Everybody loves the beauty of fall leaves. Happily, there are many wonderful books written on this subject for preschoolers. One of my favorites is Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson. The story tells of Mouse and his sister Minka’s journey outside on a cool fall day. They discover leaves of all colors and all shapes and sizes. Mouse learns about all the different experiences the fall season can bring.
After listening to the book, my class is always excited to make their own fall trees. Each child is provided with a tree trunk that has been glued onto a piece of paper and a variety of colored popcorn. The popcorn is colored beforehand with powder tempera paint. The easiest method is to put the paint in a baggie, add the popcorn, and then shake it up until it’s coated. I only had orange, red, and yellow, but purple, green, and brown also make beautiful trees. I then prompt the children to glue their “leaves” onto the tree. This activity encourages creative expression, provides color recognition practice, and strengthens fine motor skills.
MATERIALS USED:
– Construction paper
– Popcorn
– Ziploc Storage Bags Gallon, 75 Count
– Powder tempera paint ( I only had orange, red and yellow, but purple, green, and brown also make beautiful trees).
– Glue
– Scissors
– Our free tree template
Collages are an open-ended activity where children can be creative with just about anything. These Halloween pumpkin collages are made from materials other than paper. I provided small scraps of fabric, felt, ribbon, and other goodies. Use your imagination and look through your art supplies for a variety of things that can be glued.
It is best when children are able to use the items they select to decorate their pumpkins as they see fit. Some young learners will cover their entire pieces; other will not. Some may use only one color, while others may enjoy using and mixing all of the elements.
Every fall I like to do a theme on scarecrows. There are so many great books, songs, poems and art projects that can be utilized. My students especially enjoy making paper plate scarecrows and shape crows. They glue them onto jumbo craft sticks, and they’ve got the perfect hand props for our Sammy the Scarecrow circle time activity!
The children hold their props while I recite the action poem and demonstrate the appropriate motions. After reciting the poem a few times the children enthusiastically join in. If the children wish, they can take turns being scarecrows and crows.
SAMMY THE SCARECROW
Sammy the Scarecrow is my name
On the farm I’ve gained some fame
Standing high on a stick (raise scarecrows)
Scaring crows is my trick
When they fly and caw (move crows about)
I wave my arms of straw
Then I loudly shout
Hey you crows, GET OUT (children who are crows leave the circle)
I often repeat this activity throughout the fall months. It’s always a hit and it helps to strengthen listening, memory, and recall skills. It also develops phonemic awareness.
We're Gigi and Zoey. We teach a two-year program (preschool and pre-k), and we're passionate about Early Childhood Education and the philosophy that children learn through play. Our goal is to prepare children for kindergarten while making learning fun.
We hope that our resources inspire you, and that you will share them with your little ones.
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