Slowly, the days are beginning to cool off. And with that comes a new set of fun activities you can complete in the classroom. As you search for autumn activities for preschoolers, think about ways to move the classroom outside to engage children and enjoy these nice days.
And if you want to start planning your spooktacular Halloween celebration, don’t miss this list of safe Halloween activities for preschoolers.
10 Preschool Autumn Activities
From the sounds of crunching leaves to the spectacular colors you’ll start seeing on the trees, and autumn is a fun time for preschool classrooms. Here are several activities to teach children about fall and celebrate the season.
- Collect Leaves
Take a nature walk and collect different leaves you see along the way. Have children explain what they see when they look at the leaves. Perhaps it is their color, shape, size, or style. Invite children to group them based on the leaf’s characteristics.
Practice counting by inviting children to share how many leaves are in each group. Encourage children to start explaining their world by having them talk about what they saw on the nature walk and how leaves are the same or different.
Come back and invite children to draw leaves based on what they saw. You can have samples in the classroom or have children go off memory to see their creativity.
- Study Leaves Closely
If you want children to observe details closely, get magnifying glasses and study the leaves. Talk about how the veins and stems supply vital nutrients to the leaves.
Use different art materials to recreate trees and leaves. Then bring in other objects, such as pinecones, to talk about the many things that grow on trees.
- Create Leaf Rubbings
Place a leaf under a thin piece of paper. Make sure the leaf is vein side up. Then use a crayon to color the paper and watch the imprint of the leaf appear. The veins and ridges will be apparent on your paper because the surface is uneven.
- Paint Using Leaves
Leaves are great for art projects. Invite children to dip the leaf in paint and then place it on the paper. It will create a neat design that is unique to that leaf. Use different types of leaves to build an art project.
- Pumpkin Playdough
Once you’ve had tons of fun with leaves, you can shift your focus to another fall favorite: pumpkins. Pumpkin playdough is easy to make, and you can do it in the microwave. Follow this recipe for aromatic fall playdough that will speak to the season.
- Visit an Apple Orchard
Get children outside on a field trip by visiting an apple orchard. This shows children where their food comes from and helps them appreciate farmers’ work. They’ll enjoy learning about healthy snacks and exploring what makes autumn great outside the classroom.
- Make a Pumpkin Sensory Bag
When making Jack-o-lanterns, you have to scoop out everything inside the pumpkin. But you don’t have to waste all that goop. You can create a sensory bag for your younger classrooms. Just place the pumpkin contents in a plastic bag and seal it tightly. Then let little ones explore. Babies and young toddlers will enjoy exploring the pumpkin guts and seeds.
- Build Structures Using Pumpkin Fruit Snacks
Give children pumpkin-shaped fruit snacks and toothpicks and watch what they create. This activity works best with older children, and you’ll want to be sure children are old enough not to choke on the candy pumpkins. Let creativity flow as you build 3D structures with candy pumpkins.
- Spell Out Children’s Names Using Pumpkin Seeds
Allow pumpkin seeds to dry out. Then you can dye them if you want them to be more fun and exciting. Then write a child’s name on a piece of paper, nice and large. Allow children to squirt glue along the outline of their names. Then place pumpkin seeds along the lines of glue.
This is great for children who aren’t yet proficient at writing their names using a pen or marker.
- Bob for Apples
Practice fine motor skills by placing apples in a bowl of water. Then give the children tongs and invite them to bob for apples. Just clean them thoroughly and have children clean their hands before touching the tongs. You can do this activity before snack time and allow the apples to serve as the child’s snack.
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