This past Tuesday we told stories about autumn leaves and met some animals who like to eat leaves.

leaves

After our opening song and the song Open Shut Them, we read the book Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson.  It’s a simple story about a mouse who learns how fun it is to jump in piles of leaves.

I got out my I Spy box and introduced the toddlers to a turtle and a ladybug who like to nibble on leaves.  Toddlers came up and fed the animals a leaf:

And we did a flannelboard story about a little squirrel who is hiding behind a leaf.  First, all you can see are leaves of different colors:

little squirrel 1

Then we flip the leaves over one by one, exposing a surprise!

little squirrel 2

We a song called “The Leaves Are Falling Down Today” to the tune of “The Ants Go Marching”:

The leaves are falling down today, hurrah!  Hurrah!

The leaves are falling down today, hurrah!  Hurrah!

The leaves are falling to the ground

Where I can jump and play around

Oh the leaves are falling down… to the ground… where I can…

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

Then we did a fingerplay called “Little Leaves” to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down:

Little leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down

Whirling, twirling round and round, down, down, down!

We read a book called That Pup! by Lindsay Barrett George.  I love the illustrations of the happy puppy who has discovered a wonderful new game she calls “Find the Acorn”–a game that the poor little squirrel chasing after her does not like one bit!  (Tip: read it with your toddlers and see if they can find the squirrel hiding on each spread.)

 

We sang Great Big Apple Tree, and did some songs with our song cube.  We also watched a cute video about Fall.  It’s from the DVD Peppa Pig Bubbles, and the episode is called “Windy Autumn Day.”  I love the show Peppa Pig, especially the way her parents sometimes get into funny scrapes but they keep a sense of humor about it.  You can check it and all of these books out from the library by clicking on the pictures:

Remember to bring your toddlers in costume for next week’s storytime!  Since it’s the closest one to Halloween it’s kind of a tradition here to bring the kids all dressed up–and it gives you a day to try out the adorable new costume you just bought!