Family Storytime: Apples

We started off early fall storytime with an apple theme. This was a nice start to fall with both the theme and the group. I had some new faces and everyone was on their best behavior. I introduced myself and explained the structure of storytime to parents who were new and we got started.

For our first book, I chose Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington to read. This book is all things apples! We read how Farmer Annie gathers her apples and the many ways she uses her apples after, by picking and baking her fruit. 

After our first book, it's always time for an activity. I had a flannel tree trunk and handed out red, green, and yellow flannel apples. Each in the group had to put their colored apple on the flannel board when their color was called. The group absolutely loved being a part of this.

Our next story was the favorite of the evening, Starry the Giraffe by Andy Bergmann. This is a cute book about helping and sharing. The illustrations are perfect for a picture book and are so adorable. 

Our next activity was based off the book Ten Apples Up on Top! by Dr. Seuss. I had a flannel lion and a bunch of red apples. We counted the apples as each in our group had a turn to bring an apple up. Of course the apples came tumbling down and it was time for our next story. 

Apples for Little Fox by Ekaterina Trukhan is a fun apple mystery. Where do all the apples keep disappearing to? Fox must find out. Another apple book with cute illustrations and who could not love a fox that goes to the library every morning?

To tie-in with the Ten Apples Up on Top flannel activity, our craft was making our own apples on top craft using mini apple die-cuts and a print out of our lion character. It was good to see the kids count their ten apples and label them with each number. Good practice! This was a good, fitting craft that I would definitely use again. 

Now time for some apple strudel.