple but also the
way that families and farmers grow and care for
apple trees today, from planting to selling, to
turning them into delicious treats and using them
for classic games like “bobbing for apples” on
Halloween.
Candice Ransom
The kids bound with glee through the rows of
trees, and race against other children to pick the
most and the best apples. The story of their day
is bright, fun, and full of light action. It’s told in
easy-to-follow rhyme, ensuring a successful reading
experience.

Apples, Apples, Apples

Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
It’s a blue sky autumn day and Minna, Pop,
Mom, and Dad have decided to go on an outing
to Long Hill Orchard. As the bunnies fill their
baskets, Farmer Miller teaches them all about
apples.

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 14
 Apples

Short Story
Abagail the Apple
One sunny morning, Abigail the Apple was just hanging. Actually, Abigail the Apple was always just hanging around! For as long as she
could remember, she was hanging on a branch of her Mama, the big old apple tree.

Over the summer, many little boys and girls had come along to pick delicious apples. Abigail had always hoped to be chosen! She would try
to shine herself up by rubbing against the apple tree leaves, but each and every time, Abigail was left behind.

Her Mama, the big old apple tree, was very wise and told Abigail that maybe — just maybe — something bigger was in store for Abigail.
Abigail was not sure what her Mama meant, she just wanted to be chosen!

Summer turned into fall, and Mama’s leaves began to change colour. Abigail realized she was changing colour as well. She was no longer a
beautiful red... she was turning brown! No one would choose her now!

Mama comforted Abigail and told her that she, in fact, had been chosen. Very soon, Abigail would fall from the tree and land on the ground
nice and close to Mama. Her seeds would settle into the ground and rest all winter long. In the spring, Abigail’s seed would sprout. She was
going to grow into a beautiful apple tree just like her Mama!

Abigail was so excited for this amazing journey! And sure enough, it happened just as Mama said.

One chilly fall morning, a strong wind blew Abigail to the ground. She rested on the ground all winter long as her seeds settled into the soil.
One of these seeds settled in just the right way, with just the right amount of sunshine, water and warmth.

In the spring, the seed sprouted. For six long years, little Abigail grew stronger and taller, right beside her Mama. When she was seven years
old, something magical happened. Abigail grew her leaves, as she did each year, but then Abigail grew flower blossoms!

They smelled so heavenly sweet.

That delicious smell attracted bees who pollinated those flowers and turned them into
baby apples. Abigail was now a Mama Apple Tree!

As Abigail’s baby apples grew, she smiled with

pride as the boys and girls came to pick them.
And she smiled with pride for the ones the
children did not pick, as she knew those
special apples had a magical journey
ahead of them.

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 15
 Apples

Quiet Time
Pipecleaner Apple Tree Creativity, Fine Motor Skills, Hand-Eye Coordination

Materials
• Brown pipecleaners
• Red, green, and yellow
beads
Threading beads is a wonderful activity for strengthening fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination!
Twist seven or eight brown pipecleaners together to create little trees. Add a few trees to a bin, along
with red, green and yellow beads for apples. Your little one can thread the bead apples onto the trees.
Trees can be patterned or sorted by colours. Maybe your little one could put two apples on each branch.
Do they have enough for four apples per branch? The possibilities for quiet play are endless with this one.

Apple Bracelets Creativity, Fine Motor Skills, Hand-Eye Coordination

Materials Making beaded bracelets is a staple in almost every childhood! Pop some green pipecleaners and red
beads to represent apples into a bin. Your child can thread the beads onto a pipecleaner, then twist
• Green pipecleaners
the ends to turn it into a bracelet. Your little one can create bracelets for each member of his family.
• Beads
How many beads are on each family member’s bracelet? Who has the biggest bracelet? Who has the
smallest?

Building a Tree Creativity, STEM Skills, Fine Motor Skills, Counting

Materials
• Blocks or LEGO
• Red pompoms
Get out the blocks or LEGO and build a tree! Building is a wonderful activity for little ones to practice a
variety of skills at the same time, as well as learning what makes a structure (or tree!) strong and sturdy.
Toss in some red pompoms so pretend apples can grow on the tree. This will help develop fine motor skills
as your child carefully places pompom apples on the branches. How many apples will fit on the tree?

Pompom Sort and Play Sorting, Patterning, Counting, Fine Motor Skills, Imaginative Play

Materials Add a straw and a bunch of yellow, red and green pompoms to a bin to represent apples. Little ones
can blow through the straw to sort the pompoms. They will learn about the power of wind and breath
• Straw
control, as well as different ways of sorting. What groups are made if you sort the pompoms by colour?
• Red, green and yellow
What about by size? This open-ended activity can also encourage patterning and counting, or add some
pompoms
pipecleaners and a croquet-like game might develop!
• Pipecleaners (optional)

Floor Pipecleaner Tree Creativity, Fine Motor Skills, Imaginative Play

Materials Lay out some pipecleaners on the floor in the shape of a tree. Your little one can include roots, the tree
trunk and branches to make his tree. Maybe some of the pipecleaners stay nice and straight, while others
• Pipecleaners
are bent or curved. Pop in some toy cars or little toy people and the tree may turn into roads. Or perhaps
• Little toy cars and
some little gnomes will end up living in the tree in a magical make-believe world!
people (optional)

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 16
 Apples

Deep Learning
Phonological Awareness Rhyming

Materials This session, we will practice the phonological awareness skill of rhyming. Rhyming involves hearing
rhymes (in nursery rhymes, silly songs, or Dr. Seuss books, for example), recognizing rhymes (“Does cat
• None!
rhyme with bat?”) and finally, making rhymes independently (“The dog jumped over the log.”). Rhyming is
an important skill for early reading. Rhyming words often have the same ending. So, if a child can read
the word cat, it is simple for that child to also read rhyming words like bat, hat and rat.

For this activity, sing “Down by the Bay” by Raffi with your child. Take turns making up silly rhymes to follow
“My mother will say...”. For example:

Down by the bay, where the watermelons grow, back to my home, I dare not go, for if I do, my mother will
say: “Did you ever you ever see a goose kissing a moose?” down by the bay.

Art Project Creativity, Fine Motor Skills, Sewing

Materials For this project, we’re going to repurpose an old white t-shirt into a bag and decorate it with apple
prints. To make the bag, cut two rectangles out of an old white t-shirt, sew three of the edges together,
• Apples
then flip the bag inside out. Your child can also braid yarn to make a handle. Now it’s time to decorate!
• Fabric paint
Cut an apple in half width-wise. Do you see the star shape that the seeds make? Using fabric paint and
• Old white t-shirt
the two apple halves as stamps, have your child decorate his bag. He may want to experiment with how
• Needle and thread or
much pressure to use when stamping the apple, the amount of paint, and how many times he can stamp
sewing machine
an apple in a row.
• Yarn

Cooking Project Nutrition, Following Directions, Kitchen Safety, Fine Motor Skills

Materials Let’s make some homemade apple sauce!

• 4 apples
1. Cut the apples into small squares. Have your child help with this step. You could first core the apples
• 3/4 cup water
and cut them into slices, and your child could then cube them. Show your child how to cut the apples
• 1 tsp cinnamon
safely, keeping his fingers away from the knife.
2. Place the apple cubes, water and cinnamon into a saucepan and cover.
3. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the apples are soft.
4. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher.
5. Enjoy your delicious homemade apple sauce!

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 17
 Week 1 Day 1

Apples
Apple Name Puzzle Literacy

1
Materials On a piece of red construction paper, cut out a large apple shape. Write your child’s first name spaced
out across the apple. Be sure to use proper form—a capital on the first letter and the rest lowercase.
• Red construction paper
Draw vertical lines between each letter to make “apple slices,” with one name letter per slice. Have your
• Black marker
little one cut on each apple slice line. Say, “Thumbs up!” while cutting to remind your child to hold the
• Scissors
scissors properly.
• Black and green
construction paper,
Lay out your puzzle pieces to show your child what their completed name puzzle will look like. Then mix
optional
them up! Now, your little one can find each of his name letters and place them in the correct order. After,
• Glue, optional
you can glue it all down on a piece of black construction paper. Your little one can even cut out a stem
and leaf for the top!

Fruits & Vegetables Health & Wellness

2
Materials Cut out the Fruits and Vegetables cards, or grab some from the kitchen, and have your child identify
them. What differences or similarities can he find between the fruits and vegetables? Does he know
• A variety of fruits and
which is a fruit and which is a vegetable?
vegetables that you
have on hand
But what makes a fruit a fruit and a vegetable a vegetable? The key to telling them apart? Seeds! Fruits
have seeds and develop from a flower on a plant. Vegetables are all other plant parts (roots, leaves and
Printables
stems). When cooking, we often consider savoury fruits to be vegetables (like bell peppers, which have
• Fruits seeds inside but we still call them a vegetable).
• Vegetables
Go back through all your fruits and vegetables and classify them as either a fruit or a vegetable.

Apple Boats STEM Challenge

3
Materials Cut up some apples in different shapes and sizes. Have your little one make apple boats by connecting
the apple pieces together with toothpicks. A sail can be made by poking a toothpick through a small
• Apples
piece of paper (in through one side of the paper then back out again). Plop those boats into a large bowl
• Toothpicks
of water and see if they float! Your little one can experiment with different shapes and sizes of boats. You
• Paper
can even cut up different types of apples to see if one variety floats better than another. Why might this
• Scissors
be?
• Coins or LEGO
• Bowl
Try adding some coins or LEGO pieces to see how many the apple boat can hold without the boat sinking
or the pieces falling off.

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 18
 Week 1 Day 2

Apples
Apple Name Tree Literacy

4
Materials Draw an apple tree on a piece of paper with long branches. Write your child’s name clearly on three of
the branches (remember, capital for the first letter and lowercase for the rest). Next, write your child’s
• Paper
name three times on a piece of red construction paper and cut out each individual letter for little name
• Marker
letter apples.
• Red construction paper
• Scissors
Have your child build his name by matching the letter apples on top of the branches of the tree three
times.

Apple Dissection Nature & Science

5
Materials Grab a couple apples and perform a dissection! See if your child can identify all of the parts of an apple
as you dissect it, including the stem, leaf (if it has one), skin, flesh, core and seeds.
• Apple
• Knife for cutting the
What does the inside of the apple look like if you cut it from top to bottom? What about from side to
apple
side? Can you find the star shape that the seeds make inside? Have your child count how many seeds are
inside the apple. Do both apples have the same number of seeds?

When you’re all done, plant some of these seeds to grow an apple tree!

I Wonder Journal Critical Thinking

6
Materials Prompt: “I wonder how I can stop my cut apples from turning brown?”
• Markers or crayons
Your child may use this prompt, or he may already have questions, thoughts and observations he wants to
record in his journal. Both are perfectly okay! Encourage your child to take his time drawing his thoughts,
Printables
or working collaboratively to add letters or words to his pictures. Go nice and slow, encouraging your
• I Wonder Journal little one to dive deep into his wonderings.

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 19
 Week 1 Day 3

Apples
Play Rotten Apple Literacy

7
Materials Write out the letters of the alphabet on your red apple cards (or on circles of red construction paper) in
lowercase letters. The only exception is the first letter of your child’s name, which is written as a capital.
• Red construction paper
• Scissors
Have your child find the good apples—his name letters—and toss all of the other “rotten” apples into a
• Marker
bowl.
Bowl
This can also be played by turning the apples face down and taking turns flipping them over one-by-one
Printables
to see if you get a good apple or a rotten apple!
• Red Apples

Go Apple Picking Outdoor & Gross Motor Skills

8
Materials Go apple picking! Head to your local apple orchard, or travel down a country road until you find an apple
tree at the side of the road and pick some apples.
• None!

Not only is this a wonderful memory-making activity, it is also great for gross motor development (twisting
your body to pick the apples) and crossing the midline (putting the apples into a bucket).

Enjoy some of those fresh apples as a snack and save some for more apples activities in the coming days!

Joseph’s Apple Problem Problem Solving

9
Materials This problem solving activity will help your child build vocabulary as well as critical and outside the box
thinking skills.
• None!
Tell your child this story: Joseph had two delicious apples. He showed his two brothers and they really
wanted to eat those apples! But Joseph wanted an apple too. How can they solve this problem?

Remember, this isn’t a math problem, but a way for your child to explore possibilities and consider how
different solutions might make Joseph or his brothers feel. For example, if Joseph ate both apples, how
would he feel? Or maybe Joseph gives both apples to his brothers. How might he feel then?

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 20
 Week 2 Day 1

Apples
Red &Green Apple Match Literacy

10
Materials Write your child’s name in lowercase on the red apple cards (or red circles of construction paper), one
letter per apple. Similarly, write his name on green apples (or green circles of construction paper), but
• Red and green
this time all in uppercase.
construction paper
• Scissors
Now turn all of the apples upside down and mix them up! Have your child play a memory game, trying
• Markers
to match a lowercase and uppercase letter. You can write out the matching letter combinations (e.g. A
and a) on a piece of paper to have beside your child so he can check his matches. Your child can also
Printables
practice making the letter sounds each time he makes a match.
• Red Apples
• Green Apples P.S. Save those apples to use again tomorrow!

Food Journal Health & Wellness

11
Materials Start a food journal! Today and over the coming days, have your child draw (or practice writing) all of the
fruits and vegetables that they eat in their food journal. Keep the journal prominently displayed on your
• Paper
fridge.
• Markers or crayons

This is a wonderful activity to encourage healthy eating as your child watches his journal fill with pictures
Printables
of colourful fruits and vegetables. You can also use the food journal to differentiate between fruits
• Food Journal and vegetables. How many fruits and vegetables did your child eat? Did he eat more fruits or more
vegetables? Which fruit or vegetable did he eat the most of and which one the least?

Build an Apple Tower STEM Challenge

12
Materials Let’s build a tower! To get started, cut up some apples into small pieces. To make it easier for your little
one to help, cut the apples in half for them first. Next, show your child how to safely cut those halves into
• Apples
smaller pieces, keeping their fingers away from the knife.
• Knife for cutting apples
• Toothpicks
With your small apple pieces ready, your child can now connect them together using toothpicks to build
a tower. How tall can your little one build their tower? You can also talk about the different shapes made
as the apple pieces are connected. Can you spot any 2D shapes like a square or triangle?

When you’re all done, eat those apple pieces as a healthy snack!

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 21
 Week 2 Day 2

Apples
Applesauce Letters Literacy

13
Materials Make some letter applesauce! Pop all those same red and green apples with your child’s name letters
into a bowl and stir them up.
• Bowl
• Tweezers or tongs
Have your child use tweezers or tongs to pull out each piece of paper, one at a time. As he pulls it out,
have your child say the name letter aloud.
Printables
• Red Apples This is a wonderful activity to reinforce uppercase and lowercase letter recognition, all while using fine
• Green Apples motor skills to strengthen those little hands for writing!

P.S. Save those apples to use again tomorrow!

Apple Taste Test Nature & Science

14
Materials Choose three varieties of apples to taste test with your child. Red Delicious or Empire, Granny Smith and
Golden Delicious make great choices for their varying tastes, textures and colours.
• 3 different types of
apples
Slice up the apples and start tasting! Take your time describing each apple’s taste, texture, colour and
even smell. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to develop his vocabulary! Some descriptive
words that might be used: Juicy, Wet, Crunchy, Soft, Hard, Mushy, Sweet, Sour, Bitter, etc.

Which apple is your child’s favourite? What does he like about it?

I Wonder Journal Critical Thinking

15
Materials Prompt: “I wonder what would it feel like to be an apple on a tree?”
• Markers or crayons
Remember, your child may use this prompt, or he may already have questions, thoughts and observations
he wants to record in his journal. Both are perfectly okay! Encourage your child to take his time drawing
Printables
his thoughts, or working collaboratively to add letters or words to his pictures. Go nice and slow,
• I Wonder Journal encouraging your little one to dive deep into his wonderings.

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 22
 Week 2 Day 3

Apples
Apple Spell Literacy

16
Materials Sing this simple song using your child’s name letters:
• None!
Benjamin loves apples,
he eats them all day long!
Printables
B-e-n-j-a-m-i-n
• Red Apples is his apple song!
• Green Apples
You can even make use the “applesauce letters” from the yesterday’s literacy activity for your child to
hold up or point to as he sings his special apple song.

Planting Apple Seeds Outdoor

17
Materials Check on the apple seed that you planted in Activity #5. Has it started to sprout? If not, try planting a few
more fresh seeds. Carefully clean the seeds, then have your child dig a little spot in the sun to plant them.
• Fresh apple seeds

While you’re planting, talk about what plants need to grow. They need water, just like we do. They also
need healthy soil, which provides nutrients and a place for roots to anchor the plant. Finally, plants need
sunshine to make food through a process called photosynthesis, and a temperature that’s not too hot and
not too cold.

Get That Apple! Problem Solving

18
Materials Remember Joseph from Activity #9? He was wondering how to share his two apples.
• None!
Well, now Joseph has another problem. He went walking through the woods and saw an apple waaay up
high in a tree that looked absolutely delicious. But he can’t reach it!

How might Joseph get the apple? Try to think of as many was as you can for Joseph to get that apple!

© 2023 How Wee Learn

Kindergarten at Home, Page 23