Lawrence Kids, Fall 2025

Lawrence Kids

Open 7am - 2pm

Season’s Readings

by Dan Coleman from the Lawrence Public Library

We Want Leaves! A Fall Chant Written by Jamie A. Swenson and illustrated by Emilie Boon

This high-energy homage to the season’s greatest hits has it all: falling leaves, caramel apples, hayrides and much more.

Have You Seen My Acorn? Written by DK Ryland

Leaves aren’t the only thing falling from trees during the season. In this laugh-out-loud story, a clueless squirrel searches for the acorn he buried as a series of forest friends try to tell him it has sprouted into a sapling.

Year Round Written by Audrey Helen Weber

It’s been a long time since I saw an entirely new take on a picture book about the seasons. This one assigns a different response to each. Winter asks questions, spring evokes feelings, summer makes wishes and fall brings thoughts. Do we really think more in the fall? Something to ponder this year as the days grow shorter.

A Field Guide to Autumn Written by Gabby Dawnay and illustrated by Dorien Brouwers

How about a new take on field guides? This is first I’ve seen dedicated to a specific season. Includes many fall activities to go along with what’s occurring outside, such as painting with berries, tracking animals and recording changes in nature.

Say It! Written by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Charlotte Voake

“It was a golden, windy autumn day,” begins this classic, first published in 1980 and reissued with new illustrations in 2015. A daughter exhorts her mom to “Say it!” as they walk together in the fall. The mom, knowing what her daughter wants to hear, gently teases her by praising the day instead. “I love you!” the mom finally says. “That’s what I’ve been saying all the time.”

Farmer Annie Written by Monica Wellington

A fun trip to the apple orchard follows a farmer at harvest time. Kids see the process of apple picking and marketing, and the creation of several tasty treats made from apples— applesauce, pie and cider. Includes recipes to try with your own little apple pickers.

Why Do Leaves Change Color? Written by Betsy Maestro and illustrated by Loretta Krupinkski

I must have looked up the answer to this question a dozen times when my kids were little. As with many questions they ask, there’s no better resource than books like this, from the classic Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out non-fiction picture book series.

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Mischief of Mice Written by Christie Matheson

A fall woodland mystery in verse that leans on collective nouns (“a gaggle of geese,” and so on). Who knew a group of ravens was called an “unkindness?” I guess that’s not as bad as a “murder of crows.” But why do a bunch of blue jays get to be a “party?” A cozy illustrated autumn tale.

The Pumpkin Seed’s Secret Written by Hannah Barnaby and illustrated by Cédric Abt

No fall list is complete without a pumpkin book. This one explores all the many things a pumpkin can be, including, but definitely not limited to, a jack-o-lantern.

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Spaces Written by Katherine Arden

Here’s something for older kids, a middle grade horror novel described by one reviewer as “chillingly tender.” Turns out the autumnal farm Olivia Adler’s class visits on a field trip is haunted by a supernatural villain known as The Smiling Man! She must lead her class through a corn maze that is really a portal to his netherworld. Think Pendleton’s meets Mary Downing Hahn. Not much gore, but plenty of chills.

The Krzanowsky’s

Seasonal Essentials

Andy and Dyana Krzanowsky, with daughters Lydia (11) and Nora (9), are almost always on the move. From chasing butterflies to soccer Saturdays, the crew makes the most of the season.... and they celebrate with smiles and s’mores.

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Schaakes Pumpkin Patch - Tradition says we take an afternoon to pick out our favorite pumpkins and take pictures with the “how tall are we this fall” sign.

Jumping in Giant Leaf Piles Our neighborhood has the biggest, most beautiful trees. We like to make giant leaf piles and find different ways to jump in them. Sometimes it’s from the swings, other times from the ladder. The slow motion videos we take are the best!

Playing at Clinton Lake & Marina - Much of summer is spent on our boat but the heat usually sticks around long enough for cool dips and afternoon cruises throughout the fall. We love all great food and drinks at the Marina too... often with live music!

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Movie Nights on Our Screened-In Porch - No better way to spend cool evenings and earlier sunsets than with cozy blankets and a movie on our back porch (don’t forget the popcorn and cocoa!).

Jayhawk Football at The Booth - We’re townies raising kids to be Jayhawks and the girls have been going to games since they were born. We can’t go all fall without catching a game. Soccer Saturdays make it difficult these days, but we always make it happen!

Monarch Tagging at Baker Wetlands - Every year we try to tag some monarchs and are often unsuccessful. It’s always fun to walk the boardwalk on a cool, crisp fall morning and search for butterflies.

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Apple Picking at Gieringers Family Farm - We love our apples, especially when freshly picked! Plus, Gieringers has the best free play area with tons of things to do. If you can go when the zinnias are blooming, that’s a bonus!

8 Saturdays at Trivedi Wine - At least one Saturday in the fall you can find us enjoying a glass of wine with friends, listening to a band and letting the kids run around. Most of the time we don’t even have to cook because a local food truck makes a great dinner.

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Fire Pits and S’mores with Friends - We renovated our house in the Western Hills neighborhood five years ago because we had a vision of kids and families enjoying our backyard with us. The vision came true and it’s truly what fall nights are made for.

10 Soccer Fields at YSC and Walking Trails - Like it or not, we’re a soccer family. We’re at YSC three days a week for practices and games. Sometimes during practice we love to walk the bypass trail up to Sanders Mound. Seeing the changing leaves and Clinton Lake in the background can’t be beat.

BRACES LIFESTYLE to fit your

A New Way to Plan for Tomorrow

The Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), has launched Today’s Occupations, Tomorrow’s Opportunities (T.O.T.O.), a free, innovative career exploration platform designed to help guide students in Kansas along their educational and professional paths.

“The launch of T.O.T.O. represents a significant step forward in empowering the next generation in the state of Kansas,” said Secretary of Labor Amber Shultz. “Through the program, we can better equip students with career exploration tools that will help them make informed decisions about their educational and professional futures. We are excited about this program and think Kansas schools and students will love it. Best of all: the program is offered at no cost to participating schools.”

T.O.T.O. offers self-service tools to help individuals explore their interests and develop their educational and career paths in Kansas. School facilitators will gain access to specially curated worksheets and guides that offer direction on educational paths for potential career development and job-searching strategies. Students will complete and develop an individualized program based on their specific academic,

The Kansas Department of Labor introduces a free career planning site for students.

professional and personal interests.

“The power of the program is the individualized attention each student can use to explore possible future paths,” Secretary Shultz said. “If a student wants to be an engineer or an electrician, T.O.T.O. can help guide them and answer questions about required training and prepare them for potential economic outcomes.”

T.O.T.O. starts by identifying the skills students already have, then works to uncover new interests and opportunities they have not considered. With the help of Data Dog, the site guides students through choosing a career path that aligns with their personal values, goals and lifestyle aspirations.

Additional key features include:

•Wizard of Jobs – Reality Check helps users estimate the salary needed for their desired lifestyle, bridging the gap between financial planning and career decision-making.

•Curated Resources – Support for Students and Facilitators provides students and facilitators with user-friendly materials to guide students through meaningful career exploration and planning.

•Partnering Schools and Institutions – Student Management enables student service and tracking tools for partnering schools and institutions with options for customization and detailed reporting.

Students, parents or teachers interested in learning more about the T.O.T.O. program should visit the KDOL website (www.dol.ks.gov) or contact their school administrators. LK

The BoyCan Play

Finn Moore spends his summers on baseball fields across the map with the best players in the country.

photos by Harsh Patel

Lawrence Free State junior Finn Moore is answering questions on the phone from an Airbnb. Like most baseball players, Finn has an hour to kill before practice to prepare for the first-round games of the weekend tournament with his team. The difference? Finn isn’t in Kansas City or Wichita. He’s in Atlanta, GA, and his team is Canes National, an elite squad comprised of some of the best high school baseball players in the country.

“It’s pretty cool,” Moore says nonchalantly. “I love the challenge of competing at this level and playing with so many great ball players.”

For as long as he can remember, Finn Moore has loved sports. It’s not surprising. As the son of a former professional football player and the youngest of three athletic sons, Finn has been playing since he could walk.

“I’ve always played sports,” Moore explained. “Competition is a big part of our family and my brothers and I have always competed with and against each other. I think since I was always playing with older kids I learned to go a little harder to keep up.”

Allison Moore, who has lived through the chaos of raising three sons, said Finn’s abilities have been honed by always fighting above his weight class, so to speak.

“From day one he’s been competing,” Finn’s mom Alison says with a laugh. “In our house he didn’t really have a choice. His older brothers and their friends were always playing and Finn wasn’t about to be left out. Lucky for him he’s held his own.”

Finn is a natural athlete (he’s the starting quarterback for the Free State football team), but his baseball ability was clear from a young age. Last year as a sophomore, Finn he hit .343 with 25 RBIs and anchored a defense that played a critical role on Free State’s 6A state championship team.

“Finn is a talented, hard-working individual, who puts his team first,” says Mike Hill, head baseball coach at Free State. “Those characteristics, which were also embodied by his teammates, were why we won the state championship.”

“He’s always played up,” Finn’s dad, Jim Moore, says. “From his first seasons of tee ball or coach pitch, Finn’s always been on a team with kids a year or two older. I think that’s helped him embrace the challenge to work hard to compete at the highest level he can.”

After a few summers playing on regional elite teams, a representative from the Canes program contacted the family to gauge their interest in joining the national team.

The Canes is an organization designed to develop high school players and have them seen by as many college coaches and professional scouts as possible. For Finn, being selected meant stepping into an environment where each weekend’s tournament brought together elite talent from across the country.

“I was pretty excited to be invited to join the team,” Finn says. “I’d known about the organization for a couple of years and knew some of the guys involved. It’s humbling to be invited to play at the level. I knew I was going to have to work harder to get on the field because the team is stacked. These guys are the best of the best, so the

challenge to contribute is an honor.”

The opportunity means a lot of long weekends traveling across the country for baseball; Mom and Dad often taking turns cheering on Finn. The travel and expenses are a challenge, but the Moores think it’s worth the effort.

“Finn has gotten to know so many kids from different social and economic backgrounds through this experience,” Jim Moore says. “He’s able to learn about different people and their experiences from other parts of the country. Of course, the baseball level is tremendous and he’s improving as a player, but this has helped Finn grow into a more well-rounded, grounded person.”

The unique opportunity to play at a national level is not lost on Finn. He understands the work he’s put in has positioned him to succeed, but credits others.

“I don’t take this for granted,” Finn says. “I know how lucky I am to play on this team. I’m grateful to my parents and my teammates for helping me get to this point. My goal is to keep improving, play well and help my team.”

Girls Fall The of

For the first time in its long history, Lawrence Youth Football began offering girls flag football. The inaugural season has been a runaway success.

Lawrence Youth Football (LYF) was established in 1963 by a group of local dads and players that wanted to build an organization for youth with an emphasis on fundamentals and quality of the game. For 61 years boys in Lawrence enjoyed days on the gridiron. This year, things changed. For the first time, the girls of Lawrence and surrounding schools stepped onto the field under the banner of the newly created girls middle school flag football division of LYF.

“It was a no-brainer,” Danielle Krehbiel explains. “As soon as I saw the announcement I signed up to coach a team for my daughters. They started asking their friends if they were interested and everyone they asked was excited to play.”

The league hosts teams with girls from sixth through eighth grade and play competitive seven-on-seven games weekly. The combination of classes was convenient for Krehbiel. She was able to coach both daughters, Audrey (11) and Abbey (13), on the same team, the Blitz Babes.

“Having both girls on the same team has been so much fun,” Krehbiel says.”It’s great to have a range in ages. Sometimes having kids at different ages and schools can be a challenge, but these girls have embraced it and many of the older girls have grown into leaders.”

Krehbiel’s Blitz Babes, along with the Flying Squirrels and the Pink Panthers are some of seven teams in the inaugural year of the league.

“Women’s flag football is a collegiate and Olympic sport that is growing exponentially,” says Clint Bradley, director of flag operations for LYF. “We wanted to provide something that girls could call their own. That, coupled the national and regional trend towards high school women’s flag, gave LYF the opportunity start a new middle school division that will act as a springboard to our local high schools and do it in a sound, quality way.”

Silas Dulan has some experience with football. He played in college and has coached his sons’ teams for years. He jumped at the chance to coach Quincey, his 11 year-old daughter.

“I mentioned the idea to her and she was immediately excited,” Dulan says. “She’s been to enough of her brothers’ practices and games, and watched enough football games at home, that I think she wanted her own chance to play.”

Dulan’s team, Lady Tribe, is comprised of girls from three grades and multiple schools. Though he knew the girls would pick up the game, he didn’t have them jump into the deep end too quickly.

“The first couple of weeks we didn’t even use a football,”

Dulan explains. “I wanted the team to be comfortable with each other and to stay loose and have fun learning the game. It didn’t take long before we started implementing plays and talking about defensive strategies. These girls are invested in being great teammates and want to win.”

The Blitz Babes had a similar beginning.

“The first half of the first practice we sat on the grass and talked about football,” Krehbiel says with a laugh. “Do you know what a first down is? What does the quarterback do? How many points do you get for a touchdown? We started slowly but the girls really took ownership of learning the game.”

After a couple of weeks, girls on the team were drawing up ideas for plays and asking Krehbiel if they could try them.

Quincey Dulan loves the team aspect of football. As a competitive cheerleader, she’s used to working with others to accomplish a goal.

“I like the practices,” she says. “We work hard to get better and we really like the games, but my dad makes sure the practices are fun, most of the time. Flag football is just so much fun to play. I don’t know why my brothers like to play tackle.”

Bradley said the first year of the season has been a tremendous success.

“We consider it a great success as a result of the fantastic ladies, coaches and fans that have come into our program this year,” he says. “LYF is ready to take the league as far as it wants to go. We anticipate expanding next year and eventually having a division in each grade level.” LK

The Long Learning Journey of

Students in the eighth grade class at Prairie Moon Waldorf School have been together since first grade. To celebrate, they’re headed to Italy.

When the eighth graders in Anna Talleur’s class at Prairie Moon Waldorf School enter the classroom each morning, one thing is familiar: their classmates.

At the quaint campus northeast of Lawrence, a single class of students is approaching the end of an eight-year voyage—and the journey has been anything but ordinary. From first grade to eighth, these young people have been guided by the same teacher, Anna Talleur, weaving academic, artistic and practical threads into a single tapestry of growth, community and readiness for the wider world.

“This journey is incredibly special,” Anna Talleur says. “The experience of teaching these students from first grade until now is a memorable trip, for sure.”

When Ms. Talleur welcomed the first graders back in the fall of eight years ago, she entered a looped grade within the Waldorf tradition. In Waldorf education, continuity matters: children benefit when a class remains together under the same main teacher across multiple years.

“The benefits of that cohesion help establish a comfortability with each other and with the group, which helps with confidence and creates a welcoming learning environment,” Talleur says.

Talleur has guided her students through languid mornings of story, movement, form drawing, poetry and handwork; afternoons of strings, Mandarin, woodworking and rich main lesson blocks. Her students are invited to experience mathematics, weave a sweater, string a violin, dig into the physics of energy and reflect on their place in the cycle of seasons and community.

“For the students, it means deep familiarity, trust, rhythms of learning that accumulate rather than reset and the knowledge that their teacher knows them intimately—not just as individuals, but as a class unit whose identity has matured together,” Talleur says. “I get to witness growth from early childhood excitement through young adulthood.”

A few years ago, when Alison Gruber and her family were looking to relocate from California, they were determined to find a community with a Waldorf school. Her husband had attended the University of Kansas and the idea of experiencing all four seasons was appealing, so when they discovered Prairie Moon, the decision was made. After a visit, they enrolled their son Frasier.

“We were moving from a Waldorf school in Napa, so we knew Frasier would be joining a class that had been together for years,” Gruber says. “I think the idea of joining an established class was more intimidating for my husband and I than it was for Frasier. But the class embraced and welcomed Frasier, like they have with all new kids since.”

Gruber said the Waldorf focus on teaching children how to learn and establish strategies for learning are what drew them to the school.

“We really celebrate the lack of dependency on screens at school,” Gruber says. “Not using screens during the school day helps the kids focus on the ideas they are learning and connect more with their classmates. That goes a long way in building the community within the class.”

To cap their time at Prairie Moon, the class is planning a culminating trip to Italy. The voyage will blend the rhythms of Waldorf’s integrated curriculum with real-world exploration. The students will travel to historic sites, create sketches, write in journals, experience group reflection and go on walking tours. They will trace the roots of art and civilization that they have studied, taste regional cuisine, practice some language, feel the seasons of European spring and bond as a class poised for their transition out of Prairie Moon. To enhance their accountability and autonomy, the students will stay in a hostel and parent chaperones will stay in a nearby town.

“We have a sister school that we’ve been corresponding with so we have friends we’re excited to meet,” Talleur says. “This trip is a culmination of more than two years of planning.”

This trip is not merely a reward or tourist experience. The experience is woven into the philosophy of Waldorf education, where intellect and the world are not separate.

For Talleur, who taught Italian at the University of Kansas for years, the trip is more than the culmination of eight years with the students. Exploring the new country is a fitting beginning the next experience for the students.

“These students have grown so much,” Talleur says. “Their personal journeys have been enriched with a global outlook. This trip forms a perfect bridge into the next adventure for them as a class and as individuals.” LK