Naturally Educational » 3-5 (Preschool)
5 Picture Books About Thanksgiving and Turkeys
Here are some of our favorite picture books about Thanksgiving and Turkeys. These are the children’s books my kids look forward to each year. You might think that, as a vegetarian, I have little love for a holiday that centers around a feast featuring a whole roast bird. I do love pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, and apple muffins, though! Plus, my first two children were born in August. Go ahead. Do the math. I’ll wait. So, … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, History and Culture
4 Picture Books About Bats
Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon: When a young bat is separated from her mother, she joins a nest of baby birds. In a beautifully illustrated book with lots of loving close-ups, Stellaluna tries to fit in but learns that she is happiest being herself. Along with her newfound friends, she also discovers that sometimes friends can be very different in some ways but alike in the ways that count. This book is my … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Ecology, Featured
8 Picture Books About Apples
There are so many wonderful picture books about apple trees, apple cider, apple pies, and everything apples! Apple Farmer Annie, (ages 2+) by Monica Wellington: A contented-looking Annie picks, sorts, presses, bakes, and transports her apples and apple products to the city’s market. At the end there are recipes for apple muffins and applesauce. Although the story is simple, the rich illustrations have plenty of details to discuss. We own the bilingual edition, Ana Cultiva Manzanas … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergartners), Ecology, Fall, Featured, Science
Picture Books to Get in the Fall Spirit
Fall is my favorite time of year–the apple picking, drinking cider, butternut squash, colorful leaves, crisp air… Here are some children’s picture books about Autumn, harvest time, and falling leaves: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, by Julia Rawlinson, shares the story of an adorable fox who tries to return the autumn leaves to the tree. His woodland friends try to tell him that the tree doesn’t need the leaves anymore but Fletcher thinks that the wind, … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Fall, Featured, History and Culture, Weather
Over 12 Picture Books About Dinosaurs
There are a lot of picture books featuring dinosaurs but only a handful that use an entertaining story to share facts about dinosaurs. Most of the books I found are either illustrated non-fiction or stories that just happen to involve dinosaurs without sharing much factual information. Here are some of my favorites. I’m Bad and I’m Big!, by Kate McMullan: Even the youngest dino-fans will enjoy these two tales. McMullan captures the voice of these two … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Science
A House for Hermit Crab Craft
When I was a child, I got to take home the class hermit crab over a long vacation. There is something incredibly fascinating about a creature that needs to borrow shell to protect itself and to exchange that shell for a new one as it grows. Check out this video on YouTube of a Hermit Crab changing its shell. My children are also intrigued by hermit crabs. There are quite a few at the shore and … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Ecology, Featured, Science, Smart Summer Challenge
Woodland Animal Masks
Masks are fun way for children to explore and move and act in different ways. For our Forest-Friendly Week of the Smart Summer Challenge, we made Woodland Animal Masks. Some of the things I like about this craft is that it gives them control over the process, encourages them to be observant, and also serves as a fun prop to continue the activity. I’m chatting more about crafts over at the Random House Kids: Read … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Bodily-kinesthetic, Ecology, Featured, Performing Arts and Theater, Smart Summer Challenge
Apple Blossom to Zinnia: 3 Flower Alphabet Picture Books
Flowers are such a lovely part of spring and summer. We’ve planted, pressed, dissected, drawn, and studied these beautiful blossoms and are ready, soon, to move onto pollinators. To enrich our knowledge base of flower types, we borrowed some alphabet books featuring flowers. Flower Alphabet Picture Books The Flower Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books): We own a number of Pallotta’s alphabet books and this one does not disappoint. The marginalia illustrate interesting facts about each … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergartners), Ecology, Featured, Literacy, Smart Summer Challenge, Spring, Summer
Picture Books About Maps
We usually turn to books for research and to reinforce themes. Since the children are already familiar with maps from our travels and nature hikes, we are ready to delve deeper into cartography and study up on maps. Here are a few picture books we’ve found that work well with our study of maps. What are your favorites? As the Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps: This is a clever introduction to the concept … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Geography, Smart Summer Challenge, Visual-Spacial
5 Picture Books About Summer
Summer Beat, by Betsy Franco, explores the rhythms of summer in onomatopoeic verse. The kids really related to the breezy feeling of summer freedom. The sound words are fun for my beginning reader and my son loves the fireworks display at the end! Summer Is Summer, by Phillis and David Gershator, follows a group of multicultural friends as they enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations of summer. The simple, spare text paired with … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Science, Summer, Weather
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About the Author
Candace Lindemann is a published children’s writer and educational consultant. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Working with school districts around the country and some of the most well-known companies in the education industry, Candace creates custom strategies, textbooks, and lesson plans. Her articles have appeared in print and online.
While Candace’s degrees prepared her for a career in education, she’s found that the best preparation for parenting is on the job training.
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