Apple Taste Test for Preschoolers

Apple season is the perfect time to explore new tastes with preschoolers! This easy apple taste test gives children a chance to examine, smell, touch, and taste several kinds of apples before choosing their favorite.

After tasting the apples, children can vote for the one they liked best and add their choice to a simple class graph. It is an easy way to combine a fall theme with science, early math, descriptive vocabulary, and the five senses.

The activity requires very little preparation and works well with a small preschool group, an entire classroom, or children in a home daycare.

To make the activity even easier, I created a free Apple Taste Test Printable Pack that children can use to record their tasting results and graph the group’s favorite apples. You can download the two-page printable below and use it with any red, green, and yellow apple varieties.

Apples may look similar on the outside, but preschoolers quickly discover that they do not all taste or feel the same. Some apples are sweet, while others are tart. Some are crisp and juicy, while others are softer.

Encourage children to slow down and notice these differences. There are no wrong answers during the taste test. The goal is to help children observe, describe, compare, and share their own opinions.

Supplies

You will need:

One red apple
One green apple
One yellow apple
Cutting board and knife for adult use
Three plates or small trays
Free Apple Taste Test Printable Pack (below)
Apple-shaped paper cutouts, dot stickers, dot markers, or crayons
Napkins or small individual plates

Choose three apple varieties that have noticeably different flavors or textures. Granny Smith, Gala, and Golden Delicious are easy options, but you can use any varieties available at your grocery store or farmers’ market.

Before beginning, check for food allergies or dietary restrictions. Wash the apples well and cut them into thin, age-appropriate pieces. Closely supervise children while they eat.

Free Apple Taste Test Printables

The free printable pack includes two pages that can be used together or separately:

Individual Apple Taste Test Page: Children can record whether they liked each apple and identify their favorite and least favorite varieties.
Group Apple Graphing Page: Children add their votes to a class graph and then count and compare the results.

The printables are designed for red, green, and yellow apples. Preschoolers can complete the pages using crayons, markers, pencils, or round dot stickers. Younger children may need an adult to read the questions or help record their answers.

Print one individual recording page for each child and one group graph for the class. You can also laminate the group graph and use reusable counters or dry-erase markers if you want to repeat the activity with another group.

Setting Up the Apple Tasting Activity

Place each kind of apple on a separate plate. Add a simple label showing the apple’s name or color.

Keep the pieces small, but leave enough of the peel attached so children can see whether they are tasting a red, green, or yellow apple. You can also display one whole apple beside each plate for children to examine.

Give each child a copy of the individual Apple Taste Test printable. Place the group graph nearby, but wait until everyone has finished tasting before adding votes.

How to Conduct an Apple Taste Test

1. Examine the Whole Apples

Begin by looking closely at the three apples before cutting or tasting them.

Invite children to notice the colors, shapes, sizes, stems, and skin. Let them gently hold each apple and compare how heavy it feels.

Ask questions such as:

How are these apples alike?
How are they different?
Which apple do you think will taste the sweetest?
Do you think they will look the same inside?

This is a good opportunity to introduce the word prediction. Explain that a prediction is a thoughtful guess about what might happen.

2. Taste One Apple at a Time

Give each child a piece of the first apple. Encourage everyone to smell it before taking a bite. Talk about the apple’s flavor and texture. Is it sweet or tart? Does it feel crisp, crunchy, juicy, or soft?

Repeat the process with the other two apples. Tasting one variety at a time makes it easier for children to focus on and compare each apple.

After tasting each variety, help children use the individual printable to record whether they liked it. They can circle the happy, neutral, or unhappy face that best represents their opinion.

Some preschoolers may not want to taste every variety. They can still participate by looking, smelling, touching, and listening to the descriptions shared by the group. Avoid pressuring children to eat an unfamiliar food.

3. Choose a Favorite Apple

After tasting all three varieties, ask each child to choose a favorite and least favorite apple on the individual recording page. Remind them that everyone can have a different opinion.

Next, invite children to add one vote for their favorite apple to the group graph. They can place a dot sticker or make a mark in the red, green, or yellow column. Begin at the bottom of each column and stack the votes upward without leaving spaces so the results are easy to compare.

4. Count and Compare the Votes

When everyone has voted, count the marks in each column together.

Ask:

Which apple received the most votes?
Which apple received the fewest votes?
Did any apples receive the same number of votes?
How many children chose each apple?
How many children participated altogether?

Use words such as most, fewest, more, less, and equal as you discuss the results.

Exploring the Five Senses With Apples

An apple taste test is an easy way to help preschoolers learn about the five senses.

Sight: Examine each apple’s color, shape, peel, seeds, and inside.
Touch: Compare smooth peels, firm apples, and juicy cut surfaces.
Smell: Notice whether the different apples have strong, mild, sweet, or fresh scents.
Taste: Compare sweet, tart, and mild flavors.
Hearing: Listen to the crunch when someone takes a bite.

Preschoolers do not need to use complicated scientific terms. Simple words based on what they notice are meaningful observations.

What Preschoolers Learn From an Apple Taste Test

Although this activity feels like snack time, it supports several early learning skills.

Observation and Comparison

Children look for similarities and differences among the apples. They practice paying attention to details and using their senses to gather information.

Descriptive Vocabulary

Words such as sweet, sour, tart, juicy, crisp, crunchy, smooth, and firm help children explain what they experience.

Early Math and Graphing

Voting and graphing introduce preschoolers to collecting and organizing information. Counting the finished graph helps them practice one-to-one correspondence, number recognition, and comparing quantities.

Making Predictions

Children make predictions before tasting and then compare their ideas with what they actually experienced.

Expressing Personal Preferences

Choosing a favorite teaches children that people can experience the same food differently. One child may love a tart green apple while another prefers a sweeter red variety.

Tips for Doing This Activity With a Preschool Group

Prepare the apple slices shortly before the activity so they stay fresh.
Keep the whole apples nearby so children can match each slice to its variety.
Offer water between samples to help children notice the differences in flavor.
Use small portions because children will be tasting several samples.
Let children participate without requiring them to taste every apple.
Write down some of the children’s descriptive words and predictions.
Take a photo of the finished graph for classroom documentation or to share with families.

Ways to Extend the Apple Activity

Keep the apple exploration going with one of these simple extensions:

Cut an apple open and examine the core, flesh, peel, stem, and seeds.
Count the seeds inside several apples and compare the amounts.
Look for the star shape created when an apple is cut across the middle.
Compare whether apple slices sink or float in water.
Make applesauce and discuss how the apples change as they cook.
Use apple halves for a simple painting and printmaking activity.
Create a second graph showing children’s favorite apple colors before the taste test, then compare it with the taste results.

More Apple Activities for Preschoolers

Continue your apple theme with these hands-on ideas from Where Imagination Grows:

A Simple Apple Theme Math and Science Activity

This apple taste test and graphing activity turns an ordinary snack into a playful preschool learning experience. Children can explore with all five senses, practice using descriptive words, make predictions, collect votes, and compare the results.

Best of all, it is easy to adapt to the apples available near you and the ages of the children in your group. Every class graph will be different—which apple do you think your preschoolers will choose?

Don’t forget to download the free printable pack before beginning. It includes both the individual Apple Taste Test recording page and the group apple graphing page.

>> Get the Free Apple Taste Test Printable Pack <<

Looking for more crafts and activities? Check out our index for 100+ kids activities! Find activities by theme, materials, skills, age, and much more!