Into the Woods!

A Walk Through the Woods by Louise Greig

Step into a woodland wonder, where the secrets of the whispering forest unfold in an enchanting papercut world.

The Great Indoors by Julie Falatko

Woodland animals camp in a human house for a weeklong vacation while the family that lives there is away.

Vernon is on His Way : Small Stories by Philip Christian Stead

Today is a very nice day. There has never been a day so nice as this, except for maybe yesterday. Join Vernon and his friends Skunk and Porcupine on a series of three enchanting adventures entitled Waiting, Fishing, and Gardening, as they comb the forest floor for trinkets and go fishing in their own unconventional way.

Surprise! By Caroline Hadilaksono

Bear, Raccoon, and Squirrel are good friends, and when some city folks visit their woods they plan to throw a welcome party with snacks and entertainment–but when Bear returns with the party hats the humans are suddenly in a hurry to leave.

The Tea Party in the woods by Akiko Miyakoshi

As Kikko goes through the woods to bring a pie to her grandmother, she happens upon a home full of animals and joins their tea party.

Forest, What Would You Like? By Irene O’Garden

A forest details the things that would make it happy such as sun, flowers, trees, water, animals, and children rambling, climbing, and playing.

My Forest is Green by Darren Lebeuf

With art supplies in tow, a young artist explores the wonders of his urban forest during all four seasons. Using a variety of artistic mediums, the boy creatively depicts the smaller parts of the forest that make up the larger whole.

The gold leaf by Kirsten Hall

When the forest animals find a gold leaf, they fight about who gets to have it.

You’re Safe with Me by Chitra Soundar

The baby animals of the Indian forest can’t sleep. SWISH-SWISH! CRACK-TRACK! FLASH-SNAP! goes the storm. Only Mama Elephant’s words of wisdom can reassure them, “You’re safe with me.”

All Ears, All Eyes by Richard Jackson

As darkness falls in the forest, animals hoot, chirp, whirr, and bark, lulling drowsy children to sleep.

The Little Guys by Vera Brosgol

The Little Guys might be small, but they aim to be mighty. As they head off to find breakfast, they can conquer anything through teamwork—cross deep waters, dig through obstacles, and climb the tallest trees. Nothing can stop them! But as they begin to amass more than they need, the creatures in the forest ponder—what happens when no one can stop the Little Guys?

Bear’s Book by Claire Freedman

When Bear’s favorite book of stories falls apart, he is determined to write one of his own. He ventures into the forest for inspiration, but writing is harder than he thinks, and he soon discovers that he needs help from his friends. See how Bear transforms their day into a wonderful adventure in this story about creativity and friendship.

Nature self portrait: http:// https://happyhooligans.ca/nature-faces/

Nature paint brushes: https://www.messylittlemonster.com/2015/07/stick-craft-nature-paintbrushes.html

Twig boat craft: https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/twig-boat-craft/

Swimmers Swimming!

No Swimming for Nelly by Valeri Gorbachev

Nelly loves to wear her swimsuit but the thought of swimming scares her, that is until Grandma, who just so happens to be a swimming champion, helps Nelly realize she has nothing to fear.

Saturday is Swimming Day by Hyewon Yum

Swimming lessons are on Saturdays, and every Saturday one little girl has a stomachache. When she gets to the pool it’s loud, the floor is wet and slippery, and her swim cap is too tight. Her swimming instructor, Mary, says it’s OK to sit by the edge if she doesn’t want to get in the water this week. The next Saturday the girl has a stomachache again, but with Mary’s gentle encouragement, she eventually manages to make it into the pool to practice her kicks.

I’m a Duck by Eve Bunting

One day, an egg rolled out of a nest and right into a deep pond. Now that egg is a little duck, and the water is still very scary. Jumping into the pond at all seems impossible, never mind swimming in a line with all his brothers. “You’re a duck, and ducks don’t sink,” Big Frog points out.

Shark Nate-O by Tara Luebbe

Nate, who loves sharks, cannot swim, but with his brother’s prodding, a good coach, and a lot of determination he learns to swim like a shark. Includes facts about sharks.

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back.

Can I tell You a Secret? By Anna Kang

Monty the frog has a secret he wants to share with you–he cannot swim!

Puppy Pool Party! : an underwater dogs adventure by Seth Casteel

Photographs and simple, rhyming text reveal what goes on beneath the surface at the puppy pool party.

Pool by Chi-hyŏn Yi

In this wordless book, two shy children meet at a noisy pool and dive beneath the crowd into a magical undersea land, where they explore a fantastical landscape and meet various creatures.

Don’t Splash the Sasquatch! By Kent Redeker

Señor Sasquatch wants to relax beside Mr. Blobule’s pool without getting wet, but he is thoroughly splashed by the other guests, who then pitch in to dry his “squizzlefied” fur.

Abigail the Whale by  Davide Cali

Abigail dreads swimming lessons. Every time she dives into the pool, she makes a big splash, and all the girls in her class shout: Abigail’s a whale! Abigail can see that she is larger than the other girls. She feels huge, heavy, and out of place. Abigail’s swimming teacher takes her aside and points out: we can change how we see ourselves.

Dino-swimming by Lisa Wheeler

Plant-eating dinosaurs compete against meat-eating dinosaurs at a swimming meet.

Heather Fell in the Water by Doug MacLeod

Heather was a little girl…who always fell in the water. She didn’t mean to do it. She didn’t enjoy it. But she fell in the water nearly every day, and so her parents made her wear water wings all the time. Find out how Heather overcomes her fear in this warm and funny story from a much-loved team.

Maisy Learns to Swim by Lucy Cousins

Splish-splash! Maisy’s going to a swimming lesson!

What absorbs water and what does not: simple water science for kids https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/preschool-water-science-experiment/

Sink or float experiment: https://laughingkidslearn.com/sink-or-float-experiment-with-nature

Outdoor foil river: https://frugalfun4boys.com/tin-foil-river-outdoor-water-play/

Mini ice boat racing: http://www.toddlerapproved.com/2015/06/ice-boat-racing-for-toddlers.html

Campers Camping!

When You’re Scared by Andrée Poulin

A hungry little bear is trapped inside a dumpster. His distraught mama bear can’t fish him out. Thankfully, a boy and his mother, camping nearby, come to the rescue.

The Golden Glow by Benjamin Flouw

Fox loves nature. There’s nothing he enjoys more than reading about and picking flowers. One evening, he comes across a rare specimen in his old botany book — the golden glow, a plant from the Wellhidden family, found only in the mountains. When Fox discovers that there is no description for the golden plant, he sets out to find out for himself.

Wordy Birdy meets Mr. Cougarpants by Tammi Sauer

When Wordy Birdy and her friends go on a camping trip, they get an unexpected visit from Mr. Cougarpants. Can Wordy Birdy talk herself out of a becoming dinner?

Monster & Mouse go Camping by Deborah Underwood

When Mouse and Monster team up to go camping, they discover Monster’s insatiable appetite is wreaking havoc on their campsite, but nothing can stop these two friends from having fun in the great outdoors.

First Star : a Bear and Mole Story by Will Hillenbrand

While camping, Bear tells Mole the story of how the First Bears created the moon and the stars.

The Grand Expedition by Emma AdBåge

Two young siblings go on an adventure in their own backyard.

Camp Tiger by Susan Choi

Every year, a boy and his family go camping at Mountain Pond. Usually, they see things like an eagle fishing for his dinner, a salamander with red spots on its back, and chipmunks that come to steal food while the family sits by the campfire. But this year is different.

Me and You and the Red Canoe by Jean E. Pendziwol

In the stillness of a summer dawn, two siblings leave their campsite with fishing rods, tackle and bait, and push a red canoe into the lake. A perfect morning on the water unfolds, with thrilling glimpses of wildlife along the way.

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel is not too comfortable with the idea of camping— unless it’s on his couch! There will be no mosquitoes, skunks or zippers to worry about when he watches a show about the joys of camping on his brand-new TV. But first Scaredy must find an electrical outlet, and that means going into the woods!

Leaf craft: http://mommysbabylove.blogspot.com/2011/09/fun-with-leaves.html

Painted stick nature craft: https://www.craftsbycourtney.com/how-to-crafts/painted-stick-nature-craft/

Popsicle stick tent craft: https://www.gluedtomycraftsblog.com/2016/05/popsicle-stick-tent-kid-craft.html