Welcome the fall season into the preschool classroom with this easy scented apple painting activity. By adding ground cinnamon to red, yellow, green, and brown paint, preschoolers get to enjoy a full sensory experience while creating festive apple art. It’s a simple way to encourage creativity, find motor development, and sensory exploration at the preschool art center.
Why Try Scented Apple Painting?
Adding cinnamon to paint brings a fresh element to the art center. The scent invites students to slow down, explore, and stay engaged. It also gives a new purpose to familiar materials, encouraging creativity in a way that feels exciting and new. Along the way, students build important skills:
- Sensory exploration through smell and texture
- Fine motor strength as they paint inside apple outlines
- Creative expression using fall colors and scents
Simple changes like this can help keep classroom routines feeling new and meaningful.
How to Set Up Scented Apple Painting
All it takes is a few ingredients and a few minutes of prep.
You’ll Need:
- Paintbrushes or cotton swabs
- Red, green, yellow, and brown washable paint
- Ground cinnamon
- Small plastic cups
- Apple outline printouts
To Make the Paint:
Mix a generous sprinkle of cinnamon into each color. You can pre-mix it in small cups or let students sprinkle it in themselves for an extra sensory experience.
Using the Scented Apple Painting Activity in the Classroom
This activity is flexible enough for a variety of settings. Whether it’s added to the art center or introduced as a small group project, it offers lots of opportunities for creativity and learning.
At the Art Center:
Set out the cinnamon-scented paints with apple outlines, brushes, and paper. Some students may choose to paint realistic apples in red or green, while others might explore patterns, color mixing, or even create “apple pie” inspired art. Keep a small jar of cinnamon nearby so students can smell it before painting or sprinkle a bit on top for extra texture.
In Small Groups:
This activity works well in small groups of 3–4 children. Introduce the materials, model how to dip and paint, and talk about the smell. Ask questions like:
- What does this smell remind you of?
- What colors do apples come in?
- Can you think of different ways we can eat apples?
Extend the Learning
Books to Pair With the Activity
Science Connection:
After painting, talk about where cinnamon comes from. Show a cinnamon stick and let students compare it to the powdered version they used in their paint.
Vocabulary to Introduce:
- Scent
- Cinnamon
- Fall
Add a Sensory Center with Cinnamon Play Dough
Looking for another way to explore the scent of cinnamon? Try adding a batch of Apple Cinnamon Play Dough to your sensory or fine motor centers. The recipe is soft, simple to make, and perfect for fall. Students can roll, press, and shape the dough while engaging their senses through smell, sight, and touch.
A Fall Favorite for the Art Center
This simple apple paint activity blends the sights, smells, and textures of fall into one meaningful experience. With just a few supplies and a sprinkle of cinnamon, it brings fresh energy to the art center and invites creativity in a whole new way. Whether used in centers or small groups, apple scented painting is a classroom favorite that’s easy to repeat all season long.
How can I get a print out of the apples and the craft ideas
Hi Dawn,
Many of the resources you see here are available on TPT. Here’s the link to the 5 Senses Unit.