Tree of Hands
Gather colored paper (red, orange, brown, green, yellow). Trace the child's hand onto several sheets of several colors. Cut out. Then cut out a brown tree trunk & branches in proportion to the amount of leaves. Have the child glue the hand shapes to the tree trunk to form the leaves of the tree.

Build a Scarecrow
With old clothing, build a scarecrow and let the kids help you stuff the clothing with newspaper.

Make Apple Prints
Cut the apples in half from top to bottom, or side-to-side (exposes a starshape in the core) Dip the apples in red, green and yellow paint.

Nature Collage
Twigs, leaves, small pine cones, nuts... etc. glue onto tagboard cut into wreath shape shows children how to collect items from the ground.

Clay Leaf Printing
Use a rolling pin to flatten clay or dough. Lay a leaf on the clay & roll over it. Remove the leaf & let the clay dry. Paint the clay in fall colors-red, brown, orange, yellow, green. (Clay/Dough Recipes)

Leaf Tree
Use brown construction paper for the trunk of the tree, and tape colorful fall leaves to the wall to make a huge fall tree in the room.

Leaf Painting
Gather 3 or 4 large leaves and tape to a stick - dip in paint and use as a paintbrush. These leaf brushes create neat strokes adn designs on paper.
Submitted by Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Leaf Prints
Apply paint to leaves and stamp leaf prints in fall colours on paper.
Submitted by Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Leaf Frame
Fold wax paper in 1/2, wax sides together. Slip leaf inbeween the fold and iron - the wax will melt onto the leaf, preserving it. Once perserved, glue the leaves onto a piece of fabric or paper. Make a frame from twigs collected in the woods and twine. Hang your fall masterpiece.
Submitted by Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Stained Glass Leaves
Cut a leaf shape from brown construction paper - cut shapes out of the inside of the leaf leaving borders. Fill in the holes by gluing red, yellow, and orange construction paper to the back. When dry, hang in a window.
Submitted by Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Apple Mobile
Make 3D apples by cutting an apple shape from red construction paper - you will need about 12 per child. Fold the apples in half. Glue together by placing one folded apple on top of another. When dry, glue or staple the top and bottom apple halves together. The apple will now be a round shape. Add a string near the top. Cover a wire coat hanger to attach the apples from or cut a strip of brown construction paper and staple into a loop to hang them from.
Submitted by Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Paper Plate Leaf Wreath
soft paper plate
brown paint
Fall leaves glue

Adult: Cut out the center of the plate or assist the kids in cutting it out.
Kids: Let the kids paint the plate brown. When dry glue the leaves you collect to the plate for a Fall wreath.
Submitted by Leah (MOMMYLEAH)

Leaf Place Mat
Fall leaves
big sheet of construction paper
clear contact paper

Let your children collect Fall leaves. Give each child a sheet of clear contact paper sticky side up. Let the kids stick their leaves to the contact paper and arrange them. Once finished cover the leaves with a sheet of construction paper. Hint: don't let the kids completely cover their contact paper with leaves or the construction paper won't stick! Also you may want to tape the contact paper to the table.
Submitted by Leah (MOMMYLEAH)

Amazing Apple
supplies:
2 large white paper plates
child safety scissors
Carrot
Poster Paint (red)
Marker (black and green)

1)trace uppercase A on center of one of the plates and a lower case a on the second plate. Outline the letters with the black marker, then cut out the A's.
2)Cut the narrow end of a carrot flat and then cut a small notch in the carrot's edge. (bottom of the apple)
3) Dip the cut end of the carot into red paint; then, press it inside the cut out A's.
4)Allow to dry, then use green marker for making the stem and leaves on the apple.
Submitted by Sherry (SHERRANN)

Sensory Activities
Fill the water table up with leaves. Add plastic animals for hiding.
Submitted by Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Leaf Jump Game
Rake up leaves into big piles - run, hop, jump through/over the leaves.
Submitted by Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Leaf Match Game
Iron real leaves that you find on a nature walk between sheets of waxed paper - you will need two of each type of leaf. Glue one to a piece of bristle board and leave the other loose. Children match the types of leaves while learning their differences and names.
Submitted by Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Leaf Cookies
With a leaf shaped cookie cutter, have the children help you make leaf cookies. Decorate them with red, orange, yellow and brown frosting. Use your favorite sugar cookie recipe!

Grey Squirrel
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel
Swish your bushy tail
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel
Swish your bushy tail
Put a peanut in your toes
Wrinkle up your little nose
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel
Swish your bushy tail.

Pretty Leaves

Pretty leaves they are falling
Falling Down to the ground.
When the wind blows its trumpet
See them dancing around.

Tra-la-la-la-la-la-la Tra-la-la-la-la-la
Tra-la-la-la-la-la-la Tra-la-la-la-la-la

Pretty leaves they are falling
Falling Down to the ground.
When the wind blows its trumpet
See them sitting back down

I give each child a real or paper leaf to act out the song with when we do it.

5 Little Leaves

Five little leaves so bright and gay
Were dancing about on a tree one day
The wind came blowing through the town
And one little leaf came tumbling down.

Four little leaves so bright and gay... etc.

Three little leaves so bright and gay... etc.

Two little leaves so bright and gay... etc.

One little leaf so bright and gay
Was dancing about on a tree one day
The wind came blowing through the town
And the last little leaf came tumbling down.

The children can pretend to be the leaves in the fingerplay or cut out leaves and a tree shape for the felt board.

September

September is a lady
In a Russet gown;
She marches through the country;
She marches through the town;
She stops at ever schoolhouse
And rings a magic bell;

She dances on each doorstep
And weaves a magic spell.
She weaves a magic spell that goes
Ringing through the land
And gather children back to school
In a joyous band

~~ Solvieg Paulson Russell ~~

Apples Three

fresh picked apples
from a tree
one for you
and one for me
one for teacher
that makes three
apples picked
from an apple tree

~~ Monica Kulling ~~