Fall in the Berkshires -Apple Crisp with Kindergarten

It’s fall in the Berkshires, one of my favorite seasons of the year. Actually, I love them all! But there’s something especially magical about autumn. When the weather begins to shift, the air turns crisp, and the mornings grow chilly while the afternoons stay warm and golden, I find myself drawn to a few simple seasonal traditions. At the top of my list: apple picking. Each year, we gather baskets of fresh apples to make homemade applesauce and apple crisp, both delicious and comforting.

As many of you know, I’m a kindergarten teacher at a local elementary school, and I’m lucky enough to have three apple trees growing just outside my classroom windows. This year, the branches were heavy with fruit. One of my favorite lessons with my kinders is taking them outside to pick apples right from those trees.

Did you know there’s a special technique for picking an apple? Rather than tugging it off the branch, you gently hold the apple and give it a twist. It releases easily, and what a wonderful reward it is, holding one of nature’s sweetest gifts in your hands.

Once everyone has picked an apple or two, we head back inside to make a classroom favorite: apple crisp. For many of my students, who are only five or six years old, it’s their first time peeling an apple, using a (kid-safe) knife, or measuring out ingredients. The excitement in the room is contagious! Each child takes a turn mixing, stirring, and breathing in the sweet scent of apples and cinnamon. Then we pour our creation into a baking dish and pop it into the oven.

Soon, the aroma drifts down the hallway. Teachers and students pass by, asking, “What’s cooking? Who’s making that? Is there any for me?”

When the apples are soft and the topping turns golden and crispy, we bring our dish of love back to the classroom. Once it’s cooled, we scoop out servings and of course I bring vanilla ice cream for the top. Hearing the chorus of “Oooohs” and “Aaaahs” as my students take their first bite makes it all worth it. Those moments of joy, wonder, and shared sweetness are what teaching is all about.

 Sofia Hughes