As the leaves begin to change and the air gets colder, there's no better way to start the autumn season with your preschooler than by diving into a pile of fall-themed books. These books not only introduce the wonders of the fall season but also spark curiosity, imagination, and joy in little learners.
Here are my favorite fall books and activities to go with them.
This imaginative book follows a man made of leaves as he floats along the wind. It's a great introduction to fall and teaches children about the shapes and colors of autumn leaves.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Create Your Own Leaf Man or Leaf Creatures
- Read the Book: Begin by reading Leaf Man to your preschooler, pointing out how the illustrations use leaves to create animals, people, and objects.
- Go on a Nature Walk: Take a nature walk to collect various leaves, sticks, acorns, and other natural materials. Encourage your child to look for different shapes, sizes, and colors of leaves.
- Create Leaf Creatures: Once you return, have your preschooler glue the leaves and other items onto construction paper to create their own version of a "Leaf Man" or other leaf creatures, like animals or scenes from the story.
- Decorate: Use markers or crayons to add details, such as faces, arms, or backgrounds. You can also add googly eyes for extra fun.
- Storytelling: Ask your preschooler to make up a story about their leaf creation, just like the Leaf Man from the book.
An autumn twist on the classic "We're Going on a Bear Hunt," this book takes preschoolers on a leaf-collecting adventure while introducing them to different types of trees and leaves.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Leaf Sorting
- Outdoor Leaf Hunt: Take preschoolers outside to a park or your backyard. Encourage them to look for and collect different types of leaves, just like in the story. Talk about the colors, shapes, and sizes of the leaves they find.
- Leaf Sorting: Once the leaves are collected, have the children sort them by size, color, or shape. This helps develop classification and observation skills.
This beautifully illustrated book explores the life cycle of a tree through the colors of fall. It's perfect for teaching about nature and changes in the environment.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Create Your Own Maple Tree Scene
- Scissor Practice: If ready, have your child cut out their own tree trunk. If they aren't ready to use scissors, they can use a real stick they find outside.
- Create a Leaf Pile: Glue the tree trunk onto a piece of construction paper and encourage your child to add leaves to the top of the tree, create a leaf pile, and have leaves falling from the tree.
- Add Details: Let them draw the sky and other details using markers or pencils.
This gentle story follows a young girl as she walks through her town, noticing the signs of summer fading and autumn arriving.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Leaf Rubbing
- Collect a few leaves and create a leaf-rubbing art project. Gather some crayons and white paper, and have them place the leaves under the paper to rub over them, creating an imprint of the leaf's shape and texture.
A fun, silly, and rhyming book that takes the classic “Old Lady” tale and gives it a fall-themed twist, perfect for preschoolers.
This story captures the excitement of a family trip to the apple orchard. It’s a simple, rhyming text that highlights a quintessential fall activity.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Go Apple Picking
- Visit an apple farm and pick apples!
Follow the life cycle of a pumpkin, from its days as a Halloween decoration to its journey back into the earth to grow again.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Pumpkin in a Jar Decomposition Activity
Observe the decomposition of a pumpkin to teach the concept of the pumpkin life cycle and the natural breakdown of organic matter.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A small pumpkin or a piece of a larger pumpkin (like the top with the stem and seeds)
- A clear glass jar with a lid (large enough for the pumpkin to fit)
- A paper to record what is happening and when
- Camera (optional)
WHAT TO DO:
- Prepare the Pumpkin:
- Cut a small pumpkin in half or use just a portion, like the top with the stem and seeds, so it fits in the jar.
- Allow the child to handle the pumpkin and observe its characteristics (color, texture, weight, smell).
- Put the Pumpkin in the Jar:
- Have your child place the pumpkin inside the jar.
- Seal the jar with a lid to create a controlled environment for observing decomposition.
- Observation Time:
- Each day, check on the pumpkin. Encourage the preschooler to describe any changes they see, such as softening, shrinking, color changes, or mold growth.
- Record observations on paper. Have the child draw or help them take pictures of the changes over time.
- Discussion:
- Discuss what is happening as the pumpkin breaks down and how it relates to Pumpkin Jack. Explain how, in nature, this process leads to seeds being planted and eventually growing into new pumpkins.
- Plant the Seeds:
- Once the pumpkin has decomposed significantly, you can plant the remnants in a garden or soil to see if any seeds sprout in the future, connecting back to the cycle of life and the story’s message.
A sweet and beautifully illustrated book about an unlikely friendship between a scarecrow and a baby crow, perfect for fall storytime.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Make Your Own Scarecrow
Suggestions:
- Grab a shirt, pants, shoes, and a hat.
- Stuff the clothes with pillows.
- Use a broomstick to stand it up or you can sit your scarecrow on the couch.
- Make a face with a balloon and markers.
- What is your scarecrow going to scare?
A simple but sweet story about a bear experiencing fall for the first time, perfect for introducing the concept of seasonal change to young children.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Hibernation Station Sensory Bin
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Large bin or tray
- Brown shredded paper or leaves (to mimic a cozy nest)
- Toy animals that hibernate (bears, hedgehogs, squirrels, etc.)
- Small rocks or cotton balls (to represent caves or burrows)
- Small twigs or fake tree branches
- Optional: Playdough to create burrows or caves
WHAT TO DO:
- Fill the sensory bin with the shredded paper or leaves to represent the ground and a cozy space for animals to hibernate.
- Add in the toy animals, placing them around the bin.
- Let the kids create little burrows and caves with the rocks, twigs, or cotton balls for the animals to "hibernate" in.
- Encourage the children to tuck the animals into their burrows for their "long winter nap." You can discuss how different animals hibernate and what hibernation means.
LEARNING POINTS:
- Talk about what animals do to prepare for hibernation (eating lots of food, finding a safe place, etc.).
- Use this activity to build vocabulary: "hibernate," "burrow," "cave," "nest."
- Practice sorting: ask the preschoolers to sort animals by which ones hibernate and which ones don't.
This nonfiction book from National Geographic Kids introduces preschoolers to apples through stunning photography and simple text, making it a perfect fall pick.
Follow the journey of an apple tree throughout the seasons, concluding with a delicious apple pie in fall—great for teaching about growth and harvest.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Make an Apple Pie
Follow a family as they make applesauce from scratch, teaching preschoolers about family traditions and the joy of cooking in the fall.
ACTIVITY IDEA: Make Applesauce!
The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater
The Leaf Thief is a charming picture book about a squirrel who panics as leaves disappear from his tree, only to learn about the natural changes of fall.
The Leaf Thief is a charming picture book about a squirrel who panics as leaves disappear from his tree, only to learn about the natural changes of fall.
A Very Big Fall by Emmy Kastner is a heartwarming story about three autumn leaves experiencing the excitement and uncertainty of change as they fall from their tree for the first time.
Pete the Cat Falling for Autumn by Kimberly and James Dean follows Pete as he learns to embrace the changes of fall, discovering the beauty of the season even when things don’t go as planned.
Crunchy Leaves, Cozy Sweaters by Essie Bell is a delightful picture book celebrating the cozy comforts and sensory experiences of fall through colorful illustrations and simple text.
Happy fall reading!
Xx Jeni
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