Hi Everyone! This is a fun program called Playing with STEM. It is a STEM program for 3-5 year olds. It is primarily play, because at that age, I just want to make science, technology, engineering and math fun!
This is the second and third version of this theme. There are a lot of additions. There were stations all around the room that the kids would visit with their parents. Each station had a sign to give some instructions and a fun fact. Here are the stations we had this month:
New 2025: Making Apple Pie
The children pretended to make apple pie with beans, a pie tin (3D printed), pom-pom apples and a felt top crust. Several children spent a lot of time at this station.
New 2025: Apple Counting
The children practiced their counting using apple seeds. Each apple shape had a number at the top so the children could count that number of paper seeds onto the apple.
New 2025: Picking Apples
The children pretended to pick apples off the tree we made from cardboard. The apples were foam squishy apples.
New 2025: Apples in The Tree
The children added apples to some trees in this activity. The apples were dot stickers.
New 2025: Apple Fractions
The children practiced their fractions with these apples. These can be found here.
New 2025: Apple Toss
The children practiced their tosses (and learned about physics) with apple toss. We used ball pit balls and baskets from Dollar Tree to make this fun physical game.
New 2025: Apple Tree Seasons
The children added stickers to large tree posters for this station. Flowers and leaves for spring. Leaves and small apples for summer.
New 2025: Fruit Pie Sorting
The children sorted the fruit by type or color with this game from Learning Resources. Super Sorting Pie found here.
Apple Dough
The children made an apple using apple scented dough. There were beads to add seeds, foam leaves and sticks to add the stem. We talked about the different apple parts and what they do.
The apple dough was made using the standard flour and salt recipe, except sour apple drink mix was added to give color and scent.
Apple Building
The children built apples or trees using DUPLO building blocks. Foam leaves were provided to add to the apples.
Apple Math
The children sorted three different color apples by size or color in this math activity.
Apples Trees
The children placed the stages of apple tree growth in order using a table sheet and cards. There were six spaces that had a seed, a sprout, a small tree, a tree with flowers and a tree with apples.
The final correct answers are is below.
Test Your Senses
The children used their five senses to experience an apple. Below is the worksheet they were given and the graphic that helped them identify the five senses.
We had a great turnout for this program and the children had a lot of fun!
Fun for Children at the Library 