Autumn – the most wonderful time of the year! Apple cider, pumpkin spice, cooler weather, leaf piles, and pumpkins! Fall holds a special place in the hearts of many children and is nostalgic for many adults too. To create an incredibly fun fall mood for the kiddos, try any of the following fun fall literacy activities:
Chalk it Up
Go outside and gather a lot of leaves or acorns. Ask your child to use them to make a letter of the alphabet. Then use sidewalk chalk to trace the letter. Bonus points for thinking of a word that starts with the same letter!
You Better Beleaf It
Gather 26 fallen leaves from outside and clean them off if needed. On each leaf, use a thick black or silver Sharpie marker and write each letter of the alphabet on them (parents can do this for younger children). Have your child spell out vocabulary or sight words with the leaves!
Pumpkin Grab and Cover
Draw a large pumpkin on a piece of paper and write out several letters inside the pumpkin. Say a letter out loud, then have your little one grab a pumpkin seed and cover that letter.
Candy Corn Letters
Let children use candy corn to spell out their weekly spelling word lists or required sight words. A great activity after dinner so she can eat the candy after spelling the words correctly!
Pumpkin Life Cycle
Teach your little ones new vocabulary that stems from (pun intended) the pumpkin life cycle. New words can include seed, sprout, vine, flower, stem, and more!
Bobbing for Adjectives
Gather red, green, and yellow apples in a large container filled with water. Time to start bobbing! After each bob, have kiddos write down words that describe each apple. What color is it? Does it have a stem or spots? Is it hard? Get creative!
Thank You Letters
Write thank you letters to family and friends around Thanksgiving time. Not only can you teach your children about letter and envelope formatting, but you can also teach them about the importance of gratitude.
Spiders Beware
If you’re not too scared, buy a bag of plastic Halloween spiders from a dollar store. Lay a pile out in front of you and your kiddo. Using the spiders, craft an uppercase letter and then have your little one craft the lowercase version of it. Try it vice-versa and with different letters!
