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Autumn Leaves
“Leaves are falling, leaves are falling, to the ground, to the ground. Red, orange, yellow, red, orange yellow, green and brown, green and brown.” That’s the song my children would sing on the way home from preschool almost daily in the fall. Autumn leaves are amazing! Splashes of color; rich, rustling sounds; crinkly textures of raised veins and curling edges. Of course they captivate children! They probably captivate everyone.
Children drawing fall leaves outside.
So, what can educators do when they notice that children are being captivated by autumn leaves? First, pause. Simply watch with the children. Watch where their eyes go. Watch where their fingers linger. Watch what makes them giggle. Watch how their body moves. Do they twirl in the autumn breeze? Do they roll in the fallen leaves? Once an educator has a better idea of exactly what about the autumn leaves is captivating, they can extend the wonder and excitement with some intentional offerings.
Notice these are offerings. These aren’t “Everyone sit down. We are going to paste these pre-cut construction paper leaves on this stock image tree outline.” These are invitations with resources, allowed time, and encouragement. Children can choose or pass on the offerings. They are also options for the educator. Don’t try to do all these things, pick a few that you think the children will enjoy based on your observations of them, your knowledge of their abilities and fascinations, and your schedule, supplies, and environment parameters.
Fall offerings
Books and literacy
Rotate books. Offer both nonfiction and fiction options. Here are some titles to consider:
- Because of an Acorn by Lola Schaefer and Adam Schaefer
- Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
- If You Find a Leaf by Aimée Sicuro
- Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
- Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
- The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups by Gina Ingoglia
- There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro
There are many, many others. What titles would you add to this list? Sharing a new book can bring some new enthusiasm to the professional day—a treat for the children and the teachers!
I love the idea of a “leafy parade” suggested by author Aimée Sicuro (2022, p. 19). Imagine gleeful children of all ages and abilities walking and waving their favorite leaves, fanned-out handfuls of color and energy!
Science, math, and inquiry
Invite children to collect leaves. Press them. Trace them with tracing paper. Do crayon rubbings. Sort them by color, shape, edge style (smooth or serrated) or some other category the children notice; order them by size.
Laminate a few to make into a class book (your very own field guide). These can then be used for matching exercises and ongoing documentation. Envision samples from the same tree during different seasons of the year. Include blossom specimens or seed pods.
Creative experiences
Invite children (using a child-safe threading device) to string together leaves for autumn garland. Invite children to crumble dry leaves and play with the crumbled dust in the mud kitchen or glue to paper.
Create tissue-paper lanterns using strips of white tissue paper over an inflated balloon. Create these leaf lanterns with diluted white glue, using a paper mâché technique. Be sure to leave an empty space near the knot of the balloon. These will take several days to dry. Once dry, prick the balloon and allow it to deflate. The lanterns are particularly beautiful when illuminated with a non-heat-producing LED bulb.
Encourage sketching. This newly created instruction sheet shares directions for making an 8-page sketchbook from a single sheet of paper. Learn more about nature sketching with children in the recently launched course.
Gross motor
Rake! Pile! Jump! Dump! Roll!
Music
Weave autumn leaves songs into your circle-time rotation. Sing as you play outside and notice a falling leaf. Sing on walks when you see a tree filled with orange and gold. A few favorites are “Come little leaves,” “Leaves are falling,” and “Leaves are falling to the ground.” What songs are in your autumn repertoire? Be spontaneous. Make up new verses for where the leaves are falling. “Leaves are falling to the ground, falling, falling all around, falling high and falling low, falling everywhere we go! Leaves are falling to the ground, falling, falling all around, falling here and falling there, falling Even in My Hair” Do lots of motions and movements as you sing directional words.
Autumn is a great time of year. Autumn leaves hold much beauty. Take time to watch the children and their awe, then enjoy extending their experience. It will multiply the joy in everyone’s day!
Acadia National Park, Maine
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Venture up north and spend a crisp fall day hiking in Acadia National Park. Not only does it boast some incredible views of Maine’s coastline, but it also features a vibrant array of fall foliage in nearly every color imaginable.
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Western Connecticut
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While Connecticut’s shoreline may get all the hype, the state’s northwestern quadrant features some of the state’s best forests and parks. Pictured here is the Farmington River in Farmington, a mere 30 minute drive from Hartford.
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Bled Lake, Slovenia
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Eastern Europe often gets forgotten about in favor of the romanticism of its western counterparts, but Slovenia’s fall foliage is worth the extra few hours on the plane. At Bled Lake, take a canoe out for a spin to get a 360 view of the famous castle.
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