Melting Magic With Caramel Apples

By Monica Painter

Engage preschoolers in learning early science facts by making caramel apples. Preschoolers predict what happens to the caramel pieces when they are placed over heat. Preschoolers critical thinking skills are developed as they begin to recognize "melting" as a concept.

What You Need

4 - 5 medium sized apples
1 bag of caramel pieces
2 tablespoons of water
Popsicle sticks - one for each apple
Wax paper
Butter

How You Do It

Step 1:
Cover a plate with wax paper.

Step 2:
Butter the wax paper (this keeps caramel apples from sticking to the plate).

Step 3:
Put caramel pieces and water in a saucepan over low-medium heat.

Step 4:
Stir consistently until caramel is melted.

Step 5:
Put one popsicle stick in the apple where the stem is located.

Step 6:
Roll apple in caramel or spoon caramel onto apples.

Step 7:
Roll caramel apple in candies or cookie pieces if desired.

Allow preschooler to taste caramel piece before it is melted. Then allow preschooler to taste caramel from the mixing spoon (when it is cool enough). Ask preschooler if it tastes different after being melted!

Make It More Challenging

This project introduces preschoolers to the concept of solids, liquids, and gases. Before making the apples, ask preschoolers what they think will happen to the caramel when it is placed over heat. Allow preschoolers to observe the caramel on the heat in the beginning, middle, and end of the melting process. Be careful they don't burn themselves! Ask preschoolers what happens to ice or ice cream in the heat. Try freezing something in your refrigerator allowing preschoolers to look at it before and after it is frozen. (Yogurt is great for this idea!)