Learning is made fun with our primary school activities and lesson plans! We’ve compiled a variety of ways you can get the little ones engaged with fruit and orchards as they learn maths, science, creative writing, and more. These lesson plans help children better understand the natural world around them, and emphasise the importance of caring for local greenspaces.
Primary school activities
Making apple juice
A ‘how to’ guide for making fresh apple juice in schools, with or
without juice pressing equipment. Get activity outline here
Making dried apple rings
This a guide for a super low-tech method for preserving an apple glut. Get activity outline here
Primary school lesson plans
Pruning lesson plan
Learn about the parts of a tree and why it’s important to prune fruit trees. Get lesson plan here
Fruit thinning math
During the summer it is important to ‘thin’ out the developing fruitlets – why not
make this mathematical? Get lesson plan here
Lifecycles and foodchains
Learn about lifecycles and food chains of orchard plants and animals. Get lesson plan here
Apples of the British Isles
Learn about the huge range of apple varieties that grow all around the British Isles. Get lesson plan here
Apple bobbing and descriptive writing
Apple bobbing is a great way to connect with others, and students will keep this interpersonal connection in mind as they write brief character descriptions and feedback on one another’s writing. Get lesson plan here
Apple tasting and orchard explorers
This lesson covers the differences in plants and orchard all over the world, encouraging children to interact with their local fruit trees and orchard plants. Get orchard explorers lesson plan here
Minibeasts, habitats and soil
Students will learn about habitats (including micro-habitats), which will get them thinking about the creatures that they share the orchard with. Get lesson plan here
Orchard art: leaf and bark rubbings
This lesson will get children interacting with the natural world around them, and enhance their understanding of the different functions of each part of plants and trees. Get lesson plan here
Orchard art: clay faces
This scavenger hunt will get children into the orchard, searching for natural objects and interacting with the fruit trees. Get lesson plan here
Plant lifecycles (June-October)
This lesson focuses on plant structures and lifecycles, with a special emphasis on how pollinators contribute to fruit production. Get lesson plan here
Habitats and bug hotels
Suitable for year 2 and 3. Students will learn about lifecycles of insects and how to create a ‘bug hotel’ for invertebrates to hibernate in overwinter. Get lesson plan here
Pollinators and bug hotels
Suitable for year 4 and 5. Students will learn about lifecycles of insects and how to create a ‘bug hotel’ for invertebrates to hibernate in overwinter. Get lesson plan here
Tree care
This lesson explains the function of their different plant parts (roots, stem, flower, etc.) and how to care for them by mulching them. Get lesson plan here
Tree care signs
Students will learn how to create informative signage to help locals understand and care for the trees in their local orchard. Get lesson plan here