Sunday, October 12, 2014

Storytime: Autumn Fun

Fall is my favorite time of the year.  I love watching the leaves change colors, feeling the air get cooler, and checking out apple orchards and pumpkin farms.  Living in Central New York provides me plenty of opportunities to partake in fall festivals and I look forward to them every year.  To get kids pumped up for fall, here's what I did at story time.

BOOKS:

The apple pie that Papa bakedIt's Pumpkin Day, Mouse!Fall leaves fall!Ten red applesPumpkins

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson
It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff
Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall
Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
Pumpkins by Ken Robbins

VIDEO:

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson (from DVD I'm Dirty! and More Stories of Adventure and Science by Scholastic Storybook Treasures)

Occasionally, I will show a movie version of a picture book.  I usually do this for my preschool crowd, as my toddler group is too antsy to sit through a short movie.  The kids love this, and it's a nice addition to story time.

RHYMES & SONGS:

Way Up High in the Apple Tree

Way up high in the apple tree,
Two little apples smiled at me.
I shook that tree as hard as I could.
Down came the apples,
And mmmm....they were good!

"Pumpkins on the Ground"
(tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (crouch down)
How did you get so big and round? (stretch arms out wide and then make a circle)
Once you were a seed so small (pretend to hold a seed)
Now you are a great big ball! (make a huge circle with your arms)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (crouch down)
How did you get so big and round? (stretch arms out wide and then make a circle)

Source: King County Library System

Gray Squirrel, Gray Squirrel
(you can use a squirrel puppet with this rhyme)

Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, (stand with hands in front of chest and bend knees twice)
Swish your bushy tail. (wiggle bottom)
Wrinkle up your little nose, (point to nose)
Hold a nut between your toes. (point to toes)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, (stand with hand in front of chest and bend knees twice)
Swish your bushy tail. (wiggle bottom)

Source: King County Library System

"Autumn Leaves"
(tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb")

Autumn leaves are falling down, (flutter fingers down)
Falling down, falling down.
Autumn leaves are falling down,
We love autumn!
Jump in them and toss them around, (pretend to jump and toss leaves)
Toss them around, toss them around,
Jump in them and toss them around, (pretend to jump and toss leaves)
We love autumn!

Source: Perry Public Library 

"Baking an Apple Pie"
(tune: "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush")

This is the way we pick the apples,
Pick the apples, pick the apples.
This is the way we pick the apples
On an autumn day.
This is the way we wash the apples...
This is the way we slice the apples...
This is the way we add the cinnamon...
This is the way we roll the dough...
This is the way we bake the pie...
This is the way we eat the pie..
On an autumn day!

Source: King County Library System

CRAFT:

Apple Collage

This simple craft worked great for my toddler and preschool groups.  All you need is an apple template, red construction paper, and glue sticks.  The kids had a lot of fun tearing up paper and gluing it onto their apple shape!




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