It was a beautiful Autumn day for an author visit
at B is for Books.
With enthusiastic readers of all ages we read 
about Bear and where the leaves go when they disappear after Autumn when Bear is napping and dreaming of leaf play. 
(Yes! That is Dolly Parton behind me…she gifts millions of books to children around the world every month). Ok that’s not the real Dolly but you get the idea.
We twirled and danced the way Bear dances in piles of leaves.
We filled a blanket with leaves, tossed them up in the air…and watched them fall. The kids dove right into this activity.
Try it out. Because we were indoors we used these fake leaves. You can find inexpensive ones at Target or Walmart or the Dollar store. With real leaves or fake leaves kids will want to do this activity over and over again.
And how can you help the forest?
One way is to pick up any trash you find in the woods, parks or playgrounds. We did a sorting game, picking trash out of the leaves.
And here is another idea for an Autumn leaf fun. Collect those colorful leaves. Find two of each kind similar size and color. Maple, Oak, Dog Wood, Sycamore, Birch…Press them under a heavy book until they are flat and dry. Identify each one. Glue them on rectangles of thick paper or cardboard. Label them. 
Presto! You have a matching game.
Mix the cards up and turn them over, leaf side down.
One by one turn a card over and see if you can find the match. Say the name of the leaf as you turn it over. No match? Turn the two cards back face down. It’s the next person’s turn. With two or more players, who can find the the most matches?
Try writing a leaf poem. Here is one by Emily Bronte:
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.
There are still some Autumn leaves out there. It’s not too late to get out and enjoy the season crunching through leaves before they “disappear”. Before the snails and worms and mites begin to chew. Before the leaves turn brown and hug the forest ground. Before they turn to Spring time muck as the forest does its work.
Lately its even been warm enough to bring a good book along. Dive into autumn and leaves and books!
