Sometimes, all it takes to get a kid interested in writing is a special book to hold their thoughts.
My daughter spends a lot of her time at school writing in spiral notebooks or composition books. So, I thought I’d spark her interest at home with some special fall-themed mini books for creative writing.
These Pumpkin and Apple Mini Books are little, so they’re not too intimidating. Plus, they’re filled with lined paper to make writing easier.
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Supplies Needed
Red and orange card stock (1 sheet for each mini book)
*Note: You can also use construction paper. It just won’t be as durable as the card stock.
Cardboard for templates
How to make your pumpkin and apple mini books
Before beginning, create a pumpkin and an apple template from your cardboard.
Make it small enough that you can cut two apples (or pumpkins) on each sheet of paper. If you use a template, it will be easy to make sure all of your pages are the same shape and size.
If you are unsure of your drawing abilities, search for simple clip art or coloring pages. You should be able to find something online to serve as your template.
Trace two apples on your red card stock and two pumpkins on your orange card stock. Cut each one out.
Next, take 3 sheets of notebook paper per mini book. Fold the pieces of paper in half and trace one apple (or one pumpkin) on one side of your folded paper. Now you can cut all 6 pages of your mini book at once. I used this method to save myself some cutting time.
Stack all of your cut-out pieces so that you have a piece of card stock on the top, 6 pieces of notebook paper in the middle, and another piece of card stock on the back.
Attach all the pages together with your stapler. I found that one staple on the side of each book did the trick.
These mini books are very simple to make and an older child should be able to do the process from start to finish on their own. I made the books myself because I wanted to surprise my second grader with a fun writing invitation.
Create a writing invitation
To set up the writing invitation, I added the pumpkin and apple mini books to a small basket with a pencil holder full of a variety of pencils.
I also added a couple of index cards with some pumpkin- and apple-themed writing prompts to the basket. I love writing prompts because sometimes the most overwhelming thing about writing is choosing the topic. Writing prompts help narrow down the topics and spark your kid’s imagination.
Apple Writing Prompts:
My day at the apple orchard…
My favorite things made from apples are…
I planted an apple seed one day and…
Pumpkin Writing Prompts:
How do you carve a jack-o-lantern?
I grew the biggest pumpkin and I took it to the fair…
My jack-o-lantern came alive tonight…
If you enjoyed these Pumpkin and Apple Mini Books, the above photo is perfect for sharing on Facebook. Or, you can share the photo below on Pinterest.
You may also like one of these writing projects:
I Am a Super Hero! Writing Prompt
Flower Personification ~ For After School Writing Fun
Making Lists – After School Writing Practice
Have you seen the Seasons School resources over at NurtureStore? The Autumn Workshops are complete curriculum of creative, hands-on, real-world learning. The autumn topics include Apples & Pumpkins and Leaves & Twigs units with everything organised for you, including lots of gorgeous printables. They integrate math, science, literacy, art and play through a nature-inspired adventure. These guided lesson plans give you everything you need to enjoy an autumn of creativity and learning with your children. See more here.
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