Clifford's First Autumn

Clifford's First Autumn

Summer is over, and Clifford the small red puppy, is curious about the changes that are happening all around him.Emily and Clifford went to the park for his first autumn and Clifford chased the birds, ran through leafs, and even played some football. This book helps get the children ready for Fall. You can have the children go out side and collect different leafs, make orange juice, draw outside wiith chalk, or even make a paper bag pumkin.Talk about how Autumn, or Fall, is one of the most anticipated, colorful seasons of the year.

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"Orange" You Glad It's Autumn?

Squeeze It!: Supervise children as they make their own orange juice with a juice squeezer. Use this opportunity to discuss the nutritional value of oranges. Invite a producer grocer to come and share about orange varieties, etc.

click to see little kid making orange juice·     

We went to the pumpkin patch=)

Our Pumpkin Bags

Click to make paper bag pumpkin!

Clifford's Spring Clean-Up

Clifford wanted to help Emily and her family with spring cleaning. Emily's mom and dad didn’t like some of Clifford's methods. Clifford did his part in spring cleaning by helping with Earth Day projects. He helped recycle, clean rugs, plant a garden, and paint some benches.Discuss the concept of working together, also called teamwork! Share illustrations from Clifford's Spring Clean-Up by Norman Bridwell. Ask children to guess, or predict, what they think will happen when Clifford decides to help his friends spring clean. Read the story. Discuss the things that Emily Elizabeth's family did to clean their home and yard. What happened when Clifford pitched in to help? Help children identify that it was Clifford's help that turned the vacant lot into a beautiful garden. Talk to children about ways people spring clean: washing windows, sweeping, dusting, raking leaves, clearing vegetation, taking out trash, pruning plants, tilling garden soil, etc.

Spring Cleaning

Cleaning the windows!

Sweeping the floors!

Clifford's Manners

Emily Elizabeth taught Clifford everything he knows. Everyone loves Clifford because he has such good manners. Clifford says "please" when asking for something and "think you" when he gets it. Ask children to recall ways that Clifford used his manners in the story. Cooperatively create a list of good manners to use in the classroom. Display list and review each day by briefly role-playing each manner.

You can discuss definitions of words: courteous and polite. Have children role-play examples of friends being courteous and polite at school by taking turns, saying thank you, and sharing. Explain that friends have more fun working together and playing when manners are used.

Good Manners Book

I had the children create a “Good manners book” and then I put it all together for them to enjoy.

We added pictures of what good manners are. The children can color them and read them over and over agin.

Clifford's ABC's

This is a great book for children who are learning their ABC's. Each page has an alphabet letter on it with a list of words that start with that letter. The pictures on each page illustrate the words that start with that letter. The children can practice the alphabet, learn each letter, and put words with picture while enjoying a great book.

Here are Clifford's ABC's

 

There are so many ways to help children learn ABC's in a fun way. You can let the children make their very own ABC's book with them being the authors and illustrators. Have them play a game with flash cards. They can practice spelling or writing letters with magnets, puzzles, and even an iPad.

Clifford’s Word Book

The book has lots of labels and talks about what Clifford likes and it gets the children involved by asking what they like.  When the book talks about Clifford going for a walk it labels everything (flag, streetlight, traffic light, mailbox, sidewalk, etc.). This is great for the children to put pictures with words to help them with language and writing. In the back of the book it has colors and pictures of items that are of that color. You could have the children point out items and tell you what they are and the color of them.  Make labels and put them on anything the children want to label. They will learn the word because they already know what the item looks like.

These are some labels we did!

Window

Plant

Star

Clock

Anything can be labeled and the children have so much fun doing it!

Clifford The Firehouse Dog

Emily and Clifford went to the city to visit his brother, Nero. Nero lives at the firehouse and was a fire rescue dog. Clifford wanted to help the firefighters too. They said he was the right color for the job. School children came by and Nero showed them what to do if their clothing was on fire. To smother the flames, you stop, drop to the floor, and roll until the fire is out. There was a fire and Clifford helped the fire fighters move the crowd, rescue people from the building, open the fire hydrant, got the smoke out of the building, and got the firefighters  all out safely.

Discus what fire appropriate equipments are with children while showing them pictures. This book is very helpful with children on teaching them what to do in case of a fire. You can practice a fire drill will the children and have them demon straight "stop, drop, and roll".

I made a felt board with fire equipment and things the children can play/learn with and be educated about fire safety.

In the back of the book there is, " Clifford’s Fire safety Rules", that can be copied and hung for children to learn.

Clifford The Big Red Dog And Ears

This is a great book that distinguishes the between different sizes and colors in dogs. Emily Elizabeth and Clifford play games like fetch, hide-and-seek, and camping. The book also talks about the bad habits Clifford has; running after cars, chasing cats, digging up flowers, and chewing on shoes. Having a dog is a big responsibility and Emily shows how she feeds, baths, and houses Clifford. I think these are great discussion points to have with children.

I went to scholastic's web site for Clifford ear templates and had the children color and cut out their very own Clifford ears. Click here for Clifford's Ear templates!

I like to go on adventures with Emily Elizabeth and her Big Red Dog Clifford. There are many fun ways to interact with children and have the same adventures as Clifford, through art, craft, music, stories, and play. I asked the children if they had a dog and if it does what Clifford did in the book. I also asked them what events in the book are different or similar to what they do with thier dog at home.

The children enjoyed wearing their Clifford ears they made and acting like dogs.