Play gives children the opportunity to explore, experiment, solve problems, build new skills, and make sense of the world around them. Sometimes, what looks like “just play” is actually a whole lot of learning. This might look like collecting leaves and rocks, digging in the mud, discovering new textures, splashing through puddles, or stomping through crunchy leaves. Ready to enjoy the season? thread invites you to explore these fun fall activities with your children, whether you’re in the classroom or enjoying time together at home!
FALL ACTIVITIES:
- Nature Walks – Gather fallen leaves, pinecones, and other safe natural materials for art projects. During these walks, you can also explore textures such as smooth rocks, crunchy leaves, soft moss, rough tree bark, etc. Living in Alaska also gives children an opportunity to start noticing the signs that winter is on its way. Encourage them to talk about changing daylight, colder temperatures, snow on the mountains, and animals waiting for winter.
- Nature Collages – Use collected material to create collage art.
- Fall Themed Sensory Bins – Add leaves, rocks, pinecones, sticks, scoops, cups, and other age-appropriate materials.
- Leaf People – Turn leaves into silly characters.
- Fall-to-Winter Observation Journal – Children draw or write what they see outside each week.
- Mountain Watch – Observe how the mountains change as the temperatures drop. Predict when the mountains fully become covered in snow.
Ready to turn some of those fall collections into something fun? The Leaf People art project is a simple and creative activity that encourages children to use their imagination while transforming colorful leaves into their own unique characters!
LEAF PEOPLE ART ACTIVITY:
You will need:
- 6 leaves (or however many leaves your child desires)
- Glue
- Paper
- Googly eyes
- Black sharpie marker
- Laminator (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- With the leaves you and your child have collected, identify and choose which leaves will make up the head, body, arms, legs, and/or hair of your leaf person. Make sure your leaves are dried off before sticking them onto the paper.
- Use the leaves to start gluing down the “body parts” of your leaf person onto the paper.
- Identify the head of your leaf person, glue down googly eyes, and draw on a mouth with a black sharpie marker. Tip: Give your child the creative freedom to make their leaf person however they like! Whether they choose two googly eyes or twelve, there’s no right or wrong way to bring their leaf person to life.
- You can hang up your leaf person just as it is! If you’d like to preserve your child’s artwork as a special keepsake, run it through a laminator to help it last for years to come. Tip: Make sure your project is fully dry before running it through the laminator.
Fall in Alaska offers so many opportunities for children to learn through everyday moments of play, exploration, and discovery. These moments help children build curiosity, confidence, creativity, and connection to their surroundings. As the season changes, embrace the little moments and let children lead the way. Some of the best learning happens when they are given the space to play.