Fall Fun!

Fall Fun

Projects 

Stamped Cork Fall Tree

Cut a tree trunk from brown paper

Prepare red, yellow and orange paint and 3 wine corks

Directions: 

Glue the tree trunk to a piece of white paper.

Press the corks into the paint and press onto the paper to make leaves!

Ripped Paper Fall Tree

Cut a tree trunk from brown construction paper

Type and print:  In the Fall, the leaves fall off the tree!

Directions:

Rip small pieces of red orange and yellow construction paper

Glue the tree trunk to a 5x7 piece of blue construction paper

Glue the "leaves" to the tree

Glue the poem to the bottom of the tree

 

Fall Leaf Man

Cut out a leaf shape

Cut out strips of black paper for the arms and legs- accordion fold the strips of paper

Type and print:  If I were a leaf, I would . . .

Directions: 

Glue googly eyes to the leaf

Draw a mouth and nose on the leaf man

Finish the sentence

Staple the arms and legs on the leaf man

Staple the finished sentence to the leaf man

 

 

Learning Activities 

Pumpkin Seed Counting Story

Skills:  MathCounting, one-to-one matching, number recognition

Here is the link to this printable book

We used a light pink stamp pad to make the pumpkin seeds on each page

 Leaf Counting Book

Skills:  number writing, counting,  number recognition, name writing

Trace and cut out out a leaf shape to make this book

Directions:

Write the numbers 1-5 on the top of the leaves

Stick the appropriate number of  fall sticker/s on each page

Write your name and  1-5 on the cover

 

 

Acorn Shape Match
Skills:  shape recognition, matching, pasting
Cut acorn shapes from brown and tan construction paper - brown for the top and tan for the bottom.  Draw matching shapes on the top and bottom of each acorn
Directions:
Match the shapes and glue the acorns to the paper

Acorn Number Match
Skills:  number writing, one-to-one correspondence, number recognition, counting,
This is a variation of the acorn shape match
Directions:
Roll two die and add them together
Write the sum on the top part of the acorn
Draw the same number of dots on the bottom of the acorn
Glue the acorn halves to a piece of paper

 

  

Fall Tree Words

Skills:  sight word reading, gluing

Trace hand on a blue piece of paper - color with brown marker

Cut out different colored leaves (I did 6 leaves)

Write sight words on the leaves

Directions:

Read each leaf and then glue it to the tree

 

 

Apple Fun!

Apple Fun

Projects/Learning Activities

Apple Mobile

Skills:  pasting, following directions, color recognition

I had a template for this -from who know where!

I traced and cut out two of each piece.  Tana and Addie cut out some of the pieces too.

We taped a piece of yarn down the middle of each piece and then glued the matching pieces on top to create the apple mobile!

 Book Connection

Apple Trouble

By: Ragnhild Scamell and Mechael Terry

 

Craft Stick Apple

Skills:  Gluing,  writing name, counting

Glue 6 red, craft sticks to a piece of tagboard (just enough to keep the craft sticks secure)

Cut a stem from green, craft foam and glue onto the craft sticks

Write child's name on the bottom

 

a is for Apple!

Skills: 

 lowercase a, letter writing, writing, color recognition, cutting, pasting, counting, following directions

Draw a lowercase a onto red, construction paper

Draw a leaf and stem shape onto green and brown construction paper

Cut out 5 seeds from black construction paper

Directions:

Cut the letter a out

Cut out the stem and leaf

Glue the a and stem and leaf to a piece of white construction paper

Glue the 5 seeds in the "belly" of the a

Write - a is for . . . .

 

Paper Plate Apple Core!

Skills:  painting, counting, following directions, color recognition

Cut a paper plate to look like an apple core

Cut out brown stems and green leaves

Directions: 

Pain the top and the bottom of the plate red

Press fingertips into a black ink pad to make the seeds

When dry, staple the stem and leaf to the top of the apple core

Book Connection

The Fall Festival

By Mercer May

My Name!

My Name

Projects/Learning Activities

Name Train

Skills:  name recognition and forming

pasting, counting, square identification, following directions

Print and cut out a train engine (or draw one!)

Cut out different colored construction squares for the boxcars.

Cut a 9x13 piece of construction paper in half

Gather foam letters for each child's name

Directions:

Glue the engine onto a half piece of 9x13 construction paper

Glue the box cars behind the engine - 1 for each letter of your name

Dip a glue stick cover into black paint and press onto each boxcar 2 times (the wheels)

Press your index finger into the paint and press into the middle of each circle.

Make your name - sticking the letters on the boxcars

 

Book Connection:  Chugga Chugga Choo Choo 

By: Kevin Lewis

 

Name Tree

Skills:  pasting, name writing, color identification, counting, following directions

Cut a brown tree trunk from construction paper

Cut leaves from colored construction paper (enough for the letters in your child's/children's name/s)

Directions:

Glue the tree trunk to a piece of construction paper

Glue the leaves around the tree trunk.

Write your name on the leaves - 1 letter for each leaf.

 

 

Book Connection: Leaf Trouble

By:  Jonathan Emmett 

Name Apple Prints

Skills:  name writing and recognition, following directions

Cut an apple in half

Dip the apple half into red paint and press onto a piece of green construction paper

Make the same number apple prints as letters in your name!

Let dry - write your name. 

 

Tana's Name Print!

 Book Connection:  Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple

By:  A.H. Benjamin and Gwyneth Williamson

 

Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom Names

Skills:  name recognition and ordering, following directions, counting, name writing, pasting

Cut out 4 green leaves/branches and fringe the edges

Cut out a brown tree trunk and accordion fold

Cut out two brown coconuts.

Type and print: 

Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom!

Will there be enough room?

________has _____

letters in his/her name!

Directions:

Glue the tree trunk onto yellow construction paper

Glue the 4 leaves/branches around the trunk

Glue the 2 coconuts in the middle of the trunk and branches

Stick the letters to your name around the branches and or trunk in order

Write your name on the line

Count the letters in your name and write that number on the line

Glue the poem to the bottom of your tree!

 

Book Connection: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

By:  Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

 

 

 

Back To School

Back To School

Projects

Craft Stick Pencil

Paint one tip of a large craft stick pink

Paint the middle yellow

Let dry

Draw the lead with black permanent marker

Use a fine tip permanent marker to write each child's name

 

Name Pencil

Paint 4 small craft sticks yellow

Let dry and glue together

Cut a triangle out of tan craft foam

Glue the triangle to the painted craft sticks

Color in a black tip with black permanent marker

Add foam letters to spell out each child's name



 

Name Crayons

Cut a crayon shape out of colored construction paper.

Use black marker to decorate the crayon.

Draw an oval in the middle of the crayon and write or have the child write his/her name.

 

 

Learning Activities

Shape Buses

shape recognition, name Identification and writing, color recognition, gluing, cutting, following directions, counting

Cut out a yellow bus shape, 3 black squares, 1 long, black rectangle and 2 black circles. (Older children can cut out the bus and shapes by themselves)

On a 5x7 piece of colored construction  paper give the following directions:

Glue the bus on the paper.

Find the 3  squares and glue each square to the top of the bus.

Find the  rectangle and glue it underneath the squares.

Find the 2 circles and glue them to the bus for wheels.

Write your name on the bus.  (For older children)

Other questions:

What color is the bus?

Find the 2 circles:

Find the squares?

Find the rectangle?

Count the squares, the circles?

What color are the squares, rectangle and circles?

 

My Name Is : Buses

Name recognition, name writing, gluing, following directions, pasting, shape recognition

Create a page that says:  My Name Is: 

Leave a blank spot on the top of the paper for he bus

Cut out a small yellow square, a yellow rectangle - for the bus

3 black squares

Directions:

Glue the yellow rectangle onto the paper

Glue the yellow square in front of the rectangle

Glue the 3 black squares on the top of the bus - for windows

Dip a lid into black paint - we used a glue stick cover - press it on the bottom of the bus 2 times for the wheels. 

Dip your finger into the black paint and press it in the middle of each wheel.

Draw a line under the windows with black marker.

Write your name on the line.  (For younger children you will write the name)

 

Paper Backpacks

Writing, name recognition

Cut a backpack shape out of construction paper

Cut an oval out of construction paper

Cut 2 strips for the straps and 1 curved handle

Glue all pieces onto the back pack

EARLY PRESCHOOL:  Name recognition and making your name

Use foam letters to spell out  child's first name

PRESCHOOL - Type and print a form that says:  My favorite thing about school is

 

I am on the bus!

writing, drawing people, gluing, following directions, reading

Create a document that says:

__________ is on the bus (3x's)

I am on the bus!

Cut a bus shape out of yellow construction paper

Cut out 3 white squares - for the windows and 2 black circles - for the wheels

Have your child:

Glue the paper onto a piece of colored construction paper.

Brainstorm people who ride the bus.

Write names on the lines.

Read about who is on the bus

Glue the bus above their writing.

Glue the 3 white squares for the windows.

Glue the wheels on the bus.

Draw the people they named in their writing.

Draw a bus driver or themselves.

Write School on the bus

 

 

Songs

The Wheels on the Bus

 

 

 

 

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

 

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

Projects

Waterbottle Glo-Bugs

Wrap an empty, plastic water bottle in green construction paper

Secure with tape

Punch 4 holes into the green paper

Wrap chenille stems to make the feet and place them through the holes

Cut wings out from yellow construction paper

Decorate/color the wings

Staple the wings to the green construction paper

Glue on bead eyes or googly eyes

Wrap a chenille stem around the neck of the bottle to form the antenna

Place a Glow Stick inside the bottle

The Full Effect of the Glo -Bugs!

 

The finished products!

Craft Stick Fireflies

Glue one colored craft stick on top of two different colored craft sticks to make the body & the wings

Glue on googly eyes or beads (for the eyes)

 

Craft Stick Ladybug

Glue together 3 black craft sticks and 2 red craft sticks to make the body

Glue a black craft stick on top of the body

Add black dots to the red craft sticks

Glue on googly eyes and black pipe cleaners

 

Clothespin Fireflies

Decorate the top of a clothespin with markers

Glue 2 colored craft sticks - in an X on the clothespin to make the wings

Glue on 2 googly eyes  

 

 Milk Bottle Cap Bugs!

Draw a half moon with black permanent marker and color it in

Glue 2 googly eyes on the half moon shape

Draw dots/circles with a black, permanent marker

 

Clothespin Grasshoppers

Paint a clothespin - let dry

Cut 2 - 3 inch pieces and 2 - 6 inch pieces from  floral wire

Hot glue the ends of the 3 inch pieces on the front opening of the clothespin and the 2 6 inch pieces on the back of the clothespin opening

Glue a googly eye on each side of the clothespin

Bend the floral wire to create your grasshopper 

 

 

Learning Activities

Counting Lightning Bugs

Math - counting, one-to-one correspondence

Addition, plus one

Pre-K:  Say the number and add the appropriate number of "lightning bugs"

Kindergarten/1st Grade:  write in + 1 after each number

Find the sum and draw the lightning bugs

Here is the link to this activity

 

Addie doing the Pre-K activity

 

The Kindergarten + 1 Variation

 

Firefly Shake

Math - counting, addition, one-to-one correspondence

I don't remember where I got this activity from - Maybe The Mailbox Magazine ?

I have about a dozen of these Firefly pictures laminated that I keep in an old, clean PB jar along with the directions and dice. 

Directions:  Dump the Firefly pictures out on the floor

Roll the dice

Count the dots on the dice and pick up the same number of fireflies and place them in the jar.

When all of the fireflies are in the jar sing this song -

To the tune of Shoo Fly

Fireflies are fun to see

Fireflies are fun to see

Fireflies are fun to see

But now it's time to set them free!

(dump out the Fireflies and start again)

 



I modified this game to make it more difficult by using two dice and adding the numbers!

 

Insects - Observe and Draw!

Science - insects

Here is the link to this activity

I modified this activity by only doing a couple of the parts

 

 Observations

 Dragonfly Pictures

 

Fun With Experiments and Science!

 

Fun With Experiments and Science

Experiments

Absorbing Science

Fill 2 cups with water

Add blue dye to one cup and yellow dye to the other

Place an empty cup in between the two cups

Roll 2 paper towels

Place 1 end of the towel into the blue dye and one end of the other towel in the yellow dye

Bend both the towels and put the loose ends into the empty cup and watch to see what happens!

I had the kids make predictions and they were right - and amazed!

Before

 The colored water absorbs into the towel and travels up and then into the empty cup.  The blue and yellow dye's mix to make green water!!

After

Crazy Corks
Take a plastic bottle - we used a water bottle.
Use a funnel to add a spoonful of baking soda to the bottle.
Carefully, pour vinegar in the bottle.
Place a cork in the bottle and see what happens.

 

The vinegar and baking soda mix together to create a chemical reaction, creating carbon dioxide.   The gas in the bottle builds up and has nowhere to go, so it will eventually blow the cork right out of the bottle!

Flat George
This is from Family Fun Magazine - the February 2009 issue
You will need:
a crisp dollar bill
4 quarters
glass bottle with an opening smaller than the coins.
Set them up like the photo below
Use one finger to slip the dollar out without spilling the coins.

The set-up

Connor karate chopping the dollar bill

 

*This is how we did it*
Use your index finger to quickly strike the dollar bill near the quarters - like a karate chop
The coins will stay in place but the bill will slide out.
 
 Make a Magic Loop
This activity comes from the March 2006 issue of Family Fun Magazine
From a large piece of paper, cut a 2-inch-wide strip that is about 2 feet long
Bring the ends of the strip together to form a loop, but turn over one end before taping it to the other end

Cut the strip in half down the center.  You might expect to get 2 separate loops, but you don't!
Try to cut it down the center again and see what happens

 

 Adding a twist to the loop makes a shape called a Mobius strip. 

 

 

Make Your Own Bouncy Ball

In one bowl mix 1/2 tsp of borax and 2 Tablespoons of warm water - you can add food coloring if you like - this will be called your Borax Bowl

In the 2nd bowl dump in 1 tablespoon of white glue - this will be your Ball Mixture Bowl

Then add 1/2 tsp of the borax solution into the Ball Mixture Bowl

Next Add 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch to the Ball Mixture Bowl

Do Not Mix -  let it sit for 10-15 seconds

After 10-15 seconds mix until it becomes hard

Take the substance out of the bowl and knead it until it has become well molded and is formed like a ball

Store in a Zip-Lock bag so it doesn't dry out

 

Our mess and the supplies

                           The 3 kiddos with their bouncy balls                               The boys rolling and kneading their bouncy balls