Looking for fun ways to enjoy fall with your preschoolers? Whether it is sunny, windy, or rainy, autumn is full of opportunities to slow down, connect, and explore. From jumping into leaf piles outdoors to baking sweet treats in the kitchen, these simple seasonal activities are perfect for making memories and supporting your child’s growth and development.
Look at some of these suggested fall activities for preschoolers and how they support your child’s learning using concepts from Bright Horizons’ Discovery Driven Learning ® educational approach.
1. Fall nature collection
Go out to your backyard or to your nearest park and collect a bunch of leaves, sticks, acorns, and rocks! Once home, sort each item by color, shapes, and sizes with your child. This simple activity introduces early STEM concepts like classification, comparison, and observation—perfect for curious little minds.
2. Leaf art creations
Collect leaves of all shapes and sizes with your child, then let them explore their creativity with paper and paint. They can use leaves as stamps or brushes to create unique patterns. This open-ended art activity supports fine motor skills and creative expression.
3. Pumpkin decorating
Instead of carving pumpkins this year, try having your child decorate it with different art materials. You can provide your child with paint, pipe-cleaners, pom-poms, googly eyes, stickers, and let their creativity run. It’s a safe, mess-free way to celebrate fall while encouraging imaginative play and design thinking.
4. Pumpkin potion science experiment
Get your lab coats and goggles on because we are about to dig into a fun science experiment! Cut out the top of your pumpkin and carve out all the seeds, creating a pumpkin bowl! Place the pumpkin into a shallow bin or tray and let your child scoop up baking soda into the pumpkin. On the side, mix a few drops of watercolor into your vinegar and have your child slowly pour the vinegar into the pumpkin until the mixture bubbles up and flows over.
Throughout this activity, engage your child in questions and discuss observations. You do not need to be an expert in STEM to lead children to discovery. Your own curiosity and ‘I wonder’ attitude encourages children to ask questions and empowers them to find answers. The real joy in STEM comes from learning alongside your child and sharing those “aha” moments with them.
Some questions you can ask your preschooler to start conversations and spark curiosity:
- “What do you think is happening to our mixture?”
- “Why do you think this is happening?”
- “What does it smell like?”
Tip: Wash and save your pumpkin seeds for other fun fall themed projects!
5. Name tracing
Remember those pumpkin seeds we told you to save? Get ready to use them in this activity! On a piece of paper, write your child’s name in big letters. Encourage your child to trace their names with the glue and place individual pumpkin seeds on top. This helps your child practice recognizing their own name!
6. Fall-themed sensory bins
Create sensory bins with autumn textures and colors for your child to explore with. Try these combinations:
- Fall essentials: Pinecones, leaves, sticks, and acorns
- Fall color themed: Brown, yellow, orange, red colored dry pasta, pom-poms, shredded paper
- Interactive: Small bowls, popcorn kernels, mini pumpkins, shovels, and muffin tins
This activity is one of many great ways for sensory exploration and developing fine motor skills.
7. DIY music makers
Do not throw away toilet paper tubes…instead, use them to create fun instruments with your preschooler. Glue a piece of paper to one end of the tube and fill it up with popcorn kernels, rice, or dried pasta. Seal the other end with another piece of paper. You can have your child decorate their shaker with stickers or markers for a little extra fun!
Shake away to create fun music to dance with this fall!
8. Fall baking fun
Hop into the kitchen with your little one and create fun treats to share with your family and friends this fall.
Here are some simple recipes you can try recreating:- Pumpkin Pretzels: Mix orange fruit coloring into yogurt and dip your pretzels. Freeze for an hour and place any small green candy on top (for the stem)!
- Fall cookies: Bake your favorite cookie recipe and use fall themed cookie cutters to create fun shapes! Have your child decorate each cookie with fall colored icing!
- Pumpkin Pies: Bake a delicious pumpkin pie with your preschooler and bring it to your next family gathering!
Baking is a great interactive way to expose your child to simple math concepts through measuring, counting, and following instructions!
9. Cozy fall story time
Reading is a great way to integrate language experience and a fun and simple way to learn, build language skills and support cognitive development. Grab a blanket and snuggle up with your child to read books about the Fall season.
Some great books to consider reading:- Pete the Cat: Falling for Autumn
- We are Going on a Leaf Hunt
- The Leaf Thief
10. Nature walk discoveries
Grab your coat and a pair of magnifying glasses! Go on a nature walk to discover all the wonders of fall. Encourage your preschooler to use their magnifying glasses to observe small insects and discover patterns on outdoor objects! Every outdoor adventure is a chance to spark curiosity and discovery.
As you explore these hands-on activities this fall, you are not only making memories, but also nurturing your child’s curiosity, creativity, and confidence through concepts implemented into Discovery Driven Learning.
We hope these fall themed activities for preschoolers inspire cozy moments, big smiles, and lots of discovery along the way.
