Fall Fun for the Classroom

It’s officially Fall! The leaves are changing where I live, and the morning air is crisp. It’s a beautiful thing! New seasons bring all kinds of changes, and those changes create great opportunities for exciting learning opportunities as well as lots of fun, creative art activities. Below you will find a few suggestions and ideas for some Fall fun in your classroom! Feel free to modify any activity to fit your students’ needs.

Science:

  • Learn about the life cycle of an apple from seed to fruit. Taste test different kinds of apples.
  • Learn about why the leaves change their colors. Talk a walk outside and see how many colors of leaves you can spot.
  • Investigate why the temperatures start to drop. Discuss the Earth’s rotation and position this time of year.

Art:

  • Go outside and gather some leaves from the ground. Use them to create leaf rubbings, stamps with paint, or press them and make a bookmark.
  • Draw a fall scene.
  • Gather small leaves from outside. Draw a tree trunk and branches on paper, then glue the leaves onto the tree.

Language Arts:

  • Read some books about Fall.
  • Write an acrostic poem using FALL or AUTUMN.
  • Write a descriptive paragraph describing a fall scene.

Math:

  • If available in your area, collect fallen acorns or pinecones. Sort and count in several different ways.
  • Conduct a class-wide survey about favorite Fall activities. Create a bar graph with the results.
  • Use fall themed candy as math manipulatives.
  • Print out and have students complete the Fall Find and Count printable at the end of this post.

Students learn best when a learning experience is engaging. And honestly, from a teacher’s perspective, teaching is much more enjoyable when the material you are teaching is fun and engaging. Play into the seasons, holidays, and other special occasions— I bet you’ll have as much fun as the students do! 

** Feel free to download the free Fall Find and Count worksheet— it is only for personal and classroom use. Please do not distribute, sell, or use as your own.**

Beautiful Winter Books for Gloomy Winter Days

The only thing I love more than a good list is the Winter season. I know the cold weather isn’t everyone’s favorite, but the magic of the holidays and the peaceful falling snow makes me so happy! If winter isn’t for you, here are a few fun winter-themed books to make the snow and cold a tiny bit more enjoyable. 

The Mitten by Jan Brett: A boy loses a mitten in the snow and animal friends come to help.  

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats: This Caldecott book is not only perfect for its storyline but the artwork as well.  

Wolf In The Snow by Matthew Cordell: A book with no words telling a story of humans and wolves helping one another through the wintery cold snow. 

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak: A brother and sister see the signs of a dying autumn and a growing winter as they take a walk outside. 

Snow Party by Harriet Ziefert: Snowmen throwing a party in the woods, what’s not to love?   

These books are sure to have you smiling and feeling excited about the snow right along with your students. When you’re having a hard time getting to school in the cold and ice, just pull out a fun wintery book and get reading, it’ll be sure to brighten your spirits and appreciate snow for the fun magic it can create.