orchard tour and apple polishing

It is smack dab in the middle of apple season here in New England. Our local MOMS Club’s chapter has arranged for us to have a tour of one of our favorite, family run apple orchards.

We are taken to the wall of apple crates, ready to be filled by the pickers,
to the giant fridge that houses apples through the year to keep the fruit fresh,
and to the trees where we’re each given a bag to fill with Macs.
The kids are taught to lift and twist the stem of the apple to pick them off the tree correctly.

We even get to see the apple polishing machine in action, using water and soft fabrics to transport the fruit and remove the haze from the skin.

Apple Polish, a project that will allow for some simple, slow family time together.
…a great way to interact with and prepare all the apples you and your family might pick this season at your local orchard.

Materials:
beach towel
small mixing bowl
fuzzy kitchen towel
thin soft kitchen towel
large mixing bowl
bag of apples
fruit and veggie cleaner solution (optional)

Setup: Fold the beach towel in half and place it on the kitchen table, where your “apple polisher” will be working. Fill the small mixing bowl with several inches of water and put it on top of the folded beach towel. Place the two “polishing cloths” on the side of the bowl and the large empty bowl on the other to create your assembly line. You can begin with an apple polishing demonstration give a demonstration.
We added fruit and veggie cleaner spray to the assembly line, my kids are always begging me to use it themselves. This is a good opportunity.

Play: Your child dips the apples in the water, dries and shines them, and places them in the large empty bowl.

This assemply line of apple polishing fun comes directly from Unplugged Play by Bonni Conner, bursting with creative ideas, games, and projects to fill a child’s time with healthy, stimulating and rewarding play.