I teach cooking to 8 to 10 year old children and this works.

Each child gets an apple to wash. Using an apple corer, remove the seeds and stem from the apple. Allow each child to do his/her own. Instruct how to place cinnamon and sugar in the cored out apple. Place on paper plate or microwave proof dish. Microwave for 45 seconds, more or less depending on the size of the apple. Serve with Cool Whip or whipped cream that can be made from scratch. I timed each child one minute to beat the heavy cream to make fresh whipped cream. This keeps the project "fair". This is good if you have extra time.