Fall and winter are the best times of the year to make a cranberry sensory bin that is fun and engaging.
We aren’t stopping there.
Also, I will load you down with facts, more hands-on activities, and resources to highlight the cranberry.
Cranberries are small, tart berries that are native to North America.
They are a popular ingredient in many dishes, including cranberry sauce, juice, and muffins.
Cranberries are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, making them a healthy snack for kids.
Grab a bag of fresh berries the next time you are shopping and create this cranberry sensory bin for your preschooler.
AUTUMN BOOKS FOR KIDS
15 Fall Books For Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To
With a chill in the air and leaves falling, grab one or two of these fun books for your home library.
A compilation of Native American speeches affirming the desire to live in spiritual and ecological harmony includes the words of Geronimo, Sitting Bull, and Cochise, covering such topics as fishing rights, peace treaties, and the devastation of their land.
"Mr. Tresselt writes quiet, factual prose about katydids, reapers and threshing, falling leaves, apple-gathering, and the first frost."--New York Herald Tribune.
A concise text and crisp, close-up, color photographs of thirteen different leaves from North American trees teach very young children how to look at and compare the leaves of autumn, and are accompanied by an explanation of why they turn color.
These are the apples, juicy and red,that went in the pie,warm and sweet,that Papa baked...for guess who!
Kids will love this playful story of of a unique fall friendship between a girl . . . and her squash!On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the miniature world of the mice of Brambly Hedge!
Bad weather is on the way and the autumn stores are still not gathered in!
Quickly, all the mice of Brambly Hedge set to work to finish the harvesting before the rain begins. Primrose, Lord Woodmouse's daughter, meant to help, but somehow she daydreamed her way over the cornfield and into the Chestnut Woods, and before she knew it, she was lost. The sun went down, the wind rose and it began to rain. Primrose was all alone in the dark and she was frightened.
Poor Primrose, would she find her way home again?
Mr. Hermit Miser doesn’t like his neighbors, and they don’t like him. But when a pumpkin vine sprouts in Mr. Hermit Miser’s yard and makes its way into the neighbors’ yards, but he wants all those pumpkins for pies … well, what is he to do?
With adventures in pumpkin-snatching, failed attempts at baking pies, and pumpkin goo everywhere, this tale about being neighborly in a not-so-perfect way will be an endearing autumn story for all the readers in your circle.
This reprint of a 1949 classic adds some recipes, a poem, and a bit of pie-history as well.
As her grandmother's health declines, a young girl begins to lovingly take the lead in their cozy shared autumn traditions. Poetic prose paired with evocative illustrations by Mexican illustrator Claudia Navarro make for a beautiful celebration of life and a gentle introduction to the death of a loved one.
"[Spier's] finely detailed, action-packed New England autumn vistas are almost startlingly beautiful."—The New York Times Over fifty years after he won a Caldecott Honor for The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night, legendary illustrator Peter Spier went back to this time-honored favorite in 2014 to paint the half of the book that was originally printed in black and white. In this glowing, restored vision of Spier’s beloved classic, follow the wily fox as he roams a sleepy New England town in search of a meal, with tones and textures so vivid you can almost hear the crackle of crisp fall leaves and the ripples of the river in the moonlight.
An Amish family, traveling by buggy, spends a day doing errands in the village, visiting, and returning home in time for supper
Autumn is in the air: days grow shorter and nights are long. Birds leave, flowers, too. Apples and temperatures fall—then snow!Part poem, part silent stage, this luminous picture book puts autumn on display and captures the spirit of change that stays with us long after fall leaves. Unlock the secrets of this busy and beautiful time of year as the natural world makes way for winter.
Mama has a surprise for her three little squirrels: three bright red sweaters to keep them warm throughout the fall. Imagine the siblings’ surprise when they find that everything in the autumn woods—the leaves, the berries, even the setting sun—is red too, just like their sweaters.This celebration of a perfect fall day will have young and old alike looking for signs of autumn in their own neighborhoods. Kazuo Iwamura’s books celebrating the seasons (Hooray for Spring!, Hooray for Summer!, Hooray for Fall!, and Hooray for Snow!) are perennial favorites—introducing children to the beauty and joy of each season. Iwamura masterfully captures the small wonders of nature in his illustrations and his stories with their gentle humor warm the heart.
The perfect Fall book for kids! A poignant picture book about a scarecrow who befriends the young girl who reads to him day after day until one day he's left wondering where she is.A scarecrow stood in the garden. Tall, proud, and smiling. Every day a girl brought her favorite books to the garden and she read to him. He heard tales of courage and of hope. And when she said, "The End," the scarecrow always felt a little bit taller and braver. Year after year, she came and she read to him.Until one spring, two different hands picked him up from the garden shed and placed him in the garden. He waited, but she didn't come to read to him.With poignant words from award-winning author Michelle Houts and lush illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor winner Sara Palacios, Hopefully the Scarecrow is a tender distillation of the enduring power of friendship and a heartwarming look at the ways stories connect us.
Funny, relatable sibling dynamics make this story a wonderful way to address navigating big changes. Lori Nichols’s expressive artwork beautifully portrays Maple and Willow’s strong bond, and children will love the creative, kid-powered solution. Maple and Willow have always been inseparable. So what happens when Maple starts big-girl school and Willow stays behind? Well, of course, both girls have marvelous adventures of their own, but the truth is, they miss each other. And when they see that the missing is mutual, they find a unique way to feel connected even when they have to be apart.
But, what else can you do with a bag of fresh cranberries from the grocery store?
CRANBERRY FUN RECIPE IDEAS
Make cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce can be enjoyed all year long.
Kids can help to make cranberry sauce by washing the cranberries, chopping them up, and adding sugar and water.
- Make cranberry juice. Cranberry juice is a refreshing and healthy drink that is perfect for kids. Kids can help to make cranberry juice by squeezing the cranberries and straining the juice.
- Make cranberry muffins. Cranberry muffins are a delicious and nutritious snack that is perfect for kids. Kids can help to make cranberry muffins by mixing the ingredients and baking them in the oven.
- Make cranberry soap. Cranberry soap is a gentle and moisturizing soap that is perfect for kids. Kids can help to make cranberry soap by melting the soap base, adding the cranberries, and pouring the soap into molds.
Today’s activity is going to incorporate all your child’s senses.
First encourage your child to give the fresh cranberries a taste straight from the bag and describe the look, taste, and smell.
Then you are going to put together a simple sensory bin that will keep them engaged for hours as they “cook” and sort and explore the items.
5 CRANBERRY FACTS FOR KIDS
- Cranberries are not true berries but are instead considered “false” berries or epigynous fruit.
- They are one of only a few fruits that are native to North American, concord grapes and blueberries are the others.
- Cranberries are often harvested in the most unique way. They are grown on sandy bogs or marshes, but because cranberries float, some bogs are flooded when the fruit is ready for harvesting and they are scooped off the top of the water.
- They are made up of approximately 90% water and still pack a nutritional punch with a healthy dose of vitamin c and other important vitamins and minerals.
- Native Americans used cranberries to make their survival cakes known as pemmican. They also used this fruit in poultices and dyes.
Next, look at hands-on cranberry ideas.
HANDS ON CRANBERRY FUN
Make this Easy Crockpot Cranberry Sauce Recipe with just 5 ingredients and let your child dump each of the ingredients in the crockpot and occasionally stir.
Learn How to Make the Best No-Cook Cranberry Playdough and then use it to practice forming letters, create unique shapes, and build fine motor skills.
Here you will find 11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray, another sensory activity that will get your child really involved in their learning.
You have to Make Cranberry Oobleck Recipe for yet another sensory play idea that they will love, what is it about this Newtonian fluid kids just love? (I mean, me too)
Find out what cranberries and Ivory soap have in common in The Science Behind Cranberries, I love a good stem activity.
Finally, look at how to create a cranberry sensory bin.
HOW TO CREATE AN ENGAGING CRANBERRY SENSORY BIN
Now, anything on this list of supplies is optional (except cranberries of course).
Use what you have on hand to add scent, texture, and color to your sensory bin. It is fun to change it up a bit for fall and winter themes.
You will need:
- A large shallow bin, tray, bucket, etc.
- water
- Fresh cranberries
- Cinnamon sticks
- pinecones
- An orange
- An apple
- Whole cloves, star anise, allspice
- Essential oil-optional
You will also want to grab some fun kitchen implements like a wooden spoon, bowls, spatulas, strainer, etc…
First, fill a shallow bin with several inches of water, you can use whatever you have on hand but I thought this metal tub was fun and it gave plenty of room for exploring.
Add a bag of fresh cranberries.
Slice fresh apples and oranges to add to the mix.
Then, include your other elements like pinecones, whole spices, and cinnamon sticks.
If you like you can add a drop or two of your favorite seasonal essential oil to ramp up the scent.
Extend the play by adding spoons, bowls, strainers, measuring cups, and other kitchen items so that your child can fill, dump, measure, mix, sort, and explore the bin.
You may want to move this one outdoors or place a plastic disposable tablecloth underneath to contain the mess.
You can also add alphabet tiles to spell out’ cranberry’ or ‘cranberries’ and practice letter identification with your child.
