I hope you enjoy this post about Fun Fall ideas for preschoolers! These ideas are great for home and/or school. Many ideas here I created myself, and some I found on sites I follow...and was so inspired I had to try them at my preschool this year. If they are on this page (and I didn't create them) it means I tried them out and can vouch for how AWESOME they are. And, if I didn't create the activity, I have linked to the original page-and you should totally check it out so you can try it too :) I hope you find something to celebrate the Fall season with the preschoolers in your life!
FALL themed Group Activities
These activities work well in a larger group if you have one!
1. Read Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
This is my all-time favorite Fall book for preschoolers. I wrote an entire post about a fun activity I do each year at my preschool to go with the book. You can check that out HERE!
2. Make Leaf Creatures with Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
My class took a walk around the block and collected a TON of Fall leaves in all colors and shapes. We said we "were going on a Leaf Hunt!" When we got back to school we dumped them out on our table, got some glue, and set to work making our own leaf critters...like we saw in Leaf Man!
3. Have an Apple Tasting Party
Most kids love apples! We cut some up and baked them into muffins-YUM! We tasted nine different varieties and read the book Apples! It is fun to cut an apple in half crosswise to see the star pocket that holds the seeds too.
As added fun for parents I wrote down what the kids had to say about each kind of apple we sampled. I stuck this up on my parent desk for them to read at pick-up.
4. Practice Names/Word-Building with Apples!
I have made paper-plate apples for a few years now. It is easy and fun. But then I stumbled across an idea on pinterest to add "seeds" with the letters to spell the kids names! Wow-even more fun :) But, a little less easy with a group of ten kids.
I pre-made the seeds and a leaf with the child's name on it (so they could see their whole name when trying to spell it out with their seeds) and stuck them in paper liners.
I also decided to make some extra sets of seeds for my older kids who might want to have the entire alphabet for more complex word-building at home. These were pre-made and available to anyone who wanted it :)
Super cute! You can see there is half of another paper plate stapled on to form a little pocket for the seeds.
5. Negative Leaf Impressions from Tinkerlab!
My kids had a fantastic time with this fun activity from Tinkerlab. You can check out the source HERE!
**If you are like me, and on a budget, I would note that the spray bottles in the travel bins at target were 99 cents and sprayed a nice mist instead of a jet spray! Great deal!
**If you are like me, and on a budget, I would note that the spray bottles in the travel bins at target were 99 cents and sprayed a nice mist instead of a jet spray! Great deal!
FALL themed Invitations to Create/Play
These activities are set up for kids to explore on their own. They are simply "invitations" to create something, or encourage kids to "play".
6. Fall Tree Felt Boards
I had a lot of fun making this for the kids at my school! And they sure enjoyed creating beautiful Fall Trees. You can check out my whole process HERE, in a post I wrote earlier this week.
7. Invitation to Play: Train and Fall Objects
I gathered some Fall things from around our school! We had some Fall Trees, and a variety of objects (acorns, fall colored gems/pom balls, and buttons) in our bins. We also have a variety of train sets...with a few cars that can carry things. I put this out just to see what they might do with it. I added some dry beans for "dirt" inside the tub.
The kids created a variety of activities with the tub and objects-one of the many reasons I love simple invitations!
8. Invitation to Create: Fall Patterns
This invitation to create encourages pattern building, and counting/math building skills. But, like all "invitations" the kids could use it in a variety of ways. I put little bowls with Fall pom-balls, buttons, and fall-leaf gems.
The kids just LOVED this activity. I have a little boy who has spent most of this free-time building wonderful patterns!
9. Buggy and Buddy's "Art Using Fall Colors"
The tray on the left is my version of "Art Using Fall Colors" from Buggy and Buddy. What I loved was how simple it was to set up-I had all the supplies sitting in my craft closet. Free is nice! And the kids spent a lot of time making beautiful Fall pictures. You can see how to set it up HERE on Buggy and Buddy's Blog.
I can say loudly that this was a winning Invitation to Create! The kids at my school made painting after painting!
10. Twodaloo's Magnetic Fall Tree!
I got this activity from the blog Twodaloo and adapted it a little bit to fit my needs. You should totally check out her post for all the details on setting up this unique Invitation to Play HERE! I used some cookie trays that I already had (that I painted with chalkboard paint for another activity) so that we could have three mini versions in my school. I just put different sticks, and different tree "decorations" in tubs with the trays.
My kids made all sorts of beautiful trees, patterns, and Fall designs!
11. Fall Cookie Cutters with Dough
Michael Craft Store had a couple of great Fall cookie cutter sets and I stuck those in a bin with some of our homemade play-dough. The kids enjoyed it a lot as a choice time activity.
12. Fall Sensory Tray
The kids enjoyed making Fall patterns so much I set up another tray with tubs and pattern strips. I just love these little plastic acorns, leaves, and apples!
13. Apple Orchard Sensory Bin from I Heart Crafty Things
This was our version of an awesome sensory bin from I Heart Crafty Things. You can visit here blog HERE! I got the book and we read it and went through the activity as a group (all kids got to put up/take down an apple) but it was also out for Choice and Centers Time.
Do you have Fall activities you enjoy each year? Feel free to post ideas in the comment section!