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Welcome to October! The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and it’s the perfect time to enjoy free, fun activities with your preschoolers. This month, we’re focusing on engaging your child’s curiosity and learning through sensory play, science activities, hands-on crafts, and even some simple recipes!
Through these activities, your child will develop important skills, from language and math to science and social-emotional learning. And the best part? You get to make learning fun and memorable as you celebrate the beauty of fall.
Week One: Language Skills Development – Vocabulary
This week, we’ll focus on growing your child’s vocabulary through fun fall-themed activities. From tracing letters to phonics games, your preschooler will learn to recognize letters, sounds, and new words, all while enjoying the season!
Activity 1: Fall Letter Tracing
Help your child build their letter recognition with this fun fall-themed activity sheet.
Activity 2: Reading Letters and Sounds
Help your child recognize the upper- and lower-case letters and the sounds they make.
Activity 3: Fun with Fall Phonics
Watch this Fall phonics video to introduce your child to new seasonal words.
Activity 4: Autumn Vocabulary
Learn words that describe the fall season by watching this fun video.
Activity 5: Read Along with "The Little Red Hen"
Enjoy this classic tale and help your child learn new words while building early reading skills.
Week Two: Math Skills Development – Counting
It’s time to practice counting! This week, we’re using scavenger hunts and everyday objects to help your child develop number recognition and counting skills in a fun and interactive way.
Activity 1: Fall Counting
Count each Fall item and then write the correct number in each box.
Activity 2: Scavenger Hunt
Go on a Fall Scavenger Hunt! Collect leaves, acorns, or pinecones. Once you’ve gathered them, paste them onto a whiteboard and count how many of each you have. This makes math fun and interactive for your little one!
Activity 3: Gratitude Turkey Craft
Help your child learn about gratitude while having fun with this simple Thanksgiving craft! https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/gratitude-turkey
Directions:
Materials Needed:
Construction paper (orange, yellow, brown, red)
Scissors
Glue
Markers
Step 1: Cut out a large circle from brown construction paper (this will be the turkey’s body).
Step 2: Cut out 5-7 “feathers” from different colored paper (orange, yellow, red).
Step 3: On each feather, ask your child to think of one thing they are thankful for and write or draw it on the feather (you can help write the words if needed).
Step 4: Glue the feathers to the back of the turkey’s body.
Step 5: Cut out a small triangle from orange paper for the beak and glue it to the body. Add googly eyes or draw them on with a marker.
Step 6: Display the Gratitude Turkey at home and talk about the things your family is thankful for!
This activity not only helps your child practice fine motor skills but also teaches the important value of gratitude. Plus, it’s a fun Thanksgiving decoration! 🦃
Week Three: Science Skills Development – Exploring Fall
Science is all around us! This week, your child will explore the world using their senses—tasting apples, watching leaves fall, and experimenting with pumpkins. They’ll learn to ask questions and make observations, just like little scientists.
Activity 1: Read Along with "The Leaf Thief"
Join Squirrel on his adventure to find out who stole his leaves! Watch the story here and count the colorful leaves together.
Activity 2: Learn Fall Colors
Color a poster with your child to explore the beautiful colors of fall—reds, oranges, yellows, and browns!
Activity 3: Apple Taste Test
Explore the senses with this fun apple experiment:
Choose different types of apples.
Cut them into wedges and have your child taste, smell, and feel each one.
Compare the apples and talk about how they are similar or different!
Activity 4: Pumpkin Sink or Float
Test if pumpkins sink or float by placing different-sized pumpkins in water. Will size affect whether they sink or float? Let your child make observations and record the results.
Week Four: Halloween Fun!
This week, it’s all about Halloween fun and teamwork! We’ll focus on building social and emotional skills by working together, sharing, and getting creative with costumes, games, and treats to make this spooky season special.
In the spirit of Halloween, focus on social and emotional skills by encouraging teamwork and creativity.
Activity 1: Cooperative Games
Play a simple game where children work together to complete a task, such as building a tower with blocks, decorating a pumpkin or decorating a room for Halloween.
Activity 2: Halloween at Home
Here are some fun ideas for a Halloween celebration at home:
Have a candy scavenger hunt in your house.
Carve or paint pumpkins together.
Host a mini costume contest.
Make spooky treats together, like ghost cookies or monster sandwiches.
Activity 3: Halloween Read-Alouds
Enjoy The Runaway Pumpkin, a fun story that rhymes and celebrates fall.
Activity 4: Halloween Sing-Alongs
Get into the Halloween spirit with fun songs! Sing along to these Halloween tunes and this Halloween song.
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