How to celebrate Apple Day

Apple Day activities and ideas

There are of course lots of Apple Day events taking place across the UK, in gardens and communities that you can attend – but it’s fun to create your own activities. You could hold it at a local orchard or allotment, in a garden, village green or town park.

Apple tasting

There are thousands of varieties of apple, including some really ancient ones with amazing sounding names. Ever heard of Pendragon, Cornish Aromatic or Captain Broad? Why not gather as many different ones as you can and get people to take a taste of each, to really enjoy all the different flavours apples can offer?

If you don’t have any from a garden or an orchard, a local farmers’ market, farm shop or even supermarket should have several different varieties. Another fun idea is to ask people who come along to bring an apple as an ‘entry fee’, which can then be used for all the activities suggested below.

Apple food and drink

Make sure there are some lovely apple dishes and drinks to try at your event. Invite neighbours, fellow gardeners, or family to make something and bring it along. For people who do have an apple tree in their garden, it’s a good way to help them clear their glut! Here are some ideas:

Apple chutney: A traditional autumn pickle. Get the recipe

Apple butter: A great way to preserve apples. Get the recipe

Mulled apple cider: A warming, spicy drink apple cider. Get the recipe

Apple juice: A refreshing soft drink. Get the recipe

Apple games

Both kids and adults love a silly game. There are lots of games involving apples:

Apple bobbing

Fill a large tub with water and place apples in the water. The challenge is for players to try and catch an apple with their teeth, while it’s bobbing around on the surface. The only rule is: no hands.

Longest peel competition

All you need is a few apples and a peeler. The challenge is to create a continuous length of peel from the apple skin. The person with the longest peel wins.

Apple creatures

You can keep kids busy for hours making creatures from apples (as the body) and natural materials as the arms and legs etc. Good things to use are twigs, stones, cloves or raisins, but if your event is taking place outside you can encourage them to explore and find their own materials.

Apple drawings and poems

Invite kids to draw the apples on display – which, if you have a good collection – could be really different shapes and colours. Or you could set them off on a task to write a poem about them.

Apple growing advice

If you know a local expert, they may be able to give advice on how to grow apples. You can then ask people to bring in apples they’re growing which have pests and diseases, or which they would like to identify. Your local horticultural college or society may be able to help, or ask keen gardeners if they can offer assistance.

Thanks to natashavora and jiva for their lovely photos.