Theme & Activities

Autumn
Open thematic poster

DISCUSSION PERIODS

Arrange the word flashcards or the picture game on the floor. Have each child pick a card and encourage them to discuss the theme, autumn. They might think of falling leaves, colourful leaves, the days getting shorter, harvest time, warmer clothes, etc.

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with the group. Use them to decorate the daycare or a specific thematic corner.

(Open picture game - Autumn) Print, laminate, and store in a "Ziploc" bag or in your thematic bin.

WORD FLASHCARDS

The flashcards may be used during circle time to spark a conversation or in your reading and writing area. They may also be used to identify your thematic bins.

(Open word flashcards - Autumn) autumn, leaf, tree, wind, squirrel, color, clothes, forest, walk, rain, pine cone, branch

AREA SETUP

In the Back to school theme, we had suggested that you display a tree trunk on a wall for use throughout the year. The tree trunk can be painted directly onto the wall or drawn on a large paper. Prepare only the tree trunk with bare branches. The tree is to be used to compliment your themes. For the autumn theme, punch holes in dead leaves and thread them onto string or ribbon. Glue leaves at the bottom of the tree. Add pine cones, apples, etc.

Don't miss our autumn calendar (Open visual calendar - Autumn).

Print, laminate, and display.

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS

Have fun with these wonderful workshop ideas provided by Caroline Allard.

Construction/building blocks:

Collect only the blocks with autumn colors.
Add a small bin of real or fabric leaves. Children will use them to compliment their constructions.

Arts & crafts:

A small storage bin filled with leaves or other objects from nature can be used for collages or other art projects
Autumn-coloured tissue paper for crumpling
Autumn-coloured crayons and markers. Gather waxed crayons which are not frequently used
Autumn colouring pages
Stencils and tracing paper
A painting activity involving leaf prints. Hang a large sheet of paper on the wall. Tape leaves to the paper and let children splash paint over them with toothbrushes. Remove the leaves for a beautiful autumn mural
Paint with branches or a leaf bouquet
Make prints with various types of squash or paint directly on decorative squash

Role play:

Add decorative squash to your kitchen area. They are resistant. Children can play with them for several weeks. They come in all sizes and colors
Apples are appropriate for this theme too

Manipulation:

Autumn memory game. You can easily make a homemade version by gluing autumn items and pictures behind leaves cut out of colourful construction paper (green, brown, orange, yellow, red...)
Lotto game with pictures of forest animals preparing for winter
Modeling dough (red, yellow, brown, orange) with leaf-shaped cookie cutters
Puzzles representing Fall scenes
Large laminated cardboard leaves with holes punched around the edges can be used for lacing

Reading and relaxation:

Books about autumn or seasons
Books about colours
Hang a piece of tulle over your reading area and deposit leaves on top (real or fabric)
Puppets representing forest animals

Music and motor skills:

Song box containing a variety of songs about autumn
A large quantity of fabric leaves (or real ones if you don't mind the cleanup). Simply let children toss them in the air to the sound of music

Sensory bins:

Bin filled with leaves
Bin filled with objects from nature
Bin filled with sand

Science/Kitchen area:

Observation, inside and out, of various types of squash
Roast squash seeds. Children will love tasting them
Hot and cold activities are great for introducing the changing temperatures

ACTIVITIES

Hats

Ask parents to provide old hats or purchase some in thrift shops. Using elements of nature, children decorate their "autumn hats". Organize a parade around your neighbourhood. Use musical instruments and celebrate autumn!

The autumn clothesline

Throughout the week, invite children to cut out autumn pictures and hang them on an indoor clothesline using clothespins.

Dress warmly

Deposit a pile of clothing at one end of the daycare. Have children run to the pile, put on a piece of clothing, and return to the starting point. This is a great way to help children learn to dress themselves. If the clothing item children select has buttons or a zipper, encourage them to do the best they can.

Variation: You can add clothing for each season to the pile. Name a season and have children select a clothing item which is appropriate, put it on, and run back to the starting point. If their choice is suitable for the season you named, they may sit down. If it isn't suitable, send them back to the pile to try again.

I get dressed quickly
Use a timer (or play a specific song). Children attempt to dress with all the clothing you provided before the time is up (coat, hat, scarf, boots, and mittens).

Fall felt board
Use four pieces of black felt. Glue them onto a large piece of cardboard and hang on the wall. With the group, cut shapes out of coloured felt. The shapes will stick to the black felt. Children will love creating autumn scenes. Prepare new shapes when you begin a new season or a new theme. You may use the shapes we have prepared for you for this theme (Open shapes - Autumn stencils). They may be used for cutting or drawing. You may purchase a 50-piece set of assorted felt colors for $15.95 on our online store.

MOTOR SKILLS

Playing in the leaves
Children love jumping into large piles of leaves. This is a simple outdoor activity. For variety, why not bring leaves into the daycare and create your very own leaf storm. You will have a hefty cleanup job, but oh what fun!

Leaves in water
You will need a bin filled with water or a water table. Add leaves. Children use straws to blow on the leaves to make them move about.

Hide and seek
Provide children with various types and sizes of boxes. Let them play hide and seek.

Leaf race
Use adhesive tape to determine a start and finish line. Place leaves 10 cm apart. Provide children with straws or empty toilet paper rolls they can use to blow on the leaves to move them towards the finish line. The first child to successfully cross his leaf over the finish line wins. The winner may try again with another child.

Autumn is dark
Give children flashlights. Turn off the lights and close the curtains to make the daycare as obscure as possible. Hang autumn images throughout the daycare. Children move about, observing the images you left with their flashlights.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Seasons come, seasons go
(Open poster - seasons) Print and laminate. Using Velcro, children associate the pictograms to the correct seasons.

Squirrel hideout
Fill a small pool or storage bins with leaves. Hide objects among the leaves. When you give the signal, children search for objects. When they find one, they must deposit it in a special hideout just like a squirrel would do in autumn. They may return to search for more objects. Once all the objects have been found, start over again.

Leaf bins
Use three empty storage bins. On each bin, glue a different coloured leaf (green, red, and brown for example). Place a large bag of leaves next to the bins. Children sort the leaves according to colour.

Touch and name
Put objects in a box. Blindfold a child. Ask him to touch and name the object he has in his hands. Tell him to remove the blindfold to check if he has guessed correctly. Return the object to the box and pursue the game with another child.

Autumn booklet
Prepare red, green, orange, and brown booklets. Throughout the theme children add pictures of the corresponding colour to each booklet. The red booklet can be filled with red objects such as an apple. Leaves are perfect for the green booklet. This is a great exercise for colour recognition.

COLLECTIVE ACTIVITIES

Scarecrow
Make a scarecrow with the group. Together, prepare a list of everything you need. Have each child provide one item. Stuff your scarecrow with leaves and set it near your entrance. Use a pumpkin or a plastic bag filled with leaves for the head. Name your scarecrow. He can guard your door until Halloween!

Autumn is grand!
When you take a walk with the group, have them collect natural items such as branches, leaves, and pine cones. Afterwards, hang a large paper on the wall. Children use their items to create a collective mural.

Leaf hand
Trace each child's hand onto coloured construction paper. Have them cut them out and add them to your giant tree.

EARLY SCIENCE

Squirrel facts
Red squirrels build their nest among branches or cavities in trees. In winter, they eat food stored in caches in late summer and autumn. A single cache can contain several hundred pine cones. Go on a nature walk with children. Give them each an empty tissue box which can be used to store their findings. Encourage them to collect branches, pine cones, acorns, etc. The items in their caches may be used for the theme's many crafts.

Outdoor relaxation
Have the children make a bed of leaves. They will look forward to relaxing on their bed. Invite them to observe the clouds and look for shapes. They can draw them later in the day. Listen to the wind and the birds. Relax!

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Autumn Jell-O
Prepare autumn Jell-O for snack time or to fill a sensory bin. Use red, orange, yellow, and green.

Corn pal
Pull the husks and silk off ears of corn. Do not remove the stems. These can be used to give the pals a haircut or be tied with string. Children add details to their pal. Eyes, a nose, and a mouth can be added using paint, pieces of felt, craft foam, or markers.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Finger Tree Autumn - Shape tree
(Open model - Tree without leaves) Have children color the tree trunk. Using autumn-coloured finger paint (red, orange, yellow, green), children use their index finger to add small dots which represent leaves on the branches.

My autumn placemat
Have children glue leaves collected outdoors to a piece of cardboard. If the weather makes it impossible to collect natural leaves, use leaves from leaf garlands available at dollar stores. Next, laminate the placemats on both sides using "Mac-Tac". Children may use their placemats at daycare or take them home.

Paint prints
Collect elements of nature you can dip in Fall-coloured paint to make beautiful prints.

My crumpled tree
Trace a tree trunk with four (4) branches onto construction paper. Have children fill the tree trunk with crumpled pieces of brown tissue paper. Make tiny balls of red, yellow, orange, and green tissue paper to add leaves to the tree.

ACTIVITY SHEET

(Open Activity sheet - Autumn) Print for each child. Associate the correct colours.

COLORING PAGES

(Open coloring pages theme - Autumn)

SONGS & RHYMES

Leaves are falling down

by: Patricia Morrison

sung to: London bridge

All the leaves are falling down
Falling down, falling down
All the leaves are falling down
All over town

Let's today go out and play
Out and play, out and play
Let's today go out and play
Before the wind blows them away

Oh that wind is getting cool
Getting cool, getting cool
Oh that wind is getting cool
Wear your coat, now that's a rule!

Autumn trees

by: Patricia Morrison

sung to: Row, row, row your boat

Red, yellow, orange, and brown
Coloured leaves on the trees
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Are the autumn trees

SPECIAL SUGGESTIONS

Create a small booklet shaped like a leaf with the group. Glue different sizes and colours of leaves. Take pictures of the group raking leaves, playing in the leaves, etc. Identify the pictures and add them to the booklet.

Organize a leaf hunt for your group. Hide leaves in storybooks in your reading corner. What a wonderful Autumn surprise!

Hide a storybook in a pile of leaves. Children will love this original way to announce story time.

How to choose the perfect storybook:

Read the entire book.
Love the story.
Be sure the story is easy to tell. Is the message clear?
Take the group's age into consideration (length, pictures, etc.)
Choose an interesting format.
Be sure the pictures correspond to the words.
Evaluate the ending.

Have nice day!

Educatall team

Our job is to make yours easier. Do not hesitate to suggest themes you would like to see us develop. Let us know of any printable documents or tools which could be useful. Send us your comments and suggestions!

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