Fabulous Fall!
Fall brings in so many wonderful things for us to observe. We see colorful leaves swirling in the wind and falling to the ground. We wear warmer clothes as Fall brings cooler winds. We also smell yummy scents of cinnamon, cloves, and pumpkin spice. The best part about teaching is watching the amazement in little ones when connections are made or something new is discovered. That sense of wonder is something I love as a parent and educator.
Wonder is being open to new experiences and seeing the world with fresh perspective.
Teaching children about the seasons is one of my favorite topics. My focus is…..Don’t just LEARN about the seasons, EXPERIENCE the seasons! In this post, I will share with you the things we do as a class to experience FALL. Don’t just talk about pumpkin seeds, eat them. Don’t just talk about jumping in the leaves, do it. Don’t just talk about the temperature getting cooler, step outside and feel it.
Fall Sharing Circle
While you are learning concepts related to Fall, plan to have a Fall sharing circle where your students will bring in something from home that reminds them of Fall. Having regular sharing circles helps build confidence, speaking skills, listening skills, and connections. By sharing their experiences and listening to each other, your students will build relationships with each other and build understanding of each other. Once everyone has had an opportunity to share their item, place all of the items in the middle of the circle, and everyone is invited to try or look at an item more closely that was brought in to share. Why is sharing so important? Children need to practice the skill of sharing. Through this activity they learn how to play cooperatively, take turns, trust, negotiate and especially learn to cope with disappointment.
Sharing teaches children about compromise and fairness. They learn how to treat things, the way they would want their things to be treated.
Fall Leaf Fun
Ask your parents to drop off big bag of leaves by your classroom window or entry
door. Go out to the school field and bring your rake and the bags of leaves.
Ask the children if they know what a rake is for? Do you use it to brush your hair?
Do you use it to brush your teeth? Once the children have a laugh,
demonstrate how to use a rake. Using your rake, make a BIG pile or leaves.
The children form a line from where you want them to run from. You go back
to the pile of leaves and call them one at a time. I love to take action shots. I
save these for their scrapbooks.
Once each child has had a turn, come and have them sit around the leaves in a circle. Explain to the kids that you are going to have a leaf fight. The only rule is that you can’t throw them at someone’s face. It may happen by accident but not on purpose. Have everyone stand up and grab a handful of leaves. Tell them to go and find their own spot. Ready, set, go……leaf fight.
The children will now experience leaf rain. The girls can lay down on the ground. The boys and you
pick up a big pile of leaves. One, two, three, throw them in the air. Repeat for the boys. Everyone stands in a circle and takes a big pile of leaves and you countdown from 3,2,1……..everyone throws them up in the air. This can be done a few times. You will hear so many laughs and giggles. Remember to take pictures for their memory book! Feel free to ask a parent to come in to help take pictures. Parents are always eager to come in and help.
Creative Art Ideas
Have fun with leaves by creating art. Leaf hair! Leaf animals! Leaf person! Have your students express what they love about fall by having a sharing circle. Keep a master list and write down all that they say (for example: jump in leaves, rake leaves, etc.). Have them each print the phrase I love Fall.
Experiential learning offers your students a valuable chance to engage actively, enhancing their motivation and interest in learning. Those who take part in experiential learning often feel a sense of empowerment and joy. Learning should be playful and fun!
