AutumnUnderstanding Fall
Fall/Autumn is one of the 4 seasons; it follows summer. Fall is the season that warns us that cold weather is coming. Many changes are taking place out of doors. See how much your kids know first, ask some of the following questions:
1. What do the leave do in the fall (change colors, fall off the trees)
2. What type of weather is in the fall? (all types, it can be hot, cold, rain even snow)
3. What are some of the things we do in the fall? (rake leaves, pick apples, pick pumpkins, get ready for the winter...)
Find a suitable book in the library about fall. There are several good ones!
LEAVES Fall coloring sheets. And related Fall Activities.
SCIENCE - collect
green leaves and place them on a tray to dry.... over time they turn brown
without clorophyl the leaf loses his green color.
Leaf Comparisions-
Use a glue stick to glue leaves plucked from 4-6 different trees on to
a poster board. Cover with clear contact paper. Sandwich leaves of the
same size and variety between two pieces of clear contact paper. Trim around
each leaves leaving a sealed edge. Set the board and leaves on a tray.
The children compare and match the leaves.
Autumn Leaf picture-Go
outdoors and find as many colored leaves as possible. Take them indoors
and set them aside. On a large piece of white paper, draw the outline of
a tree trunk and branches. Color in the outline with brown crayone. Next,
glue the leaves you found onto the colored branches and allow to dry.
A Walk in the Leaves
In the autumn, watch the wind blowing leaves from the trees. Walk through
some of the fallen leaves and notice the crunching sound under your feet!
Study why they fall from the tree! Collect different kinds of leaves
to examine. Compare the colors and shapes. You may want to allow the children
to use a magnifying glass to look at the leaves even closer. Count how
many leaves fall in a five minute period.
Don't forget another idea is to rake up several piles of the fallen
leaves and allow the children to jump in the piles.
Dried Leaf Art
Collect a variety of colors of fall leaves. Bring the leaves inside and
let them dry. Crumpble up the dry leaves and place them in bowls. Set out
the bowls of leaves, small bowls of glue or cotton swabs. Give each child
a piece of construction paper. Let the children use the brushes or swabs
to spread glue all over their papers. Then have them sprinkle small amounts
of dried leaves on top of the glue. Help them shake the excess leaves.
Additional Leaf ideas
* Draw leaves free hand, then color or paint the pictures.
* Do rubbings with crayons or pencils by placing paper on top of various leaves.
* Paint leaves, then print them onto the paper by turning them over and pressing them onto the paper by hand.
* Leaf bursts: Tape leaves to the paper, paint or use markers to color around leaves, then remove leaf. By replacing the leaf or several different leaves onto different parts of the paper, a burst effect will occur.
* Foiled leaf designes: Place heavy foil on top of leaves, then rub carefully with a stick, until a print appears. Cut out the leaf and glue to cardboard, if desired.
*Predraw a brown crayon tree and let the children thumbprint yellow , orange, brown "leaves"on the tree.
*Help the children paint the inside of their hand and set it down 3 or four times creating the branches.
*Have the children glue a popcicle stick on the paper and then draw branches out of the top and then glue on torn up squares of autumn colors for the leaves.
*Put a pile of different colored leaves in a zip lock bag and then have the children try to guess how many are in the bag. record the guesses and then count the leaves as you take them out !
*Using q-tips dot paint on to large (real) leaves.
*Have your chilren try to classify the leaves by biggest, smallest, smooth, rough, colors...
*Dance and blow around the classroom like leaves in the wind to music : add autumn colored streamers for the kids to hold onto .
Make a toilet paper
tree. Cut a slit in the top of one end of the t.p. roll. then using
half a paper plate, slide it into the "trunk" making a tree. Then the children
can glue on real leaves to the tree.
OR a different variation
Make a toilet paper
tree- crumple small pieces of red yellow and orange tissue paper glue
them onto a large paper plate cut slit in one end of a TP roll insert the
paper plate splatter paint leaves arrange one or more leaves on a sheet
of construction paper partially fill a small spray bottle with DILUTED
tempra paint spray lightly over the leaves when paint dries, lift the leaves
to reveal the design.
Leaf Rubbings
To help children notice the veins in leaves and the different shapes of leaves, let them place a variety of leaves (underside up) under a piece of light coloured construction paper. Using the sides of crayons that have had the paper covering removed, children make crayon rubbings of the leaves.
Fall Tree
Give your kids a feel for fall by having them create their own tree. Have each child decorate a paper lunch bag, with fall colors, and their name. Take them out for a nature walk. Let them see and feel the tree's bark, fallen leaves, sticks, etc. Have them collect leaves (fallen&fresh), sticks, bark, and small parts of tiny branches. Bring them inside. Lay out newspaper for each child, have them empty the collection onto the newspaper. Give each child a large piece of manilla paper. Have them arrange and glue the sticks, bark and brach pieces to form the trunk and branches, then have them attach the leaves.
Finger Tree
Gather colored paper (red, orange, brown, green, yellow) Trace the child's hand onto several sheets of several colors. Cut out. Then cut out a brown tree trunk&branches in proportion to the amount of leaves. Have the child glue the hand shapes to the tree trunk to form the leaves of the tree. Option: Have the child think of things to be thankful for and label the hand/leaves. Another Option: Use as a class project. Use one hand cutout for each child to make a class tree.
Fall-leaf stained glass
designs
Colorful fall leaves wooden ice cream sticks paper towels old crayons pieces waxed paper paper clips kitchen towel iron tape 1.) Take your class on a walk outdoors and collect 4 or 5 fall leaves. 2.) Give each child a ice cream stick, paper towel, and some pieces of old crayon. Ask each child to make crayon shaving over the paper towel by scraping the side of the ice cream stick against the crayon. Each child should make a handful of shavings. 3.) Next, give your child 2 12"long pieces of waxed paper. Children will then arrange their fall leaves on one of their pieces of waxed paper. have the children sprinkle colored wax in the spaces between the leaves. 4.) Ask each child to lay a second piece of waxed paper on top of his or her leaf arrangement. Use paper clips to attach each childs pieces of waxed paper together. 5.) Place a towel over the paper, to protect the iron. then set the iron at a low temperature and iron each childs arrangement. 6.) Then display in the window!
Dry Leaves
Materials: Green construction paper, dry fall leaves picked up from the ground, glue, brushes Preparation: Cut a fairly large leaf shape from construction paper for each child. Have the children brush glue on their leaf shapes. Then let them crinkle dry leaves and scatter the pieces all over the glue. Variation: Draw bare tree figures on pieces of construction paper. Then let the children crumple up the dry leaves and glue the pieces of their papers.
SCARECROWSFollow directions coloring
page for Scarecrows . You can make it into a card too!
Scarecrow Decorating
Materials: Picture of a scarecrow, glue, pieces of material, buttons, noodles, anything that can be used to decorate the scarecrow. Let the children decorate. Cut the scarecrows out and use them as a bulletin board border for a display of completed work. Add a heading such as, 'We're Not Scared of Hard Work', or 'This Class Is Not Scared of Hard Work.' DISCUSS - The reason for scarecrows and the damage done to farmers crops by birds and animals. Ask what other kind of devices could be used to scare away these pests. Provide crayons and paper for children to draw pictures of these substitute scarecrows. Produce a picture or poster which shows a large crow and discuss.
A HARVEST OF SNACKS!
Stuffed Baked Apples
Ingrediants: Firm baking apples, Butter or marg., Sugar, Hot water, Filling for Apples Fillings: raisins or walnuts or honey or banana slices or prunes or nutmeg or brown sugar or coconut or cinnamon candies or orange slices or pineapple. Toppings: ice cream or peanut butter or whipped cream or cheese or vanilla pudding or granola or custard or lemon sherbet or jelly Core apples and sprinkle with 1 t. sugar. Set in baking dish. Stuff apple (combine several if you with). Pour hot water to cover bottom of dish. Bake 400 30-35 min. Spoon liquid over apples every 10 min. while cooking.Cool
Hot Apple Cider
Ingredients 3 cups apple juice 1 cup cranberry juice 8 in. stick of cinnamon, broken electric slow cooker, or saucepan cup measure Put all ingredients in the pot. Cook on high till mizture boils. Reduce to low and simmer 5 minutes. *Do not let children near hot things. Serve warm or cooled. Talk to children about the smell and taste.
Cranberry Relish
Ingredients 1 quart cranberries 2 oranges, quartered and seeded 1/2 cup crushed pineapple 2 cups sugar food processor (with a group)large baby food jars - 1 per child spoons One or two children take turns putting cranberries and oranges into the grinder. Some children may cut oranges into smaller pieces before grinding. Grind again. Have someone stir in sugar, and the pineapple. When all mixed up, fill each jar with the relish. If doing this with a family, you can give the jars away as gifts tied with ribbon.
Scaarecrow Salad
Ingredients 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup plain yogurt 2 apples juice of 1 lemon 2 stalks of celery mixing bowl measuring cups plastic knives apple corer Help the child measure the raisins and yogurt. You core the apple and slice in half. Help the child to cut the apple halves into chunks - add to the bowl. Stir in juice. Then cut the celery into small pieces. Add the remaining ingredients into the bowl and mix. Enjoy!
Monster Munchies
Corn Collage
Supplies: Yellow and green construction paper ~Glue ~Unpopped popcorn Cut a "corn cob" and "husks" out of paper. Glue the "husks" around the "cob". Spread the glue on the "cob" and cover it with unpopped popcorn.
Raking Leaves
My poor back will surely break,
If one more leaf I have to rake!
Crusty, rusty brown leaves!
Dusty, blustery red leaves!
Crunching, bunching, scrunching beneath my feet.
In a pile of crispy leaves, I'll find a welcome seat!
Scarecrow Song
Ask the kids to name a different body part to wiggle each time you recite the song:
sung to the tune of the "itsy bitsy spider"
The silly silly scarecrow
Guards the fields all day.
He waves his silly [arms]
To scrare the crows away!
The Leaves Are Falling Down
sung to the tune of "the famer in the dell"
The leaves are falling down
The leaves are falling down
Red, yellow, green and brown
The leaves are falling down
Season Song
sung to the tune of "when the saints go marching in"
Oh when the leaves, fall off the trees
Oh when the leaves fall off the trees
We know that it must be autumn
When the leaves fall off the trees.
Oh when the snow, begins to fall
Oh when the snow begings to fall
We know that it must be winter
When the snow begins to fall
Oh when the birds, begin to nest
Oh when the birds begin to nest
We know that is must be springtime
When the birds begin to nest
Oh when the sun, shines so-o bright
Oh when the sun shines so-o bright
We know that if must be summer
When the sun shines so-o bright
Leaves Are Falling All Around
This is a finger play with movements
Leaves are falling all around - (put hands up and wiggle fingers)
Red, (do the sign language symbol for red)
Yellow, (do the sign language symbol for yellow)
Orange, (do the sign language symbol for orange)
And Brown. (do the sign language symbol for brown)
Twirling, swirling to the ground (wiggle fingers and bend knees and do the twist)
Look how many leaves I've found! (jump up with arms stretched out)
October Time
October time is pumpkin time,
The nicest time of the year.
When all the pumpkins light their eyes
(encircle eyes)
And grin from ear to ear.
(big grin)
Because they know at Halloween
They'll have lots of fun,
Peeking through the windowpanes
(put hands over eyes and look)
Watching children run!
Falling Leaves
All the leaves are falling down
(flutter fingers downward)
Orange, green, red, and brown.
(flutter fingers)
If you listen, you'll hear them say,
(cup hands around ears)
"Wintertime is on it's way."
(whispering)
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