Cozy sweaters, wood fires, warm apple cider… what’s not to love about fall? Also called autumn or harvest (after the harvest moon), fall is a favorite season for many of your EI friends. In tribute, we’ve culled some of our favorite, little-known facts, just for you!

Fall Foliage

Despite what most people think, leaves don’t turn orange, yellow, and red in the fall. In fact, they’re always orange, red and yellow. It’s just that these colors are overpowered by the bright green produced by chlorophyll during the brighter, longer days. Weaker sun for fewer hours decreases chlorophyll production and lets their natural colors shine. It’s thought that catching a falling fall leaf brings a full month of good luck the prior year, if you believe that sort of thing.

Oh Baby

More Facebook users change their status from “single” to “in a relationship” in the fall than in any other month (more break ups happen in summer, in case you were wondering). This might explain why more babies are born in September than any other month of the year. Bonus – autumn babies are more likely to live to be 100 years old than babies born in any other month!

Run for the Border

Monarch butterflies embark on a serious journey every fall, flying up to 2,500 miles to find warmer weather. Monarchs who summer east of the Rockies migrate all the way to Mexico; those coming from the west of the Rockies wind up in Pacific Grove, California. Either way, they migrate to the exact same trees every year – remarkable, considering they’re not the same butterflies (monarchs only live 2-6 weeks).

The Real Yin and Yang

During the autumnal equinox, which takes place September 22 this year, the Earth’s equator is perfectly aligned with the sun, ensuring equal day and night hours. This means we’ll have exactly as much daylight as darkness (12 hours each). The word equinox actually means “equal night”.

It’s All Greek to Us

Legend has it, we can thank Greek goddess Persephone for these crisp, cool autumn months. Snatched by Hades to be his underground bride and tricked into eating the food of the underworld, young Persephone was destined to spend her days with the dead. Luckily, her mother, Demeter, struck a deal that allowed her daughter to spend six months in the underworld and six months above ground every year. Sadness overtook the Earth when the young beauty was gone, resulting in the fall and winter months.

Give your kids a head start on school success with Hot Dots® and Math Slam™ both on sale now at Toys”R”Us! Enjoy this coupon and take $5 off any item from  Educational Insights or Learning Resources, offer expires 8/31/17. Find a Toys”R”Us near you here!

Let’s be honest. Teaching is a pretty tough gig. Most teachers wouldn’t do it if they didn’t truly love it. So, whether you were a Front Row Frannie or an I Hate School Hannah, odds are you encountered at least one teacher who truly made a difference in your life. You know, that one teacher who inspired you to try something new, encouraged you when you needed support, challenged you to be or do better, or introduced a new idea or method that proved to be pretty important, in the long run. YOUR Jaime Escalante. In honor of those teachers, and since tomorrow is National Teacher Day, we’re sharing the stories of a five awesome teachers who’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference in their students’ lives.1. A Colorado P.E. teacher is helping her students get fit and healthy in a very different way! When high school teacher Jen Sculley discovered that her kidney was a perfect match to one of her students who was suffering from kidney disease, she didn’t hesitate to make the donation. Talk about going above and beyond! But Sculley isn’t the only teacher giving an arm and a leg, so to speak. Teachers in Ohio, New York, and Texas have all donated kidneys to save students’ lives or the lives of their loved ones. Guess teachers just can’t stand to see their students suffer.http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/01/07/denver-teacher-to-donate-kidney-to-very-sick-student/2. One Washington D.C. Kindergarten teacher has got his kids’ toes tapping to a different beat. A devotee of Latin dances, particularly salsa, Mr. Sorto, is not just teaching his Kindergarteners to read and write in English. He’s also teaching them to read and write in Spanish – and to dance traditional Latin dances, too! His 5-year-old students have mastered salsa, merengue, and even the toe-tangling bachata. Mr. Sorto finds that dance keeps the kids engaged and the followers of his classroom Facebook page can’t get enough of his kids dancing. Encore!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-kindergarten-teachers-students-can-dance-bachata-better-than-us_us_5900f6a4e4b0026db1ddb5c63. When one of his students lost both parents within three years, Oklahoma high school football coach Chris Roberts made good on his promise that the team was really a family. Roberts and his wife took the student into their home and became the student’s legal guardians, proving that a teacher’s care extends far beyond the four walls of the classroom (or football field). We’re not crying. You’re crying.http://okcfriday.com/theyre-giving-me-a-family-osterhout-finds-solace-with-roberts-family-a-p9340-92.htm4. It doesn’t take life-saving actions to make a great teacher, though. Mrs. D-B, a fourth-grade teacher in Miami, FL, works tirelessly to ensure that her lessons are not just educational, but fun and engaging, too. And it must be working, because her class nominated her for NPR’s 50 Great Teachers project, citing activities like Spelling Baseball, Writing Idol, and the classroom mascot, Chewbacca the humpback whale (plush, please) as proof.http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/04/29/466326635/reporting-live-from-miami-a-bunch-of-fourth-graders-tell-their-teachers-story5. Jones, an 8^th grade English teacher in Tennessee, took special care to help assimilate one of her ESL students. Working tirelessly on his grammar, buying him a book of idioms to study, and checking on his progress throughout high school really paid off. The student went on to earn a college degree – in journalism! – and work in the communications field. Guess Ms. Jones really went the extra mile!https://www.buzzfeed.com/kasiagalazka/teacher-appreciation?utm_term=.xsa8nNRKj#.oegXwKOrZ

Here at EI we work with some pretty incredible inventors. Some specialize in board games, some in gadgets, and some, like Howard Fleischer, blend the two into best-selling games like our 2016 release, RiddleCube™.This combination card game, fidget gadget, and creativity cube might seem like the perfect blend of modern day entertainment – and it is! But it’s also got roots that go all the way back to Howard’s earliest days as an inventor. You see, the game is actually a relaunch of one of his very first inventions – the Polygonzo Stretch Toy (we like RiddleCube better – you?). He created the original prototype – out of straws! – as a student in Paris in the 1980’s.Other than being made of flexible plastic instead of straws, the concept hasn’t changed much over the last 35 years. But Howard’s ability to get meetings with the top toy manufacturers has come a long way since his days on the Champs Elysees. As president and founder of RoyaltyPros, inventor Howard is now also a top licensing agent, negotiating deals with big time companies including Fisher-Price, Mattel, Hasbro, Kellogg’s, Microsoft, SpinMaster, and, yes, Educational Insights, among others. It helps to know five languages and nearly everyone in the toy, game, candy, publishing, entertainment, and licensing worlds.We love that Howard brought RiddleCube to us. We can’t get enough of the twisting, turning, bending, shape-shifting action – and neither can consumers. This award-winning take on traditional games is one of our best-sellers. And it’s not hard to see why. Great for inspiring a bit of creativity and more than a few giggles and grins, RiddleCube is truly a game like no other.RiddleCube includes 4 flexible cubes, 100 double-sided challenge cards, a timer, a card case, and a game guide. Players flip a card and the timer, then race to see who can contort their cube into the image named on the card first. For more information – or to order your own RiddleCube Game – Click Here

When I retired from my job as Director of Product Development for Educational Insights one of my first goals was to open a library. On October 9, 2016 I did just that, hosting a grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, book-themed crafts, games, and food for my neighbors. Dozens of them turned out to bring and exchange books.The library, a bright blue structure built by my husband from recycled wood, features a roof shingled with discarded CDs and vintage campaign buttons. Stacks of books are stenciled on the library’s sides. Located in my front yard in Manhattan Beach, California, it is a branch of the Little Free Library, an organization that promotes miniature residential libraries in communities world-wide based on the principle “take a book, return a book.” The library has something for everyone, from picture books to popular fiction, even some cookbooks.I keep my library stocked with contributions from the friends and neighbors and by attending local library book sales where books withdrawn from circulation are offered to the public at bargain prices. Most recently, I picked up a grocery bag filled with hardcover children’s books for five dollars! The sales are a great resource for quality books for my Little Free Library and benefit the public libraries financially as well as make room for their newer titles. Occasionally, I post a notice on our local “free cycle” group and find a bag of books on my front steps.I love being a library steward and seeing what my neighbors choose and leave in return. Popular adult fiction gets picked up the most. Children’s books about dinosaurs are also very popular. Two gorgeous, coffee-table photo books about Alaska have been the most interesting contribution so far.I’m always in “steward mode.” I keep a box of books in my car trunk ready to “book bomb” the occasional library I come across in another community, and I research the location of free libraries on the organization’s website map when my husband and I take day trips. Other people have done such inventive things, from café-like touches including benches and tables to mascots like stuffed animals.Another benefit of being a steward – if someone leaves a book in the library that looks interesting, I get to borrow it first!Marcia Gresko is the former Director of Product Development for Educational Insights where she worked for 18 years. She is a published children’s book author and a former teacher. In addition to being a Little Free Library steward, she volunteers with a creative writing program in Los Angeles and at the museum of a local municipality. She is training to become a docent at a historical home in Los Angeles.

Organized and supported by groups of book enthusiasts, including bloggers, authors, illustrators, teachers, and librarians, February 14^th  is International Book Giving Day. The celebration, started in 2012, aims to increase children’s access to and enthusiasm for books. Coinciding with Valentine’s day, a day dedicated to LOVE, why not share your love of books:

• GIFT a book to your child and/or encourage your child to gift a book to a friend. Below are some simple, inexpensive ways to make handmade books.
• LEAVE a book in a waiting room (at the doctor, dentist, train or bus station) for someone else.
• DONATE a gently used book to a library, school, hospital, or shelter.

PLUS, you can SHARE THE LOVE with these BOOK-MAKING CRAFTS.

SUPER SCROLL

Materials

• A long piece of paper (or several sheets of paper glued or taped together) approximately 8” x 24” (Craft paper or paper cut from a grocery bag gives a fun antique look to your scroll.)
• 2 Dowels, chopsticks, or paper towel roll tubes
• Tape or glue
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
• ribbon or string

Make ItTape or glue the dowels to the ends of the paper. Make sure the paper is centered on the dowels. Roll the paper around them so that it is covering the dowels completely and tape or glue again. Lay the scroll on a flat surface to work. Have your child create an original story or dictate a story they already know. Leave room for illustrations. Depending on the length of the scroll, your child may need several days to fill it. When it is done, roll the scroll in to the center from both sides. Lightly tie a piece or ribbon or string around the scroll to secure it.

SENSATIONAL STEP BOOK

Materials

• 3 (or more) pieces of copier or construction paper
• 2 pieces of yarn, ribbon, or string
• hole punch
• markers, crayons, or colored pencils

Make It

1. Stack the pieces of paper together so that each consecutive piece is about 1” higher than the sheet behind it creating “steps.”
2. Holding the papers together, fold the top down and align the edges so that all but the top step or cover are even. Crease along the fold.
3. Punch a hole on each end of the top fold, thread the yarn through the holes, and tie a double knot.
4. Have your child hold the step book either vertically or horizontally, then write and illustrate the story.

Step books make fun counting books, how-to books, all-about-me books, and more.

AMAZING ACCORDION BOOK

Materials

• A long, narrow piece of paper (or several sheets taped together) about 6” x 30”
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue
• 2 Pieces of cardboard
• 2 Rubber bands, ribbon, or string

Make It

1. Use the ruler to measure and mark 5”-6” intervals along the top and bottom of the paper. Draw a line between each pair of markings to create a fold line.
2. Starting at one end of the paper, fold it along the first line. Use the back of the scissors to score the fold so that it is crisp and sharp.
3. Fold the opposite way along the second fold line and score again. Continue this process, alternating the fold direction. When you reach the end, the paper will look like an accordion.
4. Cut the cardboard pieces so that they are a little larger than the pages of the book. Glue the cardboard covers to the first and last pages.
5. Encourage your child to use both sides of the book to write and illustrate a story.
6. Have your child decorate the covers with markers, crayons, photographs, stickers, or pictures cut from magazines then add the title and name of the author.
7. Secure the book with the rubber bands, ribbon, or string.

The accordion style adds some pizazz to alphabet books, counting books, books with a sequence of steps or events, and more. You can even make your accordion book in a fun shape! Because they stand up easily, they make great books for displays too.

PERFECT POCKET BOOK

Materials

• 3 (or more) lunch-size paper bags
• construction paper or card stock
• glue
• stapler
• scissors
• ribbon
• markers, crayons, colored pencils

Make It

1. Stack the paper bags on top of each other with the openings at the same end. Fold the stack in half and staple along the fold to secure. This will create a book with three “secret pockets.” (if you want alternate pages to have pockets, stack the bags with the ends in alternating directions.)
2. Cover the staples with decorative tape or paper.
3. Cut the card stock into rectangles approximately 3.5” x 4” to fit inside the pockets.
4. Glue or staple a loop of ribbon to the narrow end of the rectangles, creating a pull tab.
5. Have your child write and illustrate a story, including the pages hidden in the pockets.

Pocket books are great for question-and-answer style books like riddles, surprise-type books with notes or hints about the ending, and even gift books with little treasures such as a small sheet of stickers or gel clings – perfect for a birthday!BOOK-MAKING TIPSWhat to write about: Original stories are great, but so is having young children retell a story in their own words, building an understanding of story structure. Retell:

• Fairy tales
• Mother Goose rhymes
• Poems
• Songs

For short pieces, like rhymes and poems, you can dedicate a page to each or fill a whole book with a single favorite, dedicating one or two lines per page.How to Illustrate Your BooksOriginal artwork can be hand drawn with markers, crayons, and colored pencils or created in simple ways your child can learn. Try:

• Collage with small magazine pictures
• Rubber stamps
• Potato prints
• Thumbprints
• Cut or torn paper shapes
• Stencils
• Stickers

NO MATTER HOW YOU CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL BOOK GIVING DAY, SHARING YOUR LOVE OF BOOKS IS A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING! And if your child enjoyed the book-making crafts, continue winning book + craft combination with Once Upon A Craft, the Educational Insights series of book and craft products that pairs favorite folk and fairy tales with mess-free, hands-on craft experiences based on the stories from making a mosaic to creating a crown and more.

Whether you live in the snow, sleet, or California sunshine, our brand-new line of scientific tools and toys will help your kiddo explore, study, and learn about the nature that’s all around you. Kick the year off right with new outdoor exploration products from Educational Insights, like our:GeoSafari® Jr. Bug Vac ‘N’ View – Your kiddo can catch and study incredible insects – without even touching them! Simply switch on the gentle suction to capture a creature – the air holes will keep them safe until you’re ready to release and 4x magnification shows every detail up close!GeoSafari® Jr. Critter Habitat – If your kiddo captured a keeper with the Bug Vac ‘N’ View, they can store and study it safely in the Critter Habitat! Perfect for examining bugs, frogs, fish, rocks leaves, flowers, and more, this critter-friendly container supports dry and wet habitats and even features a unique, rotating feeder.GeoSafari® Jr. Walkie Talkies – Keep track of your junior explorer with this set of two Walkie Talkies with no slip rubber grips, speakerphone feature, and built in sound effects! With a 300+ foot range, these are a great way to keep in touch, indoors and out!GeoSafari® SeaScope® – Land, ho! Magnify underwater finds with this 5x scientific scope featuring a built-in LED that helps kids investigate sea life, from sea stars to kelp beds, without getting wet!Visit Pinterest <link> to see our all of our new ways to play, learn, and get silly in 2017!

Start the year off BIG with brand-new, big-kid tools, toys, and games to help your not-so-little one discover and explore through unplugged play with Educational Insights. Our new-for-2017 product line-up includes tools for outdoor, natural, and scientific exploration, STEM based DIY circuit-building, hilarious party games, and so much more, like our:GeoSafari® Solar Rover – Your soon-to-be scientist can experiment with solar energy with this sun-powered vehicle, using his hand to alternate light and shadow to power the solar cells, move forward, and turn left or right and blocking the sun to stop!GeoSafari® Ultimate Laser Lab – It takes laser-like focus to complete the 10 laser experiments and activities featured in this set, which includes a class 1 laser with 5 settings, 1 diffracting grating, 2 mirrors, 2 stands, and a blank slide.Word on the Street® – The whole family can take the fast lane to fun with this fast-paced word game! Race to come up with a word that fits a specific category, moving the letter tiles in that word across the street, one space at a time.AfterWORDS™ - Think fast! Name a word that fits in the category in play AND begins with the last letter of the last word played! This backward twist on word games will really get your big kid thinking!Visit Pinterest to see our all of our new ways to play, learn, and get silly in 2017!https://www.pinterest.com/edinsights/hottest-new-toys-and-games-for-2017-from-best-sell/

f your mailbox is like mine, it’s been clogged with holiday catalogs and mailers since Halloween. Instead of being bummed about the waste, regard it as a bounty of colorful craft materials!Holiday catalogs are a cool, free resource for creative ways to enjoy some learning fun, especially during that LONG school break. Once you’ve flipped through them, try these ways to recycle them.

Super Story Starters

Fuel your kiddos' creativity and communication skills with stimulating story starter cards.You'll Need

• Catalogs
• Index cards
• Scissors
• Glue

Encourage children to find interesting images of people, animals, places, and situations to cut out and glue onto the index cards. Let the cards dry and, if necessary, set them under some heavy books overnight to flatten.Time to Play

1. Stack the cards face down. Have someone draw a card to start the story telling. Take turns drawing cards and adding to the story.
2. As the story is being told, line up the cards in chronological order so that everyone can remember the sequence of events.
3. Foster language development by modeling rich vocabulary and descriptive language that appeals to the five senses. (Once upon a time, there was a man with a fantastic power. He could fly like a bird. One day, he zoomed up into the sky. There were puffy, white clouds all around him…)

TIP: For younger or more inexperienced story tellers, choose just a few cards, arrange them face up, and use them as inspiration for a cooperative story.Psst…They’re Learning         As kids play with the cards, they’ll sharpen their sequencing skills and their understanding of cause and effect, build their listening and speaking skills, and share thoughts and feelings.

Picture This!

Promote children's drawing with simple finish-the-picture prompts.You’ll Need:

• Plain white paper
• Catalogs
• Scissors
• Glue
• Markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc.

Cut out small to medium-sized, action-oriented pictures from catalogs. Mount one picture on each sheet of paper, making sure there is plenty of room for your child to add to the picture. Provide drawing materials and invite your child to add details to finish the picture. Children might also want to add a title or caption to their drawings.TIP: Vary your placement of the pictures (middle, bottom, corner) so that your child has a different spatial challenge each time.Psst…They’re LearningAs children draw, they are exercising the fine-motor skills needed for handwriting.

Awesome Alphabet Books

Bring the alphabet to life with personalized alphabet books that kids create themselves.You'll Need

• Catalogs
• Paper
• Stapler
• Scissors
• Glue
• Markers or crayons

Staple paper together so that you have a 26-page book plus cover. Write, or have children write, each letter in its uppercase and lowercase form. Then have them search through catalogs to find pictures that begin with each letter and glue them on the appropriate pages. One or two letters a session is plenty for early learners!Psst…They’re LearningAs kids create and use their books, they are establishing letter-sound relationships, a critical pre-reading skill.

Custom Collages

Inspire imagination with collages based on your child's passions.You'll Need

• Catalogs
• Card stock or manila folder
• Scissors
• Glue

Cut the card stock into a shape such as a heart, a picture frame, or even your child’s initials. Encourage your child to cut out small pictures of items that he or she likes such as: foods, objects, colors, sports, places, animals, anything that has meaning to them. Then have them glue them – mosaic-style – on the shape.TIP: Younger children will find it easier to glue their pictures on a simple rectangular piece of paper.Psst…They’re LearningAs kids create their collages, they are building self-esteem and developing spatial reasoning skills.

"I Spy" Games

Cuddle up with a catalog to play this familiar game!Choose a catalog with lots of pictures on each spread. Describe a picture without naming it. Clues might include: color, shape, size, sound it makes, function, and so on: “I spy something blue. It has two wheels and a horn.” To make the game challenging, give clues that might apply to several objects at first. Take turns being detective, giving your child the opportunity to describe a secret object.Psst…They’re LearningAs kids play these games, they increase their listening comprehension and expressive language skills and hone their observation abilities.

Paper Chains

Hang colorful paper chains from walls, ceilings, even on the tree for fast, simple, holiday decorating.You’ll Need

• Catalogs
• Scissors
• Tape, small hand-held stapler, glue stick

Cut rectangular strips about an inch wide from catalogs. Tape, staple, or glue the ends of the paper strip together to form a loop or ring. Thread another strip of paper through the center of the first ring and secure with tape, stapes, etc. Keep adding links until the chain is the desired length.TIP: Alternate the catalog rings with solid-colored construction paper rings to create patterns.Psst…They’re LearningAs children create paper chains, they are building fine-motor skills and hand-eye coordination as well as creating and completing patterns, an important beginning math skill.

Wonderful Weaving

Transform holiday staples, from cards to placemats, with whimsical weaving. You’ll need:     

• Paper (construction paper or card stock)
• Strips of paper (1/2” to 1”) cut from catalog pages
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Glue

Time to Weave

1. Create a “loom” on the back of your sheet of paper. (You will need to prepare the loom for young children.)
2. Mark two horizontal lines a half-inch from the top and a half-inch from the bottom of your sheet.
3. Then mark vertical lines between the two. The vertical lines should be the same distance apart as the width of the paper strips.
4. Cut along the vertical lines with a scissor or craft knife, leaving the half-inch border at top and bottom intact.
5. Have your child start at the first slit, weaving a catalog strip under and over until they have gone all the way across.
6. Start the next row of weaving with the strip of paper beginning over and under.
7. Continue alternating starting position of each strip until you have reached the bottom of the loom.

To turn your child’s work into a greeting card or wall art, make a paper or cardboard frame for it. This hides the edges and reduces the amount of finishing required. To do this, cut a shape from the middle of a piece of card, and place it over the woven paper, so the weaving shows through the hole. The frame doesn’t have to be rectangular, and you can mount the woven piece at any angle – experiment to find an effect you like.Psst…They’re LearningAs children weave, they exercise fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

STILL HAVE SOME CATALOGS LEFT?

Here are two quick ways to use them up:

• Shred pages to create perfect packing material for shipping gifts to loved ones.
• Wrap small gift boxes or tape several pages together for “patchwork” wrapping paper.