Fall Leaves Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Are your kids interested in the changing leaves of Autumn. If so, I’m going to share some fun fall leaves activities for preschool or kindergarten that you can do with your kids as you learn more about this season together.

My little ones have always enjoyed collecting leaves, piling them up, bringing them inside, or just listening to them crunch under their feet as they walk. I thought it would be fun to come up with other ways we could explore this colorful phenomenon of fall.

First let’s explore what our kids can learn from studying leaves…

What can my child learn from studying leaves?

Lots of things! Leaves are a wonderful topic to jump into, especially with little ones. From learning coloring to observing varieties t, kids can learn a lot from this topic. Here are a few more things they can learn from studying leaves:

• life cycle of a tree leaf
• size, color, and varieties of leaves
• names of particular trees
• season of autumn
• a wonder for nature
• colors of autumn
• how to rake and work hard
• attention to detail
• experiencing feelings of autumn

Objectives for a Preschool Leaf Unit

After you’ve explored what your kids can learn about leaves, take a few minutes to write up a few objectives or learning goals that you want to try for. Here are some objectives for our mini fall leaf unit:

Objectives for Preschool Leaf Unit:

• Identify general characteristics of leaves (shape, color, structure)
• Identify fall colors
• Explain the different ways we can use or enjoy leaves
• Build preschool and kindergarten skills through leaf-themed music, crafts, activities, math, language, and imaginative play.

Picture books about leaves for preschoolers

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Picture books are a splendid way to learn about anything, including fall leaves! Here are a few of our favorite picture books about leaves for preschoolers.

Picture books about leaves for preschoolers:

• Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
• A Leaf Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas
• Leaves by David Ezra Stein
• Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson
• The Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell Depalma
• The Little Tree by Loren Long
• The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
• We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger
• Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
• The Leaves on the Trees by Thom Wiley

Printable Leaf Poem

Hearing and memorizing poetry at this age has so many benefits for vocabulary and early reading. So, l like to add a memory piece to our units. Here is our fall leaf poem download if you would like to add it to your fall leaves unit as well.

Leaf toy and prop ideas

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Play is still such an important part of learning and development for preschoolers and kindergarteners. With that being said, here are some simple toy and prop ideas for studying leaves with your preschoolers and kindergarteners.

Toy and prop ideas for studying leaves:

• Wooden Leaf Puzzle
• Montessori leaf puzzle toy
• Fall tree bulletin board
• Wood building blocks tree
• Wooden leaf lacing cards
• Kids garden rake
• Assorted faux leafs

Music and videos about leaves

Along with play, music and media also play a large roll is learning. Here is a short, practical list of music and videos that teach kids about fall leaves.

Videos and songs about leaves for preschool and kindergarten:

• Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down (song)
• Leaves on the Tree (song)
• Orange, Yellow, Red, and Brown (song)
• Why Do Leaves Change Colors in the Fall? (video)
• Autumn is Here (video)
• Types of Leaves (video)

Leaf craft ideas

And of course crafts are an awesome, hands-on activity way to learn more about leaves. Here are a few fall leaf craft ideas to get you started.

Leaf craft ideas for preschool and kindergarten:

• Leaf rubbing
• Rainbow leaf prints
• Color-changing leaf craft
• Pressed leaf bookmarks
• leaf crown
• Fall leaves wreath

Fall leaves activities

Looking for some activities that feature leaves? If so, check out these fall leaf activities that your preschoolers and kindergartners will enjoy.

Fall Leaf activities for preschool and kindergarten:

• Leaf identification pages (free printables)
• Scavenger hunt for leaves
• Leaf sensory bags
• Preschool leaf activity pack (free printables)
• Make leaf-shaped sugar cookies
• Make leaf imprints into playdough
• Freeze leaves into ice then break them free
• Nature Sorting Mats

Math activities

Looking for some leaf-themed math activities? Here are some of my favorite preschool, fall leaves, math activities for this age:

• Leaf symmetry activity
• Falling leaf fingerprint counting
• Leaf graphing by color (free printable)
• Leaf measurement and sorting
• Create patterns with leaves
• Leaf pile number challenge (counting)
• Fall Counting Busy Book

Fall leaves literacy and writing activities

You can also incorporate literacy and writing into your study of fall leaves. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Write your name with leaves
• Leaf man beginning sounds activity
• CVC word building fall sensory bin
• Leaf sight words and writing activity
• Fall prewriting
• Retell a story about leaves
• Fall leaves alphabet clip cards

Dramatic play ideas for preschool leaves unit

Pretend play is a huge part of the learning process for preschoolers and kindergarteners. With that being said, here are some dramatic play station ideas that could feature fall leaves.

• Leafy yard to rake
• Bear den dramatic play
• Cabin in the woods
• Autumn camping pretend play

Free Printable fall leaves unit study plan for moms and teachers

For my homeschool moms and teacher friends, I’ve complied all these ideas into a printable resource. This unit builder includes everything in this post and also leaves room for you to add material lists and notes. 

Whether you are creating a autumn leaves-themed lesson plan for preschool or kindergarten or just thinking of adding some leaf activities into your homeschool preschool unit later this year, this is a great printable resource to reference, with a lot of ideas to choose from!

Download the Fall Leaves Unit Study Plan 

This printable is part of the Inspire the Mom free resource library. If you are already a member, hop on over to the free resource page. If not, fill out the quick form below and join for access to this freebie as well as other great content.

What would you add to a preschool unit about leaves?

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