Fall Themes

Here are a great number of ideas that I complied from different sources on the web. I thank those people, who have generously contributed to lists like Kinder Kaper, and KOS sharing list that I belong. You will recognize your additions.

Apples
Song: Worms In The Apple Tree

Look at all the worms in the apple tree,
Eating all the apples they do see,
CRUNCH, when they eat their lunch,
There will be no apples left for me.

Look at all the birdies, they do call,
Eating all the worms up, one and all,
SLURP, little birdies burp,
Guess there will be apples after all.


MATCHING GAME: Apple Bingo

SKILLS ENHANCED: Matching, Visual, Cooperative Play, Active Involvement.

MATERIALS TO MAKE GAME:
6 Poster board strips (approx. 6x11" each)
6 Red construction paper apples
6 Yellow construction paper apples
6 green construction paper apples
Black permanent marker
Glue
Lamination or contact paper

HOW TO MAKE:
Draw 18 different faces (ie: sleepy eyes with nose and smile; triangle eyes with nose and sad face) on the 18 construction paper apples. Glue the red apples at the top of each of the 6 poster boards; the yellow apples in the middle and the green apples at the bottom. (The apple poster boards will resemble a stoplight, sort of.) Contact or laminate each card.
Now cut out 18 more apples (6 of each color) and draw the same faces on these apples. Laminate/contact these apples. These apple cut-outs will be the lotto or bingo cards to match to the corresponding apple face on the lotto/bingo poster board pieces.
Have one player hold up a card (or the teacher) and the
child who has the matching face will put the card over his/her matching face. Play until all children have their cards filled up. It's a fun/everyone finishes game!!!

Pumpkins and Leaves
The reason we talk so much about pumpkins and leaves, is because that is what our children are observing this time of year. Take your children out and let them observe what happens in your area in the fall. In our classroom, we observe the changes that each season brings. We talk about the changes in the environment, the changes in the animals and the changes in the weather.
We do a lot of activities about this at the science table. We bring in things from outside for them to be able to observe closer. Since you get so many apples, a great science activity would be to let the child observe what's inside the apple and what happens to an apple when its exposed to air. Take 3 apple halves. On one put lemon juice, on another
one put water and on the 3rd one put nothing. Ask the children what they think will happen and then record the observations. You could also have an apple tasting contest and record the results of their favorite apple on a graph. As for the weather changes, we have a weather chart where the children move the arrow to point to the weather we are having. After they do that, then we have 2 children made out of flannel that they have to dress with flannel clothing for the weather. I hope some of these ideas help you.


Science/Nature
Take nature walk around your yard or area. Point out trees and how they are changing. Collect leaves for art if appropriate.

Art: Crayon rubbings
After reading one of any number of fall books I like to do leaf rubbings.

Fresh fall leaves, various shapes
thin paper
fall colored crayons, use flat side

After discussing the book, discuss the leaves: shapes, colors, similarities, differences.

Place leaves on table with the vein side up. Cover with the paper. Holding paper still use flat side of crayon to lightly rub over the leaf -- the shape "magically" appears! Use a different leaf or just change position of paper and crayon color for another image. Overlap the leaf shapes if you like -- it looks nice! One children get the hang of it they can all be successful, I use it with my 4 year old class.

Art: painted leaf prints
fresh fall leaves
various fall colors of tempra paint
construction paper

Have children paint their choice of color on the leaf. After the leaf is painted to the child's satisfaction move the leaf to a clean spot, painted side up. Have child put the construction paper on top of the painted leaf. Have the child rub their hands all over the paper, this transfers the paint to the paper. Let child paint and transfer the print as many times as they want on the paper.
My 4 year olds enjoy this, but children as young as 3 could also be successful.

Fall songs
Leaves are falling 'round the town
(Twinkle, twinkle little star)
Leaves are falling 'round the town
Watch them fall right on the ground.
Autumn's coming, it is true.
Then comes winter just for you.
Leaves are falling 'round the town
Falling, falling all around.

Leaves, leaves falling down
(Row, row, row your boat)
Leaves, leaves falling down,
Falling on the ground.
Red, Yellow, Orange and Brown,
Triangle, oval and round.

The leaves are falling down
(Farmer in the Dell)
the leaves are falling down, the leaves are falling down
School is here and fall is near, the leaves are falling down.

2nd verse - some are red and some are brown
3rd verse - they tickle your nose and touch your toes


Song
tune: Picked a Peanut
Pick a pumpkin, pick a pumpkin,

Pick a pumpkin just now
I just now picked a pumpkin
Picked a pumpkin just now
Cut the top off, cut the top off
Cut the top off just now
I just now cut the top off,
Cut the top off just now
Scooooop the seeds, out, scoooop the seeds out,
Scoooop the seeds out just now
I just now scoooped the seeds out
Scooooped the seeds out just now
Carved a face in it, carved a face in it
Carved a face in it just now
I just now carved a face in it
Carved a faci in it just now
Stick a candle in it, stick a candle in it
Stick a candle in it now
I just now stuck a candle in it
Stuck a candle in it just now
I made a jack-o-latern, I made a jack-o-latern
Made a jck-o-latern just now
I just now made a jack-ol-lantern
Made a jack-o-latern just now!
(Use apprpriate hand motions or use as flannel board)



Math:
Sort different shaped pumpkins.
Pattern pumpkinseeds right side up, right side down, right side up, right side down, etc.
Science and Fine Motor:
Get real pumpkin and cut open while singing above song
Smell inside pumpkin.
Reach in and 'scoop' the seeds out.
Taste raw pumpkin. Talk about the way it feels, smells and tastes.
Blend with fingers colors yellow and red to make orange.
Use real pumpkin and hammer golf tees into it.
Art:
Get small fresh pumpkins and cut in half. Let the children dip the pumpkin halves in paint to make prints.
Snack:
Roast pumpkinseeds.
Pumpkin Faces
English muffins (can be toasted)
Orange spreadable cheese
Raisins
Let the children spread the cheese on their English muffin. Then decorate using the raisins for eyes, nose, and mouth.
Finally, eat and enjoy!




Columbus Day

Columbus sailed from far off Spain
A long, long time ago.
He had three ships that only moved
When winds would pull and blow.
We're mighty glad he was so brave
And every year we tell
Of how he found America
The land we love so well.

Columbus Day Boats
Ingredients:
18 small marshmallows
9 maraschino cherries
can of sliced peaches
vanilla ice cream
butterscotch syrup
ice cream scoop
12 toothpicks
3 dessert plates (banana split bowls)
spoon
can opener
1. On each dessert plate, place 3 scoops of ice cream.
2. Arrange peach slices around the ice cream.
3. Spoon the syrup over the ice cream and peaches.
4. On each of 9 toothpicks, sit one marshmallow, a cherry, and another
marshmallow in that order.
5. Stick a toothpick on top of each scoop of ice cream.
6. On the middle marshmallow poke a flag of your own design--the Nina,
Pinta, and Santa Maria.
After the making and presentation--dish into individual servings for the
children.

Then there is my own project!
Each child needs a clean, empty baby food jar (the small size), some blue play doh, a toothpick, a small triangular shaped piece of paper and one half of a walnut (shell). Have the children squish the play doh inside the lid of the jar (this is the "water"). Press the nut into the play doh (this is the boat). Press a little more play doh into the shell. Stand the toothpick up in the play doh (you may need to break the toothpick to make it shorter). Have each child write his/her name on the paper (the "sail") and glue or tape it onto the toothpick. Screw on the jar and stand it lid side down - voila! A sailboat!

1.) Take big cardboard, and cut some shapes, triangles, and circles ... out. Let the kids color the shapes and name them. Take the cardboard (where you have cut the shapes out), decorate it nice and hang it on the wall with contact paper. Put on the back of each shape and on the shape on the cardboard on the wall, some verlcro. That way the children will learn to name shapes, colors, and it's like a puzzle. I did it with my kids, oh boy, they love it... Also, it's always cleaned up, because it sticks back on the wall. Instead of shapes, you could also make some leaves, colored in different color and cut in different sizes. That way the children will learn color and "Big" "little" Or just make some pumpkins (Halloween) and write numbers in and make #1, the smallest and then all the way up to #10 the biggest... I'm sure they will love it!

2). Make a fall lotto or Halloween lotto. Just cut some thick cardboard into little squares and color fall themes like " Leaves" " squirrels" or Halloween like" Pumpkin" "Ghost"... It is a great thing to do with kids, at every holiday like Christmas, Easter, also. They will be so proud if they made their own game...

3) Buy different kinds of nuts, let the children look at them, taste, smell... Then name them, what tree they are from... Let the children mix the nuts, and let them but the same nuts into the same plate, bowl.... At the end, draw a big Tree on a piece of paper, a on glue the nuts on the tree... also, you could add some fall leaves...

4) I don't know if you still do this, but we cut potatoes in half and made a stencil out of them. As I was little, I remember cutting just simple stuff like square and stuff like that on the potatoes. But it was lots of fun, and we had great "Potatoes" pictures...My kids can't get enough of it.....

5) Here is a little fingerplay:
Leaves
Down down, yellow and brown (Fingers, hands move down)
The leaves are falling (move hands and body to the floor)
All over town...


Skills: Language Development

Circle: Display the following objects and discuss: acorn, leaves of various colors, football, soccer ball (I usually use small nerf like sport balls), and an apple.

Listening Center & Library
I am a Leaf, Possum's Harvest Moon, Apple Pie Tree, Fresh Fall Leaves

Small Muscle Development
Fall shape cookie cutters and playdough-using fall colors.

Gross Motor
Cut out large shaped leaves of different sizes and colors. Use sturdy material such as poster board. The game is played like musical chairs. When the music stops, the children must get on a leaf. Make sure there are enough leaves so that all children will have a space but not too many because you want to encourage children to problem solve and cooperative play by helping other to find a place to stand.

Science
Mystery Box with the items displayed at circle time. Have pictures of the items turned down on a table (they can be cut from magazines or photographs). The child picks a picture and tries to find the item in the box. With the leaves, I have pictures with different number of leaves on it. Not only do they have to find the object but the number too.

Sand Table

Have acorns buried in the sand for children to find.

Fall Poetry

September

It's September.
It's September.

School is Here.
School is Here.

We are making new friends.
We are making new friends.

Here comes fall.
Here comes fall.

October

It's October.
It's October.

Trick or treat.
Trick or treat.

Jack-o'-lanterns glowing.
Jack-o'-lanterns glowing.

Halloween!
Halloween!
BOO!

November

It's November.
It's November.

Let's give thanks.
Let's give thanks.

Pilgrims set the table.
Pilgrims set the table.

Indians brought food.
Indians brought food.

December

It's December.
It's December.

Trim the tree.
Trim the tree.

Mistletoe and holly.
Santa Claus so jolly.

Ring the bells.
Christmas bells.

January

January.
January.

Happy New Year.
Happy New Year.

Icicles and snowflakes.
Eskimos and snowmen.

Winter's here.
Winter's here.

February

February.
February.

Ground Hog Day.
Ground Hog Day.

Washington and Lincoln.
Washington and Lincoln.

Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day.

March

It is March.
It is March.

Windy days,
kites at play.

Leprechauns and shamrocks.
Leprechauns and shamrocks.

Spring is here.
Spring is here.

April

It is April.
It is April.

Rainy days.
Rainy days.

Playing tricks so funny.
Eggs and Easter Bunny.

Easter Time.
Easter Time.

May

It is May.
It is May.

Flowers grow.
Flowers grow.

Time to say, "I love you."
Time to say, "I love you."

Mother dear.
Mother dear.


June

It is June.
It is June.

Father's Day.
Flag Day, too.

School will soon be ending.
School will soon be ending.

Summer's near.
Summer's near.

July

It's July.
It's July.

Year-round school.
Year-round school.

Fireworks and homework.
Fireworks and homework.

We make friends.
We make friends.

August

It is August.
It is August.

Sunny days.
Time for play.

Picnics in the park.
Barbecues and beaches.

Summer's here.
Summer's here.


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