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Last week I shared a list of notable nonfiction books for the fall season. With that in mind, I’d like to share a round-up of free fall-themed activities that could be used with those books. It’s always nice to have ideas saved in the same place. And even better when they’re free!
Apples
1. Apple Investigation Worksheet from Preschool Play and Learn- I used this with my kindergarten class a few years ago. It was so much fun! I had each student bring in an apple to use for this experiment. I Iabeled them with masking tape and their initials, so they could experiment on their own apple. We did not complete this all in one day and some of it was completed during a small group.
2. Apple Taste Test from Teachers Pay Teacher- I used this one in kindergarten and first grade. It combines science and math. I had parents donate the apples for this. We tasted the apples and then completed the graph together. It was a great activitiy for showing how we use math in real-life.
3. Apple Life Cycle Spinner from Preschool Play and Learn- I like this rendition of the apple life cycle because it is more interactive with the spinner element. The only materials you need to complete it are crayons/colored pencils, scissors, and paper fasteners.
Pumpkins
1.Life Cycle of a Pumpkin from Mrs. T’s First Grade Class- My students really enjoyed putting this one together because they got to be creative on how they decorated their pumpkin and they liked placing the life cycle pieces onto the yarn. I actually hung this one out on my hallway board.
2. 3D Pumpkin from Kindergartenchaos- I did not have the opportunity to do this one with my class, however the video makes it look like one students would enjoy while learning the parts of a pumpkin. I am linking the Pinterest pin through the button below because I couldn’t find the video on the linked website. There is, also, a free paper pumpkin cut/paste labeling activity free when you go to the website.
3. Pumpkin Exploration Worksheet from Kindergarten Kids at Play- There are many pumpkin investigation worksheets out there, but I like this one because it includes predictions for how many seeds might be in the pumpkin and will the pumpkin sink or float. It, also, includeds measuring with unifix cubes.
Fall/Autumn
1. Leaf Investigation from Primary Playground- This one is used after going on a leaf hunt and collecting fall leaves. Students pick their favorite one to record observations about. I like that it includes science, math, and vocabulary. Students will have to write down words to describe their leaf, which is excellent practice with adjectives.
2. Leaf Rubbings and More from Natureinspiredlearning- This one has several free sheets to print including one for doing a leaf rubbing. It, also, inlcudes a page for leaf graphing and identification cards for students to figure out what type of leaf they found.
Wrap Up
Integrating subject areas is one way to fit all subject-areas into already busy schedules. It is usually one of the go-to phrases you hear from your admin when you bring up how to fit everything in that we need to teach during a day.
However, unfortunately, more and more, I see teachers having to teach to a scripted curriculum, unable to use their creativity and expertise to teach meaningful and engaging lessons, like the ones above.
But, fortunately, there are ways to be able to bring the fun back into the classroom. For ideas on how to do that read my post How to Keep the Fun in Your Classroom in a World Full of Curriculums. Armed with those ideas and these free activities, your students will have a blast while learning just what they need to know!
