Leaves are Falling Down

Celebrate the new season and the beautiful changing leaves with this creative activity from Learn Every Day About Seasons! 

Leaves are Falling Down

Perfect for ages 3+

Learning Objectives

The children will

• Learn how leaves fall in autumn.
• Learn the names of autumn colors.

Vocabulary

• Autumn
• Brown
• Fall
• Orange
• Season
• Yellow

Materials

• Real fallen leaves

Preparation

• Prior to this activity, go outside with the children and have each child choose a fallen leaf to bring inside.
• Alternatively, consider bringing in store-bought artificial leaves.

What to Do

1. Gather the children together and talk with them about their fallen leaves. Ask the children to identify the leaves’ colors, and to talk about how the leaves feel.

2. Teach the children the following action rhyme:

The Wind Is Blowing by Ingelore Mix

The wind is blowing, blowing, (children weave back and forth)

And leaves are falling down.

First fall all the yellows, (children with yellow leaves sit down)

Then red, (children holding red leaves sit down)

And orange, (children holding orange leaves sit down)

And now brown. (children holding brown leaves sit down)

3. After the children complete the rhyme, invite them to trade leaves with the other children and recite the rhyme again.

Assessment

To assess the children’s learning, consider the following:

• Can the children say what leaves do in the fall?
• Can the children name the colors leaves turn in the fall? Can the children identify these colors in the leaves?

-Ingelore Mix, Amherst, NH

Instructions

1. During the winter season, gather the children together and discuss the
season with them.
2. Ask the children to name features of the winter season. Lead the
discussion around to snow. Read the children a book about the snow
(see the list to the left for examples).
3. Recite the following fingerplay with the children:
I See Snow by Shyamala Shanmugasundaram
(Tune: "I Hear Thunder")
I see snow. (hold right palm horizontally to forehead)
I see snow. (hold left palm horizontally to forehead)
Look around, look around. (open arms wide)
Small and white snowflakes, (bring thumb and index finger together)
Cold and frosty snowflakes, (pretend to shiver, clenching both fists close
to the chest)
Covering the ground. (pretend to pat the ground)
Assessment
To assess the children's learning, consider the following:
l Can the children identify some features of the winter season?
l Are the children able to act out the fingerplay?