8 Fun Fall Activities for Little Learners
It’s finally FALL, y’all! Autumn is my absolute FAVORITE time of year because I just LOVE everything little thing about it. So, naturally, I wanted to share my 8 favorite activities to do with little ones in the fall! Scroll down to check out these quick, fun ways to play and learn this fall.
1. Fall Books
READING!! I know that sounds so simple, but little ones LOVE to be snuggled up with you to read. And, the more you read for yourself AND read to them, the more they see that behavior modeled and want to try it too. I’ve linked to some of my all-time FAVORITE fall books HERE (FOR LITTLES) and HERE (FOR KINDER).
Sensory bins are a GREAT way to get your kiddos learning and playing at the same time. I love pulling out a container of dry beans and adding in some buttons, mini erasers, or even just different-colored beans! My little guy loves to just dig his hands in there and play.
You can create sensory bins by tossing your favorite filler (like dry beans, rice, oats, pasta, etc.) into a container and then adding a fun activity or learning component to it. My little guy is 2 and we usually use dry pinto beans with a matching activity to practice matching pictures, letters, or numbers. These activities are the ones we use most often for sensory bins in the fall. :) You can check out this free fall sensory bin too!
Busy books are my new favorite way to learn about ALL THE THINGS. Haha! You can attach the pages to a Target blank book or even just a small journal or notebook and keep all the activities in one spot. They make great activities for taking in the car, on road trips, or to stay busy waiting somewhere, like the doctor or a repair shop. The fall busy book we’ve been playing with this year are HERE!
Little ones are ALWAYS practicing their fine motor skills whenever they’re doing something with their hands and all those muscles that control small movements. But, adding in some fun activities to intentionally practice fine motor skills can really help your kiddos develop these skills quickly AND while having so much fun. We’ve been playing with these fall-themed fine motor activities and LOVING THEM! You can also find a bunch of new ideas for fall fine motor skills HERE.
Something else we do together all year round is hands-on centers. This basically means any kind of activity that has your little ones using their hands, bodies, and brains all together to complete an activity. As kids get older, activities tend to get less “hands-on” and more paper/pencil related. And, while there’s nothing wrong with paper/pencil activities, it’s usually best for younger kids to learn through playing and using their bodies to practice and internalize new skills. SO, hands-on centers give us a fun way to play and learn WHILE using our bodies. We do a lot of sorting, matching, running back and forth from one spot to another, playing games, and singing songs to learn the early literacy and math skills that my kiddo needs to learn. These fall-themed centers make up the bulk of the learning activities that we do together and they’re perfect for toddlers and young preschoolers.
Practicing letters is another activity that I feel you just can’t get enough of! Your little ones will benefit so much from being exposed to letters as early as possible. Pointing out and naming letters as you go through your day is a great way to build early literacy skills. Another way we’ve been learning letters is through playing with some simple puzzles and matching activities! These letter puzzles and this free autumn alphabet match activity are simple enough for little ones to play with, but definitely will build your learners’ letter knowledge and recognition.
Going on a scavenger hunt is the best way to spice up something that seems “normal” in my opinion. Haha! So, by adding the idea that there’s a purpose for a walk or a certain kind of book, you add a WHOLE lot of fun into what previously may have been “just a walk” or “just reading a book”. So, we use these scavenger hunts to look for these fall things in real life, like on walks or at the park or while running errands, as well as when we read books and need to add a little more intrigue. This fall scavenger hunt comes with a variety of options that can all be used while exploring the world or books.
8. Fall Freebies
And last, but DEFINITELY not least, FREE ACTIVITIES!! Fall, fun, AND free?! Where do I sign up?! :) So, in case you like fall and free as much as I do, check out these fun fall activities that are totally FREE and great for little ones. Click any title below to hop right to the resource!
Fall Beginning & Ending Sounds
Fall Beginning Sound Sensory Bin Freebie
I hope these ideas and activities will help you and your little learners enjoy this beautiful time of year while playing and learning together! Feel free to drop a comment below or email me if you have questions or if I can help with anything. So happy to do that!
Cheering you on and happy fall, y’all!
