As the leaves finish falling from the trees and temperatures keep dropping, why not help your child “fall” in love with a new book?

Celebrate autumn this year with a bunch of good books guaranteed to make your mouth water for apples, pumpkins, and perhaps even inspire you to enjoy a mooncake!

“Apple Picking Day” written by Candice Ransom and illustrated by Erika Meza

A good book for early readers who are just beginning to recognize letters and sound out words, this charming little tale about a pair of siblings visiting an apple orchard is a great starter. Sure to captivate many, the rhyme and rhythm of this book is fun to follow and light read!

Watch a free read aloud here.

“In the Leaves” written by Huy Voun Lee

Have you ever been excited to learn new things alongside a new season? Well how about new words as well! Xiao Ming takes his friends (and the readers) to the farm to show off some new Chinese characters he’s learned  and explain some of the thought that went into making them!

“Monster Trouble!” written by Lane Fredrickson and illustrated by Michael Robertson

Our heroine is armed with wits and courage but just can’t seem to get rid of these monsters that show up at night! Winifred Schnitzel’s adventures with figuring out just what might make those monsters go away for once and for all are written in rhythmic rhymes that’ll have everyone engaged in what she’ll do next!

Watch a free read-aloud here.

“Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy” written by Martha E.H. Rustad and illustrated by Amanda Enright

Explore science and seasons in this engaging children's book that teaches readers all about the life cycle of leaves. Identify leaf colors, parts of the leaf, and the different natural processes that contribute to the changing of the seasons and the colorful crunchy leaves that greet you in fall.

Watch a free read-aloud here.

“The Shadow in the Moon” written by Christina Matula and illustrated by Pearl Law

Featuring a classic Chinese folk story about the Mid-Autumn Festival, two sisters and their grandmother enjoy the story behind a Chinese holiday. At the end of the day, the sisters not only learn about the story, but learn how the mooncakes they enjoy so much came to be!

Watch a free read-aloud here.

“Apple Countdown” written by Joan Holub and illustrated by Jan Smith

Number-based and full of fun apple orchard-related tidbits, our next book is engineered to challenge kids to count and do some math as they learn about a trip to a farm! Also packed with apple facts, take a child on a ride through an apple-themed field trip as all of the class in the book enjoy their day!

Watch a free read-aloud here.

“Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn” written and illustrated by Kenard Pak

"Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn" highlights the way the seasons shift ever so slightly in all sorts of colorful ways, though it's not just limited to leaves! Kenard Pak makes sure to look at all the ways you can tell fall is here, through the temperature, the flowers, and the creatures alike! Beautifully illustrated, the accompanying pictures do a great job of visualizing these changes.

Watch a free read-aloud here.

Celebrate the autumn season and nature's colorful array of leaves! Don't forget to put on your sleeves!

Fall is here. Its extraordinary effects, are near . . . check out these 5 fun fall-inspired reading activities for PreK and elementary-aged children.

ACTIVITY 1: Flashlight Fun*Visual Sensory*
Ages: Infant and up

We love the Flashlight Fun activity we found on whattoexpect.com - check out the original here.

Watch the amazement in your child's eyes, as the lights dash, beam, and dance, from one surface to the next..

Supplies:
Flashlight
Tissue paper or scarf
Rubber band or masking tape
Colored Pencils or Pens

Directions:

• Place a piece of colored tissue paper or a sheer scarf over the end of the flashlight.
•  Keep  "filter" in place with masking tape or a rubber band that’s not too small
•  Shine the fun color/colors across your baby's ceiling, walls, toys and toes!
• Can even be done outside..
•  Narrating a story, making sounds, showing how fast/slow things can go could enhance the experience.
  
  

BONUS LITERACY IDEA: 
Support young learners in recognizing letters by creating alphabet stencils to go with the tissue paper or scarf filters. Parent can write words on tissue paper - sound out the word, spell it out, say the word and have your child repeat it, and even use it in a sentence together!

​ACTIVITY 2: Fall Scavenger Hunt
Ages: 6 and up

We hope you enjoy this activity we found, with free printables here.

Let’s help a scavenger find its list of treats with a fun-filled fall scavenger hunt for kids! Not only is this a great way to explore nature, but it puts our mini detectives on the case for discovering, problem solving, 

Supplies: 

• Printed out list, or self made list of items to scavenge.
• Writing utensil

Directions:

• Flexible to be done inside/outside
• These can be taken on fall field trips to local pumpkin patches, farms, and more.
• Can be done while traveling. 
• Can also be done, while watching some fall tv shows/movies

BONUS LITERACY IDEA:
Reading lists together can be a fun activity for young learners - shopping lists, packing lists, ToDo lists, you name it. Create a list together and practice sounding out the words on the list and/or spell each item out loud and on paper with your child. See if they can remember at least one word on the list and share a special treat with them when they do!

​ACTIVITY 3: Fall Themed T-Shirts
Ages: 3 and up

Get creative, with a young learner, and help them make something they can learn from and wear at the same time.

Find some “HOW TO” videos, and more examples of ABC SHIRTS here. 

Supplies: 

• New, or old shirt
  
• Markers(preferably fabric)
• Paint, if desired(preferably fabric)
• Paint brushes, if using paint
• Images to trace, or sketch

Directions: 

• Grab an old shirt, or a brand new one.
• Sketch images desired on shirt with a pen or marker
• With any art supplies handy (fabric markers or fabric paint work best) allow child/children to decorate their shirts.
• Allow to dry, gentle/delicate wash/dry. Fall themed shirts are now wearable.

BONUS LITERACY ACTIVITY/IDEA:
Parents can work with their early reader by having the child point to a picture on the back of the shirt together and practice the sounds of the beginning, middle, or ending letters.

For example, parent points to the "A" in "APPLE" and says, "a /a/ apple," and the child repeats. You can also practice spelling the word–[arent: “A-P-P-L-E”. Child: “A-P-P-L-E. "Or, parent can say “Repeat after me” a…A…p…P…p…P…l…L…e…E.”

​ACTIVITY 4: Fall Bingo
Ages 4 and up

Reminisce one of your favorite childhood games, with a twist. A fall-themed activity to spark curiosity and learn about fall.

Adults can find some free fall-themed BINGO  printables here. You can also create you own, online, or in the comfort of your home.

Supplies:

• Bingo boards/pages
• Something to cover spaces on the board/page (can be household items, like torn pieces pf paper, something edible, like cereal or chips.
  
  

Directions:

• Adult calls letter/number, word, or image.
• Child/children fill in the spaces til they have BINGO
• Whomever gets it first, wins the game.
• Clear board and play again.

This fun activity is great one=to-one, in small groups, or with an entire class!

BONUS LITERACY IDEA:
Practice beginning and ending sounds of the words children are covering on their bingo board. For example, if the word called out is "Turkey," say "Turkey! What's the first sound in turkey? /t/ That's right! What letter makes the sound /t/? T!"

ACTIVITY 5: Edible Pumpkin Play Dough *Texture Sensory*
Ages: 2 and up

You may have some things at home that can make a fun and doughy treat! Introduce a different style of reading enrichment with your child/children with edible pumpkin play dough.

Making the dough together can bring a sense of warmth and coziness to the atmosphere. Children will practice reading and following directions and creating something they can play with and eat..

Supplies:

• (1) 16 oz can of pumpkin
• 2 cups of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
• OPTIONAL Sensory Play Food: Parents can add tasty  extras to their dough for extended sensory play! Seeds from a pumpkin, chocolate chips, and much more!
  

Directions:
For full recipe, click here.

BONUS LITERACY IDEA:
You can use this experience as an opportunity to work on recognizing letters in the alphabet and building decodable words together.

Using the dought, the parent/child can roll out pieces and shape them into the letters of a word such as CAT, TOP, or DIG. Once the word is built, have your child use their hands to smash each letter while saying it's name–C. . .A. . .T!

Make more letters, words, and even shapes with the dough and then . . .
EAT THAT DOUGH! As you are wrapping up with the play dough experience, allow the child to enjoy a treat, with their lesson. 

Use this fall as an opportunity to learn more fun-filled and  engaging fall reading activities to do with our children. HAPPY FALL TO YOU ALL!!!!!