Welcome to the Storytime at Home series! Every other week, we share a list of book options tied to a kid-approved theme, a craft you can set up to go along with the theme, songs/rhymes you can do during storytime, and additional enrichment activities. All books are available at Richmond Public Library, and crafts will involve items you likely have at home already! Our hope is that we can make it easy for you to share stories with your little ones and create a little bit of library magic at home.
P.S. Love library storytimes? Take a look at all in-library storytime options here. There is a storytime for your child every morning at our various branches!
Okay, now to the fun stuff…
Today’s storytime theme is LEAVES, ACORNS, AND APPLES!
It is officially Fall! We’re celebrating with books about quintessentially Fall things: leaves, acorns, and apples! (It’s not quite pumpkin time here at RPL.) Not only are these topics fun and colorful ones to explore with your little one, they’re a great way to teach your kiddos about how the world around them works. Why do the leaves change color? Where are all the acorns on the ground coming from, and what’s an acorn in the first place? How do apples grow, and why are they different colors? These colorful, seasonal books provide great opportunities to bond with your little one while reading with them. Plus, this all-things-Fall theme creates space for fun movement songs and rhymes as well as nature crafts and exploration. Truly a win-win all around! The library has many wonderful books about all things Fall, and we’ve included some of our favorites below. When you visit, you can also search for apples, acorns, leaves, or your other favorite Fall fare in our catalog or ask a librarian to help you find the perfect book for you and your child.
Books
Reading to your kiddos turns them into confident thinkers. Making books a regular part of your daily routine is a great way to build children’s love of reading and learning. Storytimes also help build excitement around reading to support their literacy development.
Here are a few book options you can choose from for your Fall-themed storytime.
Preschool
- The Little Guys by Vera Brosgol
- From Apple Trees to Cider, Please! by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky
- Wonderfall by Michael Hall
- The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming
- Sour Apple by Linda Liu
- One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count With Me! by John Micklos
- When Autumn Falls by Kelli Nidey
- Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson
- Apples and Pumpkins by Anne F Rockwell
- Leaves by David Ezra Stein
- Yellow Time by Lauren Stringer
Toddler/Baby
- All Around Bustletown: Fall by Susanne Rotraut Berner
- Apple vs Pumpkin: The Battle For the Best Fall Treat Is On! by Jeffrey Burton
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First Fall by Eric Carle
- Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
- Apple by Nikki McClure
- Snuggle Time: Fall Blessings by Glenys Nellist
- Up, Up, Up! It’s Apple-Picking Time! by Jody Fickes Shapiro
- Acorns Everywhere! by Kevin Sherry
- Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington
- My Leaf Book by Monica Wellington
- Hedgehugs: Autumn Hide-and-Squeak by Steve Wilson
There are many ways to make reading fun and engaging for your little one!
Click here to see some of our favorite tips for bringing stories to life at home.
- Point at the pictures and ask your child what they see. Help build their vocabulary by pointing to pictures and saying the word aloud.
- Ask your child questions about the story: What do you think will happen next? How do you think this character is feeling? Do you remember when we found an acorn on our walk yesterday?
- Read with expression and enthusiasm, and use different voices for different characters.
- Act out what’s happening in the story.
- As your child gets older, count objects in a book, discuss the different colors they see, point out shapes in the story, etc.
- Snuggle up and be patient. Reading is great bonding time for you and your child. Take your time walking them through the story. If your child wants to turn the page or be finished with reading, that’s OK too. You don’t have to read every word or even every page for reading with your little one to be beneficial for their development.
Songs and Rhymes
We love adding songs and rhymes to our storytimes. This is a great way to practice language with your child and support their physical (motor) development through movement.
Here are two songs and rhymes you can use for this themed storytime.
Song: Leaves On The Tree
Tune: Wheels On The Bus
Bring hands down while wiggling fingers
The leaves on the trees are falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
The leaves on the trees are falling down,
All through the town.
Repeat with “The leaves on the ground go swish, swish, swish” while doing swish motion with arms
Repeat with “The kids in the town jump up and down” while bringing arms up and down
Movement Rhyme: Way Up High In The Apple Tree
Do the actions in italics as you sing
Way up high in the apple tree (stretch arms up)
Two little apples smiled at me (make circles with the thumb and fingers of each hand)
I shook that tree as hard as I could! (shake imaginary tree)
Down came the apples (lower arms quickly)
Mmmm! They were good! (rub stomach)
Arts and Crafts
Adding a craft along with a book is a great way to continue allowing your child to learn, explore, and grow. Crafts are a nice supplement as they encourage motor development, creativity, self-confidence, and more.
In fact, art and craft activities:
- Build fine motor skills. Actions such as painting, coloring, gluing, and cutting develop small muscles in small hands and improve coordination skills as children learn to use both hands at the same time.
- Support early literacy. When children make art, they learn vocabulary and how to follow directions when getting verbal instructions from parents and caregivers. They also boost their communication skills via talking about their work!
- Teach early math concepts. Math skills are used frequently in arts and crafts. Kids learn about and recognize different shapes, count and sort art supplies, and even measure out materials.
- Encourage creativity. Art helps develop creativity, self-expression, problem-solving, and curiosity.
- Boost self-esteem. Doing arts and crafts can give children a sense of achievement and allow them to take pride in their work, which builds confidence.
- Offer bonding time. Kids love spending quality time with parents and caregivers, and arts and crafts are a great opportunity for this.
Here is a craft activity you can do along with the Fall theme.
Broccoli Stamped Fall Tree Craft
Materials Needed
- Cardstock or paper
- Brown marker or crayon
- Paint
- Paper plate
- Broccoli (fresh)
Source: One Little Project
Directions
- Draw a tree trunk and branches on the paper.
- Add paint to the paper plate. If using different colors, place them close enough together that they touch in the center.
- Help your child dip the broccoli into the paint and press it onto the tree.
- Dab broccoli all around tree to create leaves!
Additional Enrichment Ideas
The fun doesn’t have to end at books, songs, and a craft. There are many ways to enrich a storytime with additional activities and lessons. Here are a few ideas for you and your child:
- Go on a leaf and acorn hunt! This free activity is a great way to support your child’s physical development while also developing their language skills. Bring a basket or bag to put your treasures in and talk with your child about what you see and find.
- Visit a local park and go leaf peeping (i.e. enjoying all the beautiful leaves!). Some great spots for foliage are Bryan Park, Maymont, Pony Pasture, and Belle Isle.
- Join Trail Kids RVA for a hike around our beautiful city! This group offers free child-led hikes on various trails throughout Richmond.
- Make leaf confetti nature wands with the leaves you’ve collected on your adventures.
- Enjoy yummy apple treats like apple pie, apple pastries, or a delicious apple!
- Up for a day trip? Head to Carter Mountain Orchard for apple picking. Make sure to book your spot in advance!
We share these Storytime at Home posts twice a month, so be sure to check back soon for more. You can also search “#storytimeathome” to see all past posts.
Have a suggestion for the next theme we cover? Email Sarah at sarah.fenninger@rva.gov and let us know!
