Preschool Fall Theme: Leaves Turning Colors in the Classroom

How do you teach young children about fall when living in an area full of palm trees and tropical plants? Autumn can be hard to understand when there are no changes to see, however, even though the outdoors still remains warm and green, the inside of the classroom can be transformed into a colorful fall forest with these fun leaf activities. Use this preschool fall theme as part of your lesson plans.

Sticky Leaf Collage

Take the children on a walk to collect leaves, whether fall colored or green. After returning, make a collage of fall findings that will sure to please a little artist. Cut a large square of contact paper and tape it low on the wall or onto a table top (sticky side out). Put the collection of leaves in front of the child, along with some squares of red, yellow, orange and brown construction paper. Invite the child to stick the items on the paper. Feeling the sticky surface as he presses things onto it will fascinate a young child. When finished, cover the surface with another sheet of contact paper. Punch two holes at the top of the paper and thread with a length of yarn to be used as a hanger. Display this collage in the classroom or send home as a decoration.

Make a Leaf Print With Crayons

There are two ways to make leaf prints with crayons and paper. First pluck a leave off a tree or bush, one that has veins. Place this leaf under a sheet of thin white paper (copy paper will do fine) and color over the leaf. It's best to remove the paper wrapping off the crayon and roll the crayon on its side to color. Another fascinating way to make prints takes some preparation before hand. Draw different kinds of fall leaves onto squares of cardboard. Next, run a bead of school glue along the lines. Let this sit overnight to dry. To make prints, lay a sheet of white paper over the stencil and proceed to color on the paper with the side of a crayon. The leaf print will appear. This is called texture rubbings. Try doing a rubbing on aluminum foil. Using different kinds of papers and surfaces makes textured rubbings unique.

Make a Leaf Print With Paint

Do some sponge painting by cutting squares from a kitchen sponge. Attach the sponge square to spring-type clothespins; these make great handles. Place tempera (poster) paint into a shallow container. Paper plates work well with no cleaning afterwards. One type of printing is to sponge paint on the underside of real leaves. When the leaf is covered with fall colored paint, place a sheet of white paper over it and press to see the leaf shape and veins. As a variation, sponge paint leaves drawn on paper. When dried, cut the leaves out and use these as decorations around the room.

Leaf Creations

Collect a variety of leaves outdoors. Invite the kids to glue their leaves on a sheet of plain paper. Make them fall leaves by coloring or painting autumn colors on the leaf. After the glue has dried, encourage the children to turn the leaf into a character by using a crayon or marker. Draw arms, legs, facial features, and a head. Ask the children to name their leaf creation and make up a story about it.

Depending on what part of the country you live in will be the factor whether the children will experience a colorful fall. By using these fun and educational preschool fall theme activities, children will learn about the changing seasons.