Awwww, Fall! That amazing time of year! Full of pumpkin spice, gloves, boots, the crunch of leaves, and all of the amazing Fall Activities.
This is by far one of my favorite times of the year! I know what a cliche thing to say.
But it is true! I love fall and all of the amazing colors and cool weather.
If you’re anything like me, I love doing special Fall Activities. When I found out I would still be Distance Learning or doing the Hybrid Model during the Fall, I got worried.
I was dreading having to enjoy this time with my students behind my screen. However, I’ve learned to accept the Distance Learning/Hybrid phase and to just go with the flow!
Just like I had mentioned in my Blog “New Teachers and Distance Learning,” now is a time to be flexible.
That’s why I decided to come up with Fall Activities that you can do while Distance Learning, Hybrid, or just teaching in person.
Because no one is going to take this magical time of year from me. Am I right?
So here are my Top 5 Fall Activities to do with your students regardless of which phase your school is in.
(This post may contain affiliate or external links. Meaning I get a commision if you purchase anything through my links at no cost to you. Read full disclosure here.)
Read Aloud
The first fall activity I have planned for my Primary Students is a Read Aloud.
I don’t know about you, but I love kicking off a unit with a good book. That way I can plan my activities accordingly. I love when activities seamlessly transition from one another. And so do my kids!
This is a good way to meet Reading and Math Standards without your students noticing.
The book I am going to read to my students this fall is “How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?” by Wendell Minor.
This book is not only a classic for Fall, but it also covers exactly what I am covering in class right now.
Right now we are learning about shapes and measurements. This book not only covers synonyms for the word “big,” but it also shows pumpkins in comparison to other “big” things.
Another bonus is my classroom is “Travel” themed. Which is perfect because each page is a “big” pumpkin in another state!
So I can incorporate my classroom environment with the activities I use for this book. Yes, even with Distance Learning!
Worksheets/Writing
The next Fall Activity I will have my students do is Fall Worksheets.
I love having students write about what they learned because it allows students to reflect on their learning.
For “How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grown,” I like to have students write how big their pumpkin is in comparison to something. Then I have them draw about it.
Or an art project, because who doesn’t love Art?!
I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for online. So I made these worksheets for my kiddos to complete.
They are also digital-friendly so I can assign them online on Google Classroom. Yay for Distance Learning Friendly!
You are welcome to use mine or you can always make your own!
Scavenger Hunt
I still remember being a little kid and getting ecstatic over Scavenger Hunts! I know I’m obsessed!
The excitement of finding a clue like Nancy Drew or being the one to solve the mystery. I lived for these moments.
And it was such a rewarding way to review and learn that I never realized I was learning in the process!
It’s amazing to see my students enjoy the same excitement when I was a kid.
For example, when I did the Scavenger Hunt in August for “The Kissing Hand” my students went crazy!
That Scavenger Hunt was so rewarding because even though my students weren’t in their classroom, they still got to see it during the scavenger hunt.
It allowed my students to connect to their learning environment in a fun and engaging way! And that’s exactly what I want in a world of uncertainty.
Hence I created another Scavenger Hunt as a Fall Activity. I hid different pumpkins throughout the room.
Except for this time, I asked my students for direction and how big it was in comparison to other objects. Now it fits perfectly with the book. See what I did there?
Not only did my students enjoy the scavenger hunt, but they were using real-world experiences to cover the math we had just finished. Crazy, right?!
What You Need For the Scavenger Hunt:
So there are two ways to do this.
You can either buy a bunch of pumpkins. Yeah, I don’t have time to go to the store for that.
Or you can post pictures of pumpkins throughout the classroom.
Honestly, I’ve done both and my students loved it just the same. Maybe you could even do both!
You are welcome to find your pumpkins, or you can get access to my Free Scavenger Hunt.
Science Experiment
The next Fall Activity I have planned is a Science Experiment.
My kids LOVE science experiments. They can never get enough of them.
Neither can I!
I love using them because not only are they engaging and fun, but it’s an excellent opportunity for cross-curricular activities.
For my Fall Science Activity, I wanted to do something related to “How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow.”
But I also wanted something that wasn’t going to take a month to do. Like actually growing pumpkins.
So I decided the best Fall Science Activity was this Erupting Pumpkin Experiment that I found online.
My students LOVE this experiment. With an emphasis on LOVE!
For this experiment you will need the following:
- A Carved Pumpkin-So much for not going to the store.
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
And optional:
- Food coloring
- Dish Soap
Now apart from the pumpkin (I know, I know) all of this stuff I have at home or are super accessible.
This year I am just going to do it with my kids watching on Google Hangout or Zoom.
Fall Digital Games
The Final Fall Activity I am going to have my students complete is fall digital games.
I love these because they are easy to use, just drag and drop! They are also created on Google Slides so they are Distance Learning friendly.
There is such a variety that even with a different book or theme I would still be able to use them.
In class, we use them as a review on what we talked about yesterday, or as practice on a new skill.
What we Talked About:
Let’s review what we talked about shall we?
Overall you can create amazing lessons around your favorite fall books. You can use mine, or make your own!
Fall activities allow students to be engaged in a fun and new way.
The main idea is that Fall can still be an amazing experience. Even while Distance Learning.
What fall books are your favorite? Please comment in the section below so we can have an amazing list going for others to use!
Happy Teaching!
The Present Teacher
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