Harvest Festival books for kids: what it is and how to celebrate
When is Harvest Festival? around Sunday 26 September 2027. Dates marked “around” depend on the moon and local calendars. There is no fixed date: churches and schools in the UK usually hold harvest in late September or October, near the harvest moon.
A festival pack with what harvest is, a colouring page, a vegetable-printing craft, questions to talk about, a family checklist and a memories page, plus a printable sheet for 9 books: Handa's Surprise, Oliver's Vegetables, The Gigantic Turnip, Pumpkin Soup, We Planted a Pumpkin, The Tiny Seed, Pattan's Pumpkin, A Seed Is Sleepy, Handa's Hen. One PDF, instant download.
Harvest Festival is a thanksgiving for the food grown and gathered at the end of summer. In the UK it is a Christian tradition in churches and many schools, with songs, decorated tables of fruit, vegetables and bread, and collections of food for people who need it.
Who celebrates Harvest Festival, and books for each
Christian
Churches hold a harvest service with hymns such as 'We plough the fields', decorate with produce and bread shaped like wheat sheaves, and give the food collected to food banks.
📖 Free guideHanda's Surprise
Eileen Browne
a basket of fruit and a lovely twist, perfect for talking about where food comes from
Questions, activities and a printable sheet →
📖 Free guideOliver's Vegetables
Vivian French
a fussy eater discovers vegetables in Grandpa's garden
Questions, activities and a printable sheet →
📖 Free guideThe Gigantic Turnip
Aleksei Tolstoy
the classic story of everyone pulling together
Questions, activities and a printable sheet →
School and community
Schools often hold a harvest assembly and food collection, and talk about growing food, seasons and sharing.
📖 Free guidePumpkin Soup
Helen Cooper
three friends, one pumpkin soup and learning to share
Questions, activities and a printable sheet →
📖 Free guideWe Planted a Pumpkin
Rob Ramsden
from seed to pumpkin through the seasons
Questions, activities and a printable sheet →
📖 Free guideThe Tiny Seed
Eric Carle
a seed's journey through the year
Questions, activities and a printable sheet →
📖 Free guidePattan's Pumpkin
Chitra Soundar
an Indian flood tale of a giant pumpkin
Questions, activities and a printable sheet →
Questions to ask while you read
Use these with any of the Harvest Festival books on this page. Pick two or three, and there are no wrong answers.
- What is the family in the story getting ready for?
- Which part of Harvest Festival would you most like to try, and why?
- How do the people in the story show they care about each other?
- Is anything in the story like something your family does?
- What would you like to ask a friend who celebrates Harvest Festival?
Ways to celebrate Harvest Festival with children
- Pick one tin or packet together for the food bank, and talk about why.
- Make soup or bread from scratch and let your child do the stirring.
- Draw a 'harvest table' of everything you ate today.
- Plant a quick-growing seed (cress or beans) and watch it each day.
Harvest Festival picture books at a glance
All the Harvest Festival books on this page: Handa's Surprise (Eileen Browne), Oliver's Vegetables (Vivian French), The Gigantic Turnip (Aleksei Tolstoy), Pumpkin Soup (Helen Cooper), We Planted a Pumpkin (Rob Ramsden), The Tiny Seed (Eric Carle), Pattan's Pumpkin (Chitra Soundar).
Questions parents ask about Harvest Festival
Is Harvest Festival religious?
It began as a Christian thanksgiving and is still held in churches, but many schools and families mark it simply as a time to be thankful for food and to share with others.
What can young children bring to a harvest collection?
Food banks usually ask for long-life foods: tins, pasta, rice, cereal and UHT milk. Let your child choose one item and carry it in.
Related festivals: Thanksgiving · Sukkot · Mid-Autumn Festival
All festivals, by month and by faith →
Traditions vary between families, places and communities; ask your child's friends and their families how they celebrate. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.