Fun Facts About Apples

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is interesting information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Fun Facts About Apples

Talking about apples is fun, informative and a way to keep the brains of those with dementia and others in long term care, active



The world's largest apple peel was created by Kathy Wafler Madison on October 16, 1976, in Rochester, NY. It was 172 feet, 4 inches long. (She was 16 years old at the time and grew up to be a sales manager for an apple tree nursery.)

It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.

An apple tree will start bearing fruit 8-10 years after it is planted. A dwarf tree starts bearing in 3-6 years.

Apples are a member of the rose family of plants along with pears, peaches, plums and cherries.

Apples come in all shades of reds, greens and yellows.

Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.

2500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.

7500 varieties of apples are grown around the world.

100 varieties of apples are commercially grown in the United States.

Apples are grown commercially in 36 states.

Apples are fat, sodium and cholesterol free. And they taste great too!

A medium apple has about 80 calories.

Apples are a great source of pectin, a soluble fiber. One apple has 5 grams of fiber.

The pilgrims planted the first US apples trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The science of apple growing is called pomology.

Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.

Americans eat 19.6 pounds of apples every year.

25 percent of an apple’s volume is air, that’s why they float.

Most apple blossoms are pink when they open but gradually fade to white.

Most apple trees can be grown farther north than most other fruits because they blossom late in spring, minimizing frost damage.

It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.

Apples are the second most valuable fruit in the United States. Oranges are first.

The largest U.S. apple crop was 277.3 million bushels in 1998.

Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since 6500 BC.

Newton Pippin apples were the first apples exported from America in 1768, some were sent to Benjamin Franklin in London.

In 1730 the first apple nursery was opened in Flushing, New York.

One of George Washington’s hobbies was pruning his apple trees.

A peck of apples weight 10.5 pounds.

A bushel of apples weight 42 pounds and will yield 20-24 quarts of applesauce.

Apples ripen or soften ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated.

Apple Jokes

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is interesting information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Laughter is the best medicine for all kinds of diseases including dementia

October is Apple Month
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Share these Apple jokes

What did the apple say to the apple pie?
"You've got some crust."

What is worse than finding a worm in your apple
Half of a worm

why did the apple lose its memory?
It had a bad case of worms

Did Adam and Eve ever have a date?
No, they had an apple.

What kind of apple has a short temper?
A crab apple

A guy walks by an apple tree and the apple says "how yha doing" and the man screams "oh my God a talking apple!!"

How are an apple and a lawyer alike?
They both look good hanging from a tree.

It goes through an apple,
It points out the way,
It fits in a bow,
Then a target, to stay.
Do you know what it is?
An arrow

What did the apple tree say to the farmer?
Why don't you quit picking on me!

Why did the jelly roll?
Because it saw the apple turnover

An awesome apple activity

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information you will find valuable

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Remember October is Apple Month

For lower functioning residents, talk about the color of apples. Maybe you could have some real apples for them to see touch and feel.

You could have other large items that are red, green or yellow(the color of apples) for the residents to talk about. You could also have some red material of different textures for the residents to feel. Many lower functioning residents like the feel of certain materials and like to rub big pieces of material.

Ways to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah With All Long Term Care Residents

Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two




The first activity idea incorporates apples, honey and the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana. Rosh Hashana(the Jewish New Year) is most often in September, but it depends on the Jewish calendar which goes by the moon. Simply put, Rosh Hashana is a solemn holiday. It is a time for reflection, a time when you examine your life and make amends for all the wrongs that you may have been part of during the past year. Yom Kippur is the "day of atonement" when you ask forgiveness for all your sins of the past year. There are some traditions of these holidays that everyone can enjoy

All Jewish holidays start and end in the evening.

A tradition on Rosh Hashana is to dip apples into honey. If you do this, it is said that you will have a sweet new year. This activity is relatively easy to do. You can have a discussion about the Jewish holidays. If you have any Jewish residents, make sure to involve him/her in the planning process. They may even reveal some more easy to do traditions to you.

Also call on them often during the discussion even if they are lower functioning. You might say something like, "Bella told me she used to(a tradition she told you about or you read about) on Rosh Hashana" Bella is the low functioning resident. It will make Bella feel good.

Wreath of leaves- an easy to do fall craft for those with dementia

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Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

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Wreath of leaves- an easy to do fall craft for those with dementia

Supplies needed:

A plain white paper plate
Construction paper (orange, red, yellow, brown, and other earth tones)
Crayons or markers
Scissors
Glue or a glue stick

Cut a half circle out of the center of a plain paper plate. This will hold the leaves.

Cut out a lot of leaves from construction paper. Draw the leaf veins if you wish. If you'd like, use leaves gathered from outdoors.

Leaf templates and other fall ideas

Glue the leaves all around the rim of the paper plate.

For more, come back soon

A sensory hat game

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Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

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Hat day is in September

Bring in a collection of hats for your participants to use.  Such as a;

Snow hat

Baseball hat

Hard hat

Women’s hat

Mickey Mouse hat

Fireman hat
Nurse's hat

Chef hat

Baby hat

Sailor hat
Top hat
Lady's hat
Hats of different colors
Sun hat
Baseball caps from different teams
Football helmet

Have a sensory activity with the hats
Make statements like these:

I like ______hats. Fill in these word one at a time
soft, hard, white, fuzzy, scratchy, other colors, hats you wear in winter(or another season), hats you wear that have to do with sports, hats that keep you warm, or any other easy to understand descriptive words.

Talk about the hats you have. then say
show me whatever hat you described. 

For a low functioning group use less hats and for higher functioning groups use more hats

How to Celebrate Grandparents Day with Those Who Have Dementia

Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two





There are many activities that both the dementia person and children enjoy.

*Look at family pictures and recall the stories that go with them. Of course, you would have told the child that he may hear the same story several times. If you do not have old family photos or have not organized them yet, use this book, Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals, by Susan Berg. It not only has cute conversation stimulating baby pictures, but activity ideas related to the photos are suggested. It is an excellent dementia resource

*Sing familiar songs together. Patriotic songs are ideal because most people, young and old, know them. Some good songs are: America, America the Beautiful, and God Bless America

 *Movie suggestions are: any Shirley Temple movie, Judy Garland movies including, The Wizard of Oz, and The Sound of Music.

*Have a snack or meal together. Everyone loves ice cream.

*Make an old family favorite recipe together. Then eat it

*Go for a ride. Because gasoline prices are high and attention spans are short, a short trip is best.

So this Grandparents day, September 9, include a loved one with dementia and a grandchild in a lovely experience for both.