Try these simple fall literacy activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners, with fun ideas for building vocabulary, storytelling, listening, rhyming and early literacy skills.
They’re easy to include in a fall/autumn or leaves theme at school or home.
And don’t miss the Stone Soup activity at the end – the children can enjoy the traditional story, then make their own fall nature soup!
1. The Leaf Thief
A great way to start a new theme is by introducing it with a good story.
The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming is such a fun read about a squirrel who loves counting the leaves on his tree and tries to figure out why his leaves are going missing.
The read-aloud below has lovely animations and also a simple but thorough explanation at the end of what happens to trees in autumn and other seasonal changes, such as animals migrating to warmer climates.
2. Circle-Time Discussion
During circle time, chat about the changing season and ask the children open-ended questions that encourage them to think and form opinions.
Here are some ideas:
- What is your favourite thing to do in fall?
- What do you notice changing outside?
- Do you like this season? Why or why not?
- Which is your favourite season?
- What colours do you see in fall?
- What foods do you enjoy at this time of year?
- Why do you think leaves change colour and fall?
- What happens to the weather?
- What do animals do during fall?
- What clothes do we start wearing when it gets colder?
Encourage the children to listen to each other’s answers and ask their own questions too.
3. Fall Category Game
Go around the group taking turns naming something associated with fall, such as leaves, pumpkins, acorns, apples, rain or squirrels.
Keep adding words without repeating any and see how many fall words the group can think of. If someone repeats a word, start the game again and try to beat your previous total.
4. Leaf Man
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert is a visual story that encourages kids to use their imagination.
Here is the read-aloud:
5. Story Retelling
After reading Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert, encourage children to collect real leaves and use them to recreate scenes or characters from the story.
They can arrange the leaves on paper to form their own “Leaf Man” and imagine what adventures he might go on next, building imagination and storytelling skills.
6. Describing Words
Give each child a leaf during circle time and let them take turns describing it using words for size, colour, shape and texture.
Provide an example by describing your leaf first: My leaf is big and light green. It has long veins and ragged edges.
7. Leaf Puppets
Glue leaves onto popsicle sticks to turn them into simple leaf puppets. Draw faces on the leaves with felt-tipped pens, then use the characters for storytelling and imaginative play.
8. Fall Leaves Poem
Poems, fingerplays and songs are great early literacy activities as they build listening skills, vocabulary, rhyme and an awareness of the sounds and rhythms in language.
Teach children this simple fall leaves poem to recite together. Add some actions as you say the words, such as fluttering your fingers downwards as the leaves fall and pointing to your head for the final line.
Leaves are orange,
Leaves are brown,
Leaves are falling on the ground.
Leaves are yellow,
Leaves are red,
Leaves are falling on my head.
9. Five Little Leaves Fingerplay
Teach children this simple fall fingerplay, using five fingers to represent the leaves and lowering one finger each time a leaf falls. Encourage them to join in with the repeated words and actions as they count down from five to zero.
Here are more fall songs and fingerplays for preschoolers.
10. Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert is about a child who adores their maple tree. It teaches children about the growth cycle of a tree.
Here is the read-aloud:
11. Scavenger Hunt
Teach children to recognise and read the names of fall colours with this simple scavenger hunt.
Divide a page into four or six sections and write a colour word in each one, such as red, yellow, orange, brown, green and gold. You could write each word in its matching colour to provide an extra visual clue.
Take the pages outdoors and encourage children to work individually, in pairs or small groups to search for leaves that match each colour, then paste them into the correct sections.
12. Listen and Draw
Give each child a blank page and some crayons. Read the instructions one at a time, giving them enough time to draw each part before moving on:
- Draw a brown tree in the middle of your page.
- Draw five orange leaves on the tree.
- Draw three red leaves under the tree.
- Draw a yellow leaf falling from the tree.
- Draw a small brown acorn next to the tree.
- Draw a yellow sun above the tree.
When everyone has finished, compare the pictures and see how differently children interpreted the same instructions.
This is a fun way to practise careful listening, understanding directions and positional language.
Try these listen-and-draw activities for more fun ways to practise listening and following directions.
13. Fall Rhyming Game
Play a simple fall-themed rhyming game. Tell the children you are thinking of a fall word, then give them a word that rhymes with it and see if they can guess the answer.
For example:
- “It rhymes with beef.” — leaf
- “It rhymes with free.” — tree
- “It rhymes with bold.” — cold
- “It rhymes with log.” — fog
- “It rhymes with pie.” — sky
- “It rhymes with morn.” — corn
Once children understand the game, let them take turns thinking of their own fall words and giving the group a rhyming clue.
14. Fall Nature Soup
Bring literacy and sensory play together with this fun Stone Soup activity. Read or watch the traditional story, then invite the children to make their own pretend fall nature soup.
Fill a large tub or pot with water and let the children take turns adding leaves, acorns, pinecones, twigs and other fall treasures, just like the characters in the story. Provide spoons, ladles, cups and containers for stirring, scooping and pouring.
Enjoy this read-aloud version of Stone Soup below, and find more fall sensory activities for preschoolers.
These fall literacy activities are a fun way to build early language and literacy skills through your fall theme.
See the full collection of fall and leaves theme activities for more details and activity ideas.
Next, explore more seasonal fun with the Pumpkin Theme Activities, Halloween Theme Activities or browse the full list of Preschool Themes and Activities for year-round ideas.