Fall is coming at a snail’s pace here in the South, but mentally, I am ready for the change of pace. Bring me all the apples, pumpkins, and fall leaves scattered on my front lawn (even if there are only three, sigh). This post includes the best 30 fall activities for kids and preschoolers. And because the weather varies, I included indoor and outdoor fun ways to play.
PRO TIP: Use jump links in the Table of Contents to find what you seek quickly.
- How do you teach fall to preschoolers?
- Seasonal Activity Cards
- Fall sensory activities for preschoolers
- Fall Breakfast Invitation activities for preschoolers
- STEM Fall Activities for Preschoolers
- Books and Book Activities for Autumn
- Autumn Activities are a Great Way to Learn and Play!
- How to Make a Fall Tissue Paper Pumpkin
- Frequently Asked Questions
How do you teach fall to preschoolers?
Begin teaching about the fall season by reading books about the weather change. Include various hands-on, open-ended activities that invite your child to question ideas and learn information by exploring their senses. Fall is a sensory explosion of new textures, smells, and sights. Let’s uncover all of this with your preschooler.
RELATED: I can read your mind. Looking for Halloween activities for kids? I have a list for that too!
Seasonal Activity Cards
No more searching for ideas. Here’s exactly what you need to celebrate fall, Halloween, winter, and Noon Year’s Eve.
You will ADORE these 20 all-new ideas.
Fall sensory activities for preschoolers
Sensory play will always have its place in fun activities for kids. They allow your child to investigate objects and feel new textures in their hands. It’s a way of letting them explore the world!
Using play dough, slime, or even water can help kids develop their fine motor skills, too, so I was sure to include many of these activities in the list!
RELATED: Autumn activities for kids call for a fun list of art supplies. Here are some of our favorite arts and crafts supplies you can keep on hand for fun in the fall.
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Apple Cinnamon Play Dough
Making a special autumn-themed play dough is a great idea. It’s a fall activity for preschool on the sweeter side that smells just like apple pie.
Apple Oobleck
Autumn is the perfect time for all things apple. Create Oobleck and add apple-shaped cutters. Want Oobleck without the scent? Use my Oobleck recipe.
Mess Free Fall Art
Mess-free art is a fun way for your toddler to explore different colored paint to make a messy fall tree.
Pumpkin Balance
Young children can practice balance and walking a steady line with pumpkin balance. Spice it up and have a few relays.
Fall Leaf Bath
Go on a nature walk and collect leaves. Next, add sticky paper to the bathtub wall so your child can stick up leaves during bath time. This is one of my favorite ways to unwind after a long school day.
Fall Leaf Painting
Go on a nature scavenger hunt and closely examine the different types of trees. Next, draw leaves on a paper roll and watch your child paint them. (Paper source: Home Depot in the painting aisle.)
Fall Leaves Slime
Make this autumn slime for kids to experiment with! I like to use a pile of leaves from the craft store rather than fresh ones.
Fall Pour and Scoop
Mix dried orange and black beans into a large sensory bin. Then, add in some simple kitchen supplies to mix it all up! Seasonal activities are meant to be kept simple.
Fall Rock Soup
Have a rock collector? Me, too! Paint different leaves on rocks for your toddlers to explore. Count the number of points on each leaf to practice number recognition.
Fall Sensory Bin
Add fall-themed colors, textures, and objects to a sensory bin. The Dollar Store is your best friend for simple sensory bins like this.
Tissue Paper Pumpkin Art
If you have extra tissue paper, make this tissue paper pumpkin art asap. Art projects make the longer days so much more fun.
Apple Scoop and Sort
Use apples to improve hand-eye coordination. Take it to the next level by adding yellow apples for more sorting. A fun gross motor activity that helps strengthen larger arm muscles.
Fall Sensory Bottle
Sequins and fake leaves in a water bottle look so beautiful! Use this bottle to help young children slow down and take a closer look at different textures as they move through the container.
Little Blue Truck Sensory Play
Have you read Little Blue Truck? Fall is the best time of year to reread it and pair it with a farm sensory bin.
Little Blue Play Dough Kit
Yup! Here’s The Little Blue Truck again, only this time, we’re making a playdough sensory kit. This is a great way to incorporate loose parts.
Muddy Pumpkin Patch
Make a muddy, messy play with plastic pumpkins. This creative activity can get messy so add a plastic shower liner or sheet underneath.
Pumpkin Cloud Dough
Have you made cloud dough? Create pumpkin pie cloud dough for an autumn touch. Add cinnamon sticks to give it a pleasant smell. (Cloud dough is NOT edible.)
Pumpkin Slime
Who is looking for a science experiment? Use the insides of a real pumpkin for gooey slime!
Sticky Pumpkin
Tape pumpkin-shaped sticky paper to the wall and add tissue paper for your toddlers to stick on. This is a great fine motor activity for young toddlers.
Fall Breakfast Invitation activities for preschoolers
I welcome fall with a giant mug of caffeinated goodness. Here are simple preschool activities to set up for your child in the morning to begin the day with play.
What better way to keep your Breakfast Invitation rotation going than to add some fun ideas for fall! – You know I couldn’t leave this category out. You can spend your mornings together conversing with your toddler while they have a lot of fun.
Want to get started? I wrote this easy-to-read guide for newcomers to breakfast invitations.
Apple Dot to Dot
Place apple stickers on a sheet of paper and see if your child can use a marker to join the dots.
Autumn Apple Gluing
Draw some apples and give your child textures such as pom poms to stick on.
Fall Lacing Wreath
Give your child the materials to lace together a fall wreath.
Fall Lacing Crown
Everyone likes a crown! So why not make one out of leaves? If you don’t have fallen leaves, you can make the crown out of construction paper and leaf shapes.
Fall, Tinker Tray
Add a collection of fall objects to a sensory tray for your child to explore.
Glue the Fall Leaves
I love an activity that is two fold. One, gather the leaves, and two, grab the glue to make some fun art!
Pumpkin Roll and Color
Fall math activities are a fun way to welcome the new seasons. Draw out numbered pumpkins on a sheet of paper. Roll the dice and see if your child can place a pumpkin on the correct number.
Pumpkin Memory Game
See if your child can remember which number is under which pumpkin! Fall activities for preschoolers can be made in less than five minutes with the stickers stuffer in your junk drawer. (Just me?!)
Save the Pumpkins
Get a pair of tongs or use tweezers to pick up mini pumpkins. Let your child pick them up and place them in jars. Finger grabs are also welcomed!
Fine Motor Pumpkin Patch
Similar to Save the Pumpkins, only this time, your child picks the pumpkins from the patch to collect in a jar.
STEM Fall Activities for Preschoolers
Getting your child exposed to some science, math, and the arts is SO MUCH FUN! Balancing apples on paper rolls or making a clock out of a pumpkin are examples of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (or STEAM activities).
RELATED: Fall means back to school! Read my parent’s guide back to kindergarten before the first day.
Apple Balance
Fall stem is a winner as you watch your kid balance apples on cardboard tubes. It appears simple, but it is great fun.
Fall Engineering Challenge
Grab autumn-colored materials for your child to make a structure.
Fall Leaf Art and Science
Grab some real leaves and discuss with your child how gravity works and where the leaves land.
Pumpkin STEM Challenge
Build a structure using pumpkins, cardboard rolls, and pegs!
Pumpkin Clock STEM
Make a pumpkin clock with wires.
Why Do Apples Turn Brown?
Explore and talk with your child about why apples turn brown.
Books and Book Activities for Autumn
Reading with your child is always a great way to bond. Spending time with books will also help your kids on their way to literacy, making it another way to have educational fun.
Reading books that include the changing color of leaves, apples, and all the other frills of the changing season is a great autumn activity for toddlers.
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Retell Tree: A Peek Through Picture Book
This is a beautiful picture book that walks children through the four seasons.
There are so many more books that you can explore with your child!
You can check out this fantastic Fall Book List by Happily Ever Elephants or explore some of our other best choices below:
Apple Books for Autumn
- Apples for Everyone by Jill Esbaum
- Ten Apples Up On Top by Theo. LeSieg
- Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship by Edward Hemingway
- How Do Apples Grow? by Jill McDonald
Autumn Season Change Books
- Apples and Pumpkins by Ann Rockwell
- Autumn by Gurda Muller
- Because of an Acorn by Lola M. Schaefer
- Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland
- Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
- Leaves – by David Ezra Stein
- Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller
- How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara
- We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger
Autumn Activities are a Great Way to Learn and Play!
These different autumn activities for toddlers are great ways to help your kids learn through play and warm your hours as the days get colder.
Which preschool fall activity will you try out first?
Frequently Asked Questions
Preschoolers enjoy learning about the change of seasons, investigating fall leaves, and activities involving apples or pumpkins. Think about what interests your child and allow them to revisit favorite activities.
It’s fun to head outside in the fall and watch the natural environment change. My favorite fall activity is this outdoor sensory hunt, which collects nature for a fun collage.
The MVP of fall is this leaf-painting activity. I like to find an outside space to hang the kraft paper. Then, I leave this mural out to paint throughout the day!
