Teachers Digest

September Activities for Kids

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000

A collection of fun and easy September Activities for Kids that includes a free September Calendar! Kick off the school year with your child using September themed crafts, books, and activities that are fun and easy to do with your child.

Which September themed activity will you try first?

September Activities for Kids

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Organize your month of September with our free monthly activity guide. Grab yours here!

DOWNLOAD SEPTEMBER CALENDAR

If you’re looking for a few quick ideas for September these are my favorite posts.

Here are our top picks of September Themes and Activities for you to do this month with your child.

September Activities for Kids

September is packed full of fun concepts to explore with your child, especially as the school year begins. Here are a few of my favorite September activities, themes and books to explore this month.

September Themes

Back to School
All About Me
Apples
Acorns
Leaves
Fall
Pirates
Pancakes
Grandparents
International Dot Day
Hispanic Heritage Month
Basic Concepts

Back to School Activities

September is a time for all things school! For many, it may even be their first day of school. We have a collection of back-to-school activities to help your child kick off their school year.

You can explore more Back to School Activities and Resources here.

All About Me Activities

All about me activities teach your child about themselves and the world around them. They can help a child develop their self-awareness, self-esteem, and social skills.

Help your child learn to express themselves and showcase all the things that make them unique. You see this topic at school because it also builds a strong sense of community in a child’s classroom.

All About Me Books for Kids
30+ Name Activities for Kids
Drip Painting Name Activity
String Letter Name Craft
Family Themed Activities
Name Books for Kids
Beginning of School Year Self Portrait
As a teacher and Mom of 3 kids I’ve experienced the first day of school from both sides for over 20 years. Confession… it’s my favorite time of the school year!

All the excitement of getting ready with your classroom for your new students can be so much fun and a whole lot of work.

Back to School Resources for Parents

Preparing for back to school time is important for parents and kids because it helps to ease the transition back into the school routine. It can also help to reduce stress and anxiety levels for both parents and kids.

Here are some tips for preparing for back to school time:
- Start planning early. This will give you plenty of time to get everything done and avoid last-minute stress.
- Create a back to school checklist. This will help you stay on track and make sure you don’t forget anything.
- Talk to your kids about their expectations for the new school year. This will help them feel more prepared and excited about the upcoming school year.
- Help your kids get organized. This includes packing their school bags, setting up their school supplies, and creating a homework schedule.
- Make sure your kids get a good night’s sleep before school starts. This will help them be well-rested and ready to learn.
- Pack a healthy lunch for your kids. This will help them stay energized throughout the day.
- Be positive and supportive. This will help your kids feel confident and ready for the new school year.
Having the school year kick off with the right start can make such a difference.
From Back to School Books, First Day of School Poem or Help Packing School Lunches and After School Snacks we’ve got you covered!

Here’s a collection of Back to School resources from The Educators’ Spin On It to help you prepare your family for a successful school year.

Magic Dust for the First Day of School

First Day of School Books

Back to School STEM Activities

Best Lunch Box Options for School

Back to School Lunch Organization

Lunch Box Ideas for Back to School

Lunch Box Notes for Kids

Host a Back to School BBQ

Does Your Child’s Kindergarten List Compare?

Top Ten Back to School Tips for Home and School

DIY First Day of School Sign

Meet the Teacher Tips for Parents

Morning Routines for School

Open House Tips for Parents

Sending a Smart Kid to Kindergarten

Activities for Making Friends at School

Preparing for School- A Mix of Emotions

Back to School Concerns as a Parent

Tips for Making Friends at School

Back to School Anxiety for Kids
$Sensory Bottle Math Game with Crayons$

Disclosure: All Links are Amazon Affiliate Links

We’re kicking off our Virtual Book Club for Kids and here are the September Read Aloud Books for Preschoolers and Toddlers. They are a perfect match for our September Activities for kids!

There are so many adorable picture books for fall. For our September Book list, we’ve gathered our favorite books that help us celebrate the beginning of school with letters and numbers and then the approaching change in season and apple and leaves. Plus we snuck in Talk Like a Pirate Day.

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR 2025-2026 BOOK LIST

September Read Aloud Books for Preschoolers and Toddlers

The Virtual Book Club team has put together a list of our favorite September picture books. You can follow along in the featured order below with your child at home.

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR 2025-2026 BOOK LIST

Want the September book list to have on your fridge?

PRINT NOW by signing up to our Virtual Book Club for Kids Newsletter.

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR 2025-2026 BOOK LIST

September Books to Read

There are several other children’s books that are my favorite for the Month of September so below I’m sharing them by theme with you. These September Read Aloud Books are sure to be so much fun as you check them out from your library or grab them online using the Amazon links provided when you click on the image or title.

Each week grab a box or basket to keep your books in for themed weeks all September. Then check into our Virtual Book Club for Kids Newsletter to get 5 Activities to go along with them.

Let me know if there are other favorite themed books that I should add to these September Book Themes!

Books about First Day of School

Pete the Cat’s Got Class by James Dean

The Night Before Preschool by

Mouse’s First Day of School by Lauren Thompson

On the First Day of Kindergarten by Tish Rabe

Check out these First Day of School activities to go along with these School Themed books!

Take a look at our top picks for First Day of School Books!

Books About Apples

Apples, Apples, Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship by Edward Hemingway

Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss

Apples by Gail Gibbons

Check out our Apple Activities to go along with this apple books! You can also explore our list of our favorite apple books for kids!

Books About Leaves

Here are some additional suggestions for the best fall books for kids.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves! by Lucille

Mouse’s First Fall (Classic Board Books) by Lauren Thompson

Fall (Seasons) by Ailie Busby

Hedgehugs: Autumn Hide-and-Squeak by Steve Wilson and Lucy Tapper

Daniel Loves Fall! (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)

I Love Fall!: A Touch-and-Feel Board Book

Autumn: Leaves Fall from the Trees! (My First Science Songs)

Leaves by David Ezra Stein

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Check out our Fall Activities to go with these fall books! {CLICK HERE}
The Ultimate Collection of Alphabet Activities for Preschool

Looking for letter recognition games online? You’ve found the perfect spot with over 30+ letter recognition games for kids. They are play-based learning to help your child explore and enjoy as they discover the letters of the alphabet.

We’re excited to share with you a year-long collection of various activities for the alphabet. As your child creates and plays these activities and games they will focus on learning letter recognition and learning letter sounds.

Take a moment to learn about Teaching the alphabet activities to children

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

One fun way to kick off is with the best alphabet books for kids! Here’s my favorite ABC books.

Let’s get started with these kindergarten and preschool activities for the alphabet…

This hands-on activity collection shares a variety of alphabet learning skills including:
- letter identification
- letter sounds
- uppercase and lowercase matching
- beginning sounds isolation
- letter formation
You can print these Free Printable Alphabet Flashcards to get started!

Llama Llama Red Pajama Alphabet Quilt Activity

Pinkalicious Inspired Alphabet Game

Letter Matching Roads with Cars

Rainbow Drip Painting Alphabet Art

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Letter Activity & Craft

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Sidewalk Chalk Game

ABC Straws with Sticker Matching Game

Letters in Your Name Activities for Kids

Paper Bag Letter Game with Goldfish Crackers

Pencil Themed Letter Game for Kids

Wipe and Write Letter Learning Activity

Acorn Alphabet Sensory Game

Fall ABC Activity with Letter Sounds

Printable Owl Themed Alphabet Game

Turkey Alphabet Game

Witched Themed Alphabet Hide And Seek Game

Monster Themed Alphabet Craft Idea

ABC Monster Math with Sidewalk Chalk

Alphabet Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree Alphabet Game

preschooler at home for play and learning. Or you might even have the opportunity to work remotely from home with your preschooler at home.

I am often asked, what does your preschool at home daily schedule look like. Because it looks different for each family, I have asked some friends to share their general schedule with you as well.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Preschool Daily Schedules for at Home Play and Learning

A special thanks to education writers at Life Over C’s, Powerful Mothering, Tiny Tots Adventures and Rainy Day Mum for giving us a peek into their daily schedules!

Everyday Preschool: Simple educational activities for busy families who never planned on homeschooling.

Tips for Designing a Schedule for your Preschooler

You may already have a successful preschool schedule and are just wondering what others are doing. You may love parts of your day, but not others. OR, you may be wondering where to start.

Consider the following options and write out a tentative schedule for your day.

Make sure to include:

1. Time for healthy snacks and meals.

2. Activities that get kids moving and shaking.

3. Outdoor time.

4. Enrichment activities to keep their brains active and learning.

You may even want to have your own stay at home mom schedule to help keep your day balanced and on track each day.

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 1)

9:00-9:30am Get dressed & eat “breakfast” (never actual breakfast food)
9:30-11:30am Play with sisters (they take turns playing with her and doing their schoolwork) They do crafts, build with blocks, read books, etc. No set time for any activity.
11:30am-11:45am Eats lunch
11:45am-2:45pm Goes to Special Ed Pre-K (only Mon-Thurs.)
2:45pm-3:30pm Eats a snack and does hands-on learning activities

Note: Sometimes I’ll suggest an activity for the girls to do together, but usually they come up with their own ideas. I’m always available to help.

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 2)

6:30 WAKE UP, get dressed, and eat breakfast.
7:15 Bring big kids to school.
7:30 Play toy cars with Papa
8:00 Reading time – stories and songs
8:30 Building with LEGO bricks, blocks, or Lincon Logs.
9:00 Coloring and crafts. *We attend music class one day a week at this time.
9:30 Snack
10:00 Outside play
11:00 Free play inside.
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Quiet story time.
12:30 Quiet time in bed. (My three year old doesn’t nap, but I need a recharge break)
1:30 Pick up big kids from school
2:00 Puzzles
2:30 Afternoon snack and homework (my 3 year old colors or does playdough)
3:00 Outside play or errands
4:30 Pick up and dinner prep.

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 3)

I wing it.. The older one is in school and the younger one we just play and do random things when we want.

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 4)

6 – 7 Wake up and TV time whilst I get up and dressed for the day
7 – 8 Breakfast get dressed,
8 – 8:30 Reading aloud
8:30 – 9 School run
9 – 10 Literacy/Maths Activity including new phoneme or digraph and hands on activity
10 – 12 Play 12 – 1 lunch with TV on
1 – 2 Creative projects from art to cooking
2 – 3 Outside Nature time
3 – 3:30 school run for oldest
3:30 – 4 TV time for both
4 – 5 reading out loud, art club, swimming lesson
5 – 6 dinner time and games, play
6 – 7 bedtime
7pm COLLAPSE IN A HEAP and work through to midnight!

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 5)

9-9:30 am Get dressed
9:30-10 Breakfast
9-10 Sensory bins or quite play if dressed and breakfast is done early)
10-10:30 Clear our space
10:30-11 Calendar time
11-12pm Shake the sillies out time (Yoga, karate class, movement games)
12-1 Learning is fun time
1-1:30 Lunch
1:30 -2 Clear our space (lunch and clear our space switches depending on the mess)
2-3 Whatever happens time (Usually a craft, game or anything that they like to do)

Sign up now for our Playful Preschool Newsletter to receive free ideas for your preschoolers.

Join our weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids! Free themed books and activity ideas each week for your preschoolers and toddlers.

Looking for more Preschool Activities for your child? Explore our Playful Preschool Lesson plans! Free weekly themed plans for you to do at home with your child.

Free Themed Preschool Lesson Plans

The post Preschool Daily Schedules for at Home Play and Learning appeared first on The Educators' Spin On It.

The Best Alphabet Books for Preschoolers

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 17:00:00 +0000

One of the quickest ways to teach the letters of the alphabet to your child is to explore these adorable alphabet books for preschoolers. This collection is full of colorful inviting children’s books packed full of alphabet fun for your child.

A must read alphabet book list!

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links for online shopping.

The Best Alphabet Books for Preschoolers

There are many options when it comes to alphabet books for your child. This book list features our favorites that have been read over and over again with my littlest ones for years and even in my own Kindergarten class.

Alphabet books come in a variety of styles and versions. You often can find them with your child’s favorite character, topic or even focused on where you live. Like this S is for Sunshine book, which is all about Florida. Have you read the one about your state yet?

Here’s a book list of our favorite alphabet books for your child. The perfect pair with a fun alphabet activity or our favorite alphabet toys for kids.

Alphabet Themed Book List

A B See by Elizabeth Doyle
Alphabreaths: The ABCs of Mindful Breathing by Christopher Willard PsyD, and Daniel Rechtschaffen MA
Alpha Bugs: A Pop-up Alphabet by David A. Carter
Alphabet Adventure by Audrey Wood and Bruce Wood
Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming
Alphablock (An Abrams Block Book) by Christopher Franceschelli
AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First by Alethea Kontis
Eric Carle’s ABC (The World of Eric Carle)
The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
I Spy Letters by Jean Marzollo
LMNO Peas (The Peas Series) by Keith Baker
If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie Mcguirk
Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bug Alphabet by Mrs. Peanuckle
R Is for Robot: A Noisy Alphabet by Adam F. Watkins
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC
Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham

What are popular Alphabet Books for Preschoolers?

Take a peek at each one of these tells a colorful story about the letters and letters sounds that you child will need to explore and learn to get ready to read on their own.

Are you ready to learn more about these adorable alphabet books?

AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First by Alethea Kontis

AlphaOopos! The Day Z Went First is filled with visually humorous details, and colorful illustrations make this silly story comes to life when the letters of the alphabet, like a class of unruly children, step out of order and show that each one has a mind of its own.

LMNO Peas (The Peas Series) by Keith Baker

This fun alphabet book features bright colors, bouncy rhyming text, and silly pea characters who highlight the wide variety of interests, hobbies, and careers that make the world such a colorful place! Who knows how cute and busy little peas could be?

Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming

Through adorable illustrations, mouse is hard at work constructing each letter of the alphabet. He carves the C, dyes the D, erases the E, and folds the F. The busy mouse works his way right through to Z, constructing an alphabet with quite an artistic imagination!

The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni

In this story the powerful wind threatens to blow all the little letters out of the alphabet tree. So they band together in words—and then sentences—to create a message that’s even stronger than the wind: peace on earth.

Alphabet Adventure by Audrey Wood and Bruce Wood

Two of my favorite authors, the Woods, create a story where all the little letters from Charley’s Alphabet have learned their proper order, from a to z. They’re ready to go to school, but suddenly something is wrong! Little i has lost her dot, and none of the letters can find it. A great book to help with identify both upper case and lower case letters as you go on the ultimate hide-n-seek adventure with the alphabet.

You might also enjoy Alphabet Mystery and Alphabet Rescue.

Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Explore a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables with Lois Ehlert’s classic ABC book. You can focus on learning upper- and lowercase letters with your preschooler, as the author introduces fruits and vegetables from around the world. There is a glossary at the end that provides interesting facts about each food too.

Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham

Zebra wants to put on a show as simple as ABC, but Zebra’s friend Moose has other quite unexpected and funny ideas! This story brings to life two friends and one silly sequence of errors that’s about sharing, friendship, and compromise.

Alphablock (An Abrams Block Book) by Christopher Franceschelli

Explore the retro ABC peek-through guessing game around the letterform itself. As readers interact with the pages, they will explore not only the 26 letters and associated words, but also each letter’s physicality—angles, holes, and curves.

A B See by Elizabeth Doyle

This story is a beautifully illustrated, graphic alphabet book with a fun search-and-find element. Hidden in each letter graphic are tiny ABC treasures waiting to be found by your child.

Teachers Digest

September Activities for Kids

September Activities for Kids

September Themes

Back to School Activities

All About Me Activities

Back to School Resources for Parents

September Read Aloud Books for Preschoolers and Toddlers

September Books to Read

Books about First Day of School

Books About Apples

Books About Leaves

The Ultimate Collection of Alphabet Activities for Preschool

Preschool Daily Schedules for at Home Play and Learning

Tips for Designing a Schedule for your Preschooler

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 1)

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 2)

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 3)

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 4)

Preschool Daily Schedules (Option 5)

The Best Alphabet Books for Preschoolers

The Best Alphabet Books for Preschoolers

Alphabet Themed Book List

What are popular Alphabet Books for Preschoolers?