Fall is upon us, and it’s one of my favorite times of the year! I’ve always loved this season, especially when I taught preschool. My classroom would be filled with red, orange, and yellow crafts, and the cooler air was always a welcome change.
Now that I live in Florida, fall looks a little different. We don’t see trees changing colors, and the weather isn’t much cooler. But it’s still a season I enjoy teaching my daughter about!
Below is a list of my favorite fall activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Keep reading to find ideas that will help your little ones celebrate the beauty of the fall season with you!
1. Fall Sensory Bin
A fall sensory bin is an easy way to add structured playtime to your day. Since introducing sensory bins, my daughter has had longer play sessions, and I’ve been able to tackle a few more tasks around the house!
How to Create a Fall Sensory Bin
For our fall sensory bin, I spent just $5 at Dollar Tree! I colored the rice red, orange, and yellow (you can find instructions for coloring rice [here]), and added sunflowers, acorns, and leaves from the fall section. Measuring spoons and cups we already had on hand from a previous bin.
You can use anything you have for a sensory bin. It’s all about providing something for your child to play in that they usually don’t get to play with different feels to them. In this case, we used colored rice. You can color noodles, cut up colored construction paper, or water. Once you have your base, add some spoons and scoops and you have a fun sensory bin that will be played with for minutes, maybe a few hours!
Tips for Successful Sensory Play
Parent Tip: Review any rules you have for sensory bin play beforehand. In our home, we emphasize keeping the materials in the bin and on the towel placed underneath. If it gets messy or out of control, I close it up for the rest of the day.
Disclaimer: Always be mindful of your child’s developmental stage and what they can safely handle in a sensory bin.
2. Fall Color Sort
This is a super simple activity that toddlers and preschoolers will love! Lay out red, yellow, orange, and green construction paper (you may want to tape it to the floor to prevent sliding). Gather your child’s toys and place them in a pile next to the paper.
Easy Steps for Fall Color Sorting
Explain how the leaves change from green to red, orange, or yellow, then have your child sort their toys by color. Assist them when needed and offer lots of praise for their efforts.
Creative Color Sorting Variations
Extension Idea: Go on a nature hunt to find leaves or other fall items outside, then bring them back to sort by color.
3. Fall Nature Hunt
This is one of my favorite activities from my days of teaching in Ohio. I loved taking my students outside to find colorful leaves and fallen acorns. We’d also observe any animals we saw on our walks.
Nature Hunt Tips for Toddlers
Even though we live in Florida now, we can still go on nature walks, looking for new discoveries. This is the perfect way to get fresh air and teach little ones about the changing seasons.
Fun Ideas for Outdoor Fall Activities
Encourage your child to look for items such as pinecones, leaves, and rocks. You can even make a checklist or scavenger hunt list of things to find!
4. Leaf Rubbings
After your nature walk, use the leaves you collected for a fun leaf rubbing activity!
How to Make Leaf Rubbings
Place a leaf under a sheet of paper and lightly rub a crayon over the top. Experiment with different fall colors and pressure levels to see which works best for your child.
5. Fall Tree Painting
There are endless ways to paint a fall tree, but some of my favorites include using fingerprints, cardboard tubes, cotton balls, and Q-tips.
Fall Tree Painting Techniques
Dip your chosen tool into red, yellow, or orange paint, then apply it to a pre-drawn tree outline for a creative and fun fall art project!
My daughter chose cotton balls for her fall tree. I instructed her how to dip the cotton ball into the paint and put it on the paper above the tree trunk. She created her own work of art. At first, I wanted to be aggravated because it did not turn out very “pinteresty” but then I realized, she had fun and she did it all on her own. It is her creation and I think it is absolutely beautiful! If your child’s painting doesn’t go quite as you planned either, don’t fret-I’m sure it is still beautiful!
6. Fall Shape Sort Trees
This activity is a great way to teach shapes while keeping with the fall theme. Cut out red, orange, and yellow shapes from construction paper. Draw simple trees with a brown trunk and use the shape as the tree’s top.
Teaching Shapes with Fall-Themed Trees
Let your child glue the shapes onto the matching tree, and talk about how to use glue if they’re still learning. My 3-year-old loved this activity!
Ways to Change It Up:
- Start with two shape trees.
- Use the same color for all the shapes (e.g., all circles red, squares orange, triangles yellow) to sort by both shape and color.
- Skip the glue and let your child place the shapes so you can reuse the activity. Lamination works great for this!
7. Leaf Handprints
I love capturing my children’s handprints! Their little hands grow so fast, and this is a sweet way to preserve the memory while also creating festive fall artwork.
Creating Fall-Themed Keepsakes
Paint your child’s hand with red, orange, or yellow paint, and press it onto white paper. Once it dries, draw leaf veins in the center for a cute, fall-themed keepsake.
8. Letter F for Fall Pancakes
Each week, we focus on a new letter of the alphabet, and I try to match it to our current theme. This week, we used letter cookie cutters to make “F for Fall” pancakes!
Making Fall-Themed Pancakes for Kids
You can read more about how I incorporate themed pancakes in my [Apple blog here]. It’s a fun way to combine learning and eating.
9. Sweeping Leaves into Shapes
This activity is great for gross and fine motor skills.
Motor Skills Development with Sweeping Activities
Use painter’s tape to create shapes on the floor—this year, we made a square, triangle, and heart. Scatter fall leaves (we used fake leaves from Dollar Tree), and have your child sweep them into the shapes.
My daughter loved this! We also sorted the leaves by color and swept them into shapes. Eventually, she just had fun throwing them in the air.
10. Fall Books
Here are some of our favorite fall books to read together:
Best Fall Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Let it Fall by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
- Leaves Change Color by Melvin and Gilda Berger
- From Acorn to Oak Tree by Melvin and Gilda Berger
- Fall Leaves by Martha Rustad
- Fall Weather by Martha Rustad
These were the books I would read to my Pre-K students year after year. These books are full of information about fall and are great at helping explain how leaves and the weather change and fall activities you can do.
Conclusion: Embrace the Joys of Fall with Your Little Ones
Fall is a wonderful season filled with opportunities for learning, creativity, and exploration. Whether you’re setting up a sensory bin, going on a nature hunt, or simply enjoying fall-themed books, these activities are perfect for creating memories with your toddlers and preschoolers. The beauty of fall is that it offers a chance to slow down and appreciate the simple things—like colorful leaves, crisp air, and cozy moments with your family.
So grab some craft supplies, head outdoors, and embrace the joys of the season with your little ones.
Happy Fall!
More Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Apples
Letter & Number Practice
Teach your child how to use Scissors
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