The changing seasons are so much a part of many children's lives. Especially for those who live in the northern states! It makes a fall theme so meaningful to children as they watch, discover, and learn about fall right out their own windows. Why not take a whole month and explore Autumn closer! There are so many sub themes to branch out into from this theme! Be sure to check them out too... Apples, Trees & Leaves, Fruits & Veggies, etc.

Language & Literacy

Books

Songs, Poems, & Fingerplays:

Rake the Leaves

(Act out as you say it)

I like to rake the leaves

Into a great big hump

Take two steps back

Bend my knees and JUMP!

Autumn Leaves

Autumn leaves are 

falling down, falling down

Autumn leaves are 

falling down, all through the town.

Rake them up into a pile

into a pile, into a pile

Rake them up into a pile

Before they blow around.

Literacy : Leave off the words "town", "around" etc. see iff the children can come up with a rhyming word to end each line.

Five Little Leaves

Five little leaves so bright and gay,

Were dancing about on a tree one day

The wind came blowing through the town

(cup hands at mouth and make a big sing song whoosh sound)

Wooosh! (have the kids say it with you)

One little leaf came tumbling down (remove one leaf from the tree)

Four little leaves so bright and gay.... (repeat poem)

One little leaf so bright and gay

Was dancing around on the tree one day,

That one little leaf came tumbling down,

All goooooone! (Shrug shoulders)

Literacy :Five Little Leaves Felt Board Activity-  Cut five leaf shapes and a tree trunk shape from felt.  Invite the children to come up and remove a leaf after each verse.

Activities

Leaf Sorting- Find or make leaves of different colors and different size and types.  Laminate them if possible for durability.  Ask the children to sort them by color, size, kind, etc.  What other ways can they be sorted? 

Fall Colors- During a Group Time invite the kids over by saying: Anyone who is wearing red come over... green... etc.  Tell the kids this week we are going to be talking all about Fall and the beautiful colors of Fall.  Hold up different fall objects and have the kids name the colors: for example-

Red- apple
Orange- pumpkin
Yellow- corn
Green- squash
Blue- jeans
Purple- long sleeve shirt
Brown- leaf
Black- witch hat

Color Concept Game: (Children listen and follow directions)

Who ever is wearing red, put your hand on your head.
If you have on blue, bend down and touch your shoe.
If it's green that you wear, shake your head and your hair.
If orange is on your clothes, then you have to touch your nose.
Who ever has hair of brown, then lay down on the ground.
Is that purple on your on your pants, stand up and do a dance.
Have hair of yellow, hug another fellow.
If you are wearing black, then try to scratch your back!

Seasons Discrimination- During group time explain to the kids that Fall is also called Autumn.  Go though some Four Season Cards, ask the kids to contribute some ideas about what happens during each season.  Discuss some of the common Holidays and not so common holidays that are celebrated in the fall.

Four Seasons Cards - Cards for you to use! Print a copy - They are in PDF format, so you will need Adobe Reader  to see them.

Math & Number Concepts

Pumpkin Buckets: Set out small buckets with numbers and number words written on them. Provide pumpkin or other fall themed counter for the children to place the correct number of items in each bucket. Small wooden crates would work good for this too!

Art

Fall "Finds" Bracelet
Supplies: Wide masking tape, nature items
Directions: Wrap a piece of tape around child's wrist with the sticky side out, for a bracelet they can stick things to.  Go on a Fall discovery walk, talk about all the nature/fall items you see.  Let the kids pick things up and stick them on their bracelet!

Leaf Rubbings-  Provide children with large flat dried leaves, white paper and several large peeled crayons in different fall colors.  Demonstrate to them how to place the leaf under the paper and rub the crayon lengthwise over the top of the paper to make a leaf print.

Tissue Trees-  Provide each student with a bare tree picture and tissue paper scraps of different fall colors.  Demonstrate to them how they may glue tissue paper scraps onto the tree branches.  Different techniques them might want to try, crumple the paper into balls and glue down, stick it on the end of a pencil and glue down, or just leave in scrap pieces and glue down.

Easel Trees- At the art easel hang pictures of a tree trunk.  Fill paint trays with red, orange, yellow, and green paints.  In a spring type clothes pin pinch a small piece of a kitchen sponge.  Demonstrate to the children how they can dip the sponge in paint and sponge it on their tree branches to make a fall tree. Encourage them to use all the colors.  Don't be surprised if they rub the sponge on the paper or if all their leaves are on the ground!  That is just fine, remember it's the process not the product! 

Nature Collages- Go on a nature hike and have the children collect leaves, acorns, and other nature items.  Bring them back to the class room to use to make collages.  Provide them with large sheets of construction paper to glue their nature items on.

Pudding Paint Leaves- Cut large leaf shapes from finger paint paper.  Mix up some chocolate and butterscotch pudding.  Let the children use the pudding to paint on the leaves. 

Sponge Painted Leaves- Hang precut leaf shapes cut from a light brown construction paper on the easel. Provide fall colored tempera paints and small sponges cut from kitchen sponges for painting tools. We use clothes pins to pinch the small sponges to make them easier to paint with.

Coffee Filter Leaves-    Cut many leaf shapes from coffee filters.  Fill small clear cups with fall colored tempera paint that has been thinned a bit.  Let the children use eye droppers to pipe the colored water out and squirt it onto their leaf shapes.  Create a classroom tree by sticking a large branch in a sand filled bucket. Hang the leaves on the tree when they are dry.

Leaf Wreaths
Supplies: Leaf shapes printed on different colored construction paper (or use real leaves), paper plates, scissors, glue.
Directions: Let the older kids cut out the leaves from the construction paper (they don't have to be perfect at all)  then cut the center out from a paper plate and let kids glue leaves all around edge to make a pretty fall wreath.  (opt. add a raffia bow)

Dramatic Play

Farm Fun- Provide Farmer overalls, flannels, and hats for the children to dress up in and plastic rakes and a wheel barrel.

Music & Movement

Leaf Pile Up- Take the children outdoors to rake leaves!  Jump in the piles!

Leaf Parachute Toss-  Take out a parachute, let the children pile leaves on it and toss them into the air!  It is sure to bring lots of smiles! 

Leaf Dances-  Choose a music selection that is light and reminds you of leaves dancing in the wind.  Ask the children to join you in dancing like leaves to the music.  Show them how to move gracefully, twirling and blowing around until you all fall down on the ground.

Science & Discovery

Place a collection of leaves in the science center along with fall produce, acorns, pinecones and any other items often associated with fall, provide the children with magnifying glasses, small rulers, and paper and crayons for leaf rubbings. Offer "Leaf Observation Books" for the kids to write their leaf observations in. The could even make the rubbings in the book. Be sure to provide picture labels  so the children can copy the names of leaves in their books if they choose.

Hang a poster of the parts of the leaves and trees, as well as fruits & vegetable posters.

Blocks & Building

Add a barn and other farm related equipment, as farming is often a prominent activity in the fall.

Puzzles, Games & Manipulatives

Computers

Cooking

Pumpkin Bars

Apple Pie

Smore's

Fresh Fruits & Veggies

Bulletin Boards

Other Resources