Fall Family Fun in Northeast Ohio

Fall is here! And even though we are in a global health pandemic, there is still safe, socially distant Fall fun to be had. Thanks to our friends at Barberton Public Library for the cute graphic above, which provides a great bucket list of seasonal family fun.

Here is a printable version, if you would like to print it, hang it up, and check off what the kids would like to do:

The following list includes resources for all kinds of family Fall activities in Northeast Ohio this year:

Free Fall Fun in Northeast Ohio

Metroparks Fall Hiking Spree

Ultimate Fall Fun Guide: 100+ Things to Do this Fall

Things to Do in Ohio

Northeast Ohio Fall Festival Guide

Fall in Love with Ohio: Things to Do

The Best Fall Festivals in Northeast Ohio

Have fun, stay safe, and enjoy the season!

“Fall” for Fall Picture Books

Welcome to Fall, with its colorful leaves, festive pumpkins, chilly evenings, and great seasonal picture books! All of the things that make the autumn season special are celebrated in a variety of picture books that you can share with your child.

Below is a list of some of our favorites, ideal for preschool through grades 2 or 3. Click on the book title to access our online catalog and reserve a copy.

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

Little Elliot, Fall Friends by Mike Curato

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert

The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall

Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall

In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes

Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley

Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka

Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins

Leaves by David Ezra Stein

Yellow Time by Lauren Stringer

Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson

Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White

Stop in the Children’s Room or call for further recommendations or assistance. Happy reading!

Available now: Erica Carlson’s Fantastical Magic Show!

Erica Carlson’s Fantastical Magic Show is now available for viewing! Go to https://player.vimeo.com/video/456029071 to see the show. It will be available at this link for one week.

Get ready for fun as you journey to a world of imagination! Erica and her fantastic audience of magicians will do tons of magic tricks as they try to find Sedgewick the Hedgehog! Will our creativity be enough to find Sedgie the Hedgie in this fairy tale world of unicorns, mermaids, and dragons? Watch and find out!

Children’s Department Newsletters

Do you receive our Children’s Department weekly emailed newsletters? They are full of information and links for upcoming library programs and events for kids of all ages. Occasionally, we send out an email about a specific special library event for kids, tweens, or teens, too.

If you would like to subscribe, send your name and email address to mail.child@hudson.lib.oh.us to be added to the list.

You can also find program information and registration on our online calendar here.

We hope to see you soon at some of our virtual events for kids and families!

September Is Library Card Sign-up Month

September is the annual National Library Card Sign-up Month! If you do not yet have a library card in the CLEVNET system, and you live in Ohio, bring proof of your address to the Hudson Library and register for a free library card! Custodial parents may get a library card for their children ages 0-18.

Your library card will open up a world of possibilities! A library card will allow you to check out library books, DVDs, audiobooks, eReaders, tech devices, and more from 44 library systems across 12 counties in Northeast Ohio.

Your library card will also give you access to valuable resources from home like eBooks, digital magazines, and online resources like Consumer Reports, online courses, research databases, and more.

Also, library cards are required for in-library computer use and for all transactions.

Library card applications are available at the circulation desk or may be printed from online and brought to the library by the applicant.

For more information, please visit our library card information website here. We hope to see you soon! 

Fall Storytimes: Live, Interactive, and for All Ages!

Our live, interactive Fall storytime session begins next week on Zoom! We have recently updated the schedule, in order to best accommodate everyone. Instead of age-specific storytimes, we will have a family storytime each day at 10:30 a.m. entitled “Storytime for Everyone!” Though geared toward children ages 2-5, all ages are welcome.

Here are the details …

This storytime session is for everyone! Have a curious preschooler? Children all different ages? Our Fall storytime session is for all of them! Bring the whole family for stories, songs, and a bunch of fun.

The Fall session runs for 12 weeks, from September 14 – December 3. All of our Fall storytimes will be held virtually via Zoom.

Registration is required. Please register for only one weekly storytime per child.

For more information, go to our events page here and select “storytime” in the drop-down menu.

Lego Challenge Winners!

This year, we received over 50 entries for our virtual Lego Challenge! There were two main categories, and entries were evaluated virtually by a panel of a dozen judges made up of library staff members from every department in the building.

Thank you to all of the children who participated this year, submitting photos of their creations, and then visiting the library to see all of the photo entries in the windows. We appreciate you and are proud of your creativity!

Here are the winners! Congratulations to all! …

Ages 4-6, Imagine Your Story:

First Place: “Quest for Ice Cream” by Michael R. …

Runner-Up: “Our Family’s COVID-19 Story” by Soren & Kevin N. …

Ages 7-8, Imagine Your Story:

First Place (tie): “Aiming High” and “Castle”, both by Noah S. …

Runner-Up (tie): “Lunchtime” by Zeppe R. and “Lego Zoo” by Cole P. …

Ages 9-12, Imagine Your Story:

First Place: “Battle for the Crystals of Thrashian” by Marcelo G. …

Runner-Up: “Lego Town” by Annelise C. …

Minifigure Adventures! (all ages):

First Place: “Keeping It Clean During COVID-19” by Marcelo G. …

Runner-Up (tie): “Need More Bandages” by Noah S. and “Puzzle Time!” by Owen M. …

Judge’s Honorable Mentions:

“Disaster at Sea” by Ketan B. …

“Keep Your Head Up” by Zeppe R. …

“Minecraft Lego World” by A.J. H. …

“I Love Lego” by Liam W. …

Great job, everyone! We hope to see you in our new (virtual) monthly Lego Club this Fall and also at next summer’s Lego Challenge. Keep building and creating!

Note: For books about building with Legos, take a look at our online library catalog here.