For the past two days, we have been experimenting with ways we can use apples.  At snack, we noticed that many children prefer to eat their apples differently.  Some of our friends like their apples cut into slices, others don’t care for the skin and like their apples peeled, while others still will eat the whole thing down to the core!

Yesterday, we used some of our apples to make our own applesauce.  We used 7 medium-sized apples (Macouns, Empires, Macintosh and Cortland), peeled them and cut them into cubes.  The Tugboats tried to mash the apple cubes at room temperature and decided that it was way too difficult!  We added a splash of apple and lemon juices, then microwaved them until they were softer, about 10 minutes.  Two groups each used whisks to try to mash our softer apples.  Although it was easier than mashing cold apples, we noticed, it was still too difficult.  So we called in for back-up:

With the help of the blender, we were able to make smooth, delicious applesauce.  We at our home-made applesauce for morning snack today and it was a big hit!

During today’s small group project, we attempted another application for applesauce:  play dough!  Although Peter and I have used this recipe many times, something still went a bit wonky with the chemistry.  Typically, we start with applesauce and simply add cinnamon until the consistency is similar to play dough.  The resulting dough can be formed into shapes and baked for a holiday ornament or air freshener.  We may have started with a bit too much applesauce, because our consistency never advanced beyond a sticky mess!

Today’s project perfectly highlights our emphasis on “process over product.”  Although we would prefer to have some sweet-smelling dough to work with at the end, the children still gain valuable experiences from an experiment that doesn’t go as planned.  They count stirs, ensuring that each person gets a fair turn.  They share the materials and take turns contributing to the process.  Most importantly, they see first-hand that some things don’t always go as we hope they do, but that’s okay.  The children see their teachers “make mistakes” and it helps to ease some of the stigma of making those mistakes.  They also observe their teachers working through a problem-solving process, which demonstrates to them the importance of adapting to unforeseen circumstances.

Besides, what 3-year-old doesn’t love a good sticky mess?!