This being Apple Week at our homeschooling house, we have done several fun activities. We picked apples, we made apple pie, we even had a special lunch. This included turning broccoli into apple trees using M&Ms for apples. It’s been lots of fun.
The one activity that didn’t go so well was the clove apples. For the record, I don’t recommend anyone try this craft a) outside a Girl Scout meeting or b) with kids under age 7.
First of all, it requires enough whole cloves to choke a chipmunk. I had no idea that cloves were so expensive. We opted to make one very small apple together so that I could still afford to send my kids to college.
Second, it’s really boring. After putting in one clove, both my kids were off doing other things. I couldn’t blame them. The excitement of doing something new wears off once you realize that you have to keep doing the same repetitive task. The kids would periodically check back in with me, stick in another clove or two, and say, “Are you still making a clove apple, Mama?” It took about 45 minutes to complete the project.
I don’t feel too bad, though. After all, how will I ever find the good stuff if I don’t take a few risks?
Time to go read with the kids, maybe some apple books from the library.
Hi! I stumbled upon your blog by googling “clove apples.” Did your apple that you made end up getting moldy or going bad? I would like to try making these, but was under the assumption that it would last a while. One of my friends made a “clove orange” and it was moldy within a week or so. Thanks!
Actually, that clove apple is still around, believe it or not! My husband took it to work. What was so bad about the project was just that it was hard for my little kids to do it, and they got bored. Oh, well. Clove apples are actually a great project for older kids, or adults who want to use them as room fresheners. They smell wonderful and last for months, if not years.