Fall Fun for your Daycare Classroom!

The fall season is in full swing. With the world becoming a sea of color and the weather turning fair, this is the perfect time for a little outdoor fun with the children. Don’t waste such a great opportunity to feed your students minds and capture their imaginations. The new season is a chance to teach your students about the natural world they see changing around them, as well as the significance of the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday. Here are two fun outdoor activities that can be used as excellent teaching tools.

Fall Leaf Wreath

What you will need:

Scissors, Glue, Markers, Paper plates (6 inches or 9 inches), Leaves

The first step to this little project is to take your students on a little field trip outside. Just find some trees, and let them collect leaves off the ground. Make sure to take this time to teach them about the fall season and why the leaves are such pretty colors. Once every student has a good number of leaves (at least ten) take everyone back inside to build their wreaths.

Now you can start crafting their wreaths! Begin by making sure every student has a paper plate. Have them fold the plate in half, and cut a half circle shape out of it. This is the base of their wreath. Next, have them color in the ring with fall colors using color markers. If they are old enough have them cover the ring in drawings of leaves they saw outside. Now they just have to glue the leaves they collected onto the plate ring. Once the glue dries they will have their very own handmade fall wreath!

You can even let the kids put other things they find, like acorns or pine cones, onto the wreath for a bit more character.

Now that your students all have their own nature wreaths, be sure to hang them up in the class room. These wreaths go great with the Paper Plate Turkeys from this post (space holder). Just string them together and hang them around the room.

Pet Plymouth Rock

What you will need:

Paint, Rocks, Permanent Marker, Tape

Here is another simple and easy craft that can be used to teach your students some of the history of Thanksgiving. Everyone knows the story of Plymouth Rock, so take your kids outside to find their very own! It is best to use rocks from a nearby creek if possible, but any rock will do.

Once your students have had a fun morning of finding their very own Pet Plymouth Rock and learning all about the pilgrims and the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s time to go inside for decorations. Don't forget to wash the rocks very well and dry them off before beginning the craft.

Now that everyone has a nice, clean pet rock, have each student tell you something they are thankful for and write it on one side of their rock in permanent marker. Then cover that in a piece of masking tape. Now let them have a ball painting and decorating their new pets. When they are done not only will they have a neat little keepsake, but a reminder of why we celebrate Thanksgiving.

We would love to see pictures of your students Pet Plymouth Rocks and Fall Leaf Wreaths! You can share these with us on our Facebook page. Give us a “thumbs up” to receive all PureFUN! updates on our page.

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