Songs for Apple Season

It’s apple-picking season! New England’s many apple orchards are a favorite field trip for school and preschool groups, combined with units on healthy eating and making recipes for applesauce, apple pie and more.

You can only pick and eat so many apples, so take some time to sing about them! Here are two of my favorites.

This song is from my CD, “Make it a Song, Song, Song.” The tune is the traditional “Pick a Bale of Cotton.”

Me and my friends are gonna pick a bag of apples

Me and my friends are gonna pick a bag today. (repeat)

(Chorus) Ooo, Lordie, pick a bag of apples

Ooo, Lordie, pick a bag today. (repeat)

Gonna jump up, turn around pick a bag of apples.

Jump up, turn around, pick a bag today.

Chorus.

Additional verses that can be added include:

Gonna climb up the tree and pick a bag of apples …

Me and my friends are gonna eat a lot of apples …

If you need to eliminate any references to “Lordie,” you can always say “Oh, yeah, pick a bag of apples.”

Children love doing the movements to this song, including picking, jumping, climbing and eating.

After you pick the apples, sing about Apple Pie! This song is a great sequence/process song and includes interactive motions and a steady rhythm. The song’s adapted from the traditional “Peanut Butter” song (also on the above mentioned CD). Sadly, I don’t sing much about peanut butter these days because of the many nut allergies. Personally, I love peanut butter (and the song). Here are the apple pie lyrics:

Apple Pie & Ice Cream

Lyrics by Liz Buchanan

Keep steady rhythm throughout the song/chant, though patterns change slightly.

Chorus: Apple, apple pie and Ice cream (Repeat)

First you find some apples and you pick ‘em, pick ‘em ….

Then you wash ‘em, etc.

Then you peel ‘em

Then you chop ‘em

Singin’ apple ….

Then put em in a bowl and you stir ‘em, stir ‘em

Add some sugar and some spice

They’re smelling oh so nice

Then you get some dough and you roll it, roll it …

And you press it, press it …

Take the apples, now pour ‘em in

Singin’ apple ….

Then you take your pie and you cook it, cook it, etc.

Until Ding!  Ding!

It’s hot, hot, hot, hot, hot

Now you cut it, cut it

Don’t forget the ice cream!

And what do you do?

EAT IT!  Eat it ….

Singin’ apple …