Preschool Fall Leaves and Trees Activities and Lesson Planning Ideas
Below you can find tons of fun and engaging preschool Leaves and Trees Activities! Pick and choose the activities for your lesson or download a free copy of our Topic Preschool Lesson Plan to save you time!
Club Members can download all of our Leaves and Trees Resources and their Leaves and Trees Theme Planning Guide for free! Not a member? Find out more about our membership!
Click on a button below to view a section-use the yellow arrow to return to the top!
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Preschool Leaves and Trees Theme Map
Use the suggested learning objectives and vocabulary ideas found our our theme map, along with our carefully selected educational activities below to help you plan your lessons! Purchase our coordinating easy to assemble printable activities and games to save even more time !
Free Leaves and Trees Preschool Plan
Sign up below to get a free copy of the plan we created using ideas found on this page!
Arts & Crafts Provide your preschoolers with a variety of fall colored play dough this week. Add Tree and Leaf cookie cutters to the art space. You can add Leaf Rubbings and Small twigs and leaves (both real, and paper/silk) to this space as well, and encourage them to incorporate them in their free art.
Coffee Filter LeavesThese coffee filter leaves belong to community member Darlene G. The Children used Coffee Filter leaves (that she cut out herself), eye droppers, and Red & Yellow watercolor paints to create these beauties.
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Leaf WreathsCommunity Member Jena L. contributed this photo of wreathes that her preschoolers made out of fall leaves.
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Raking Leaves Hand print SceneCommunity Member Lori C. shared this photo, her preschoolers used a print of their hand and arm to create a rake and fingerprints to create fall leaves. So cute!
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Leaf Rubbings
Have the child collect leaves from a walk, and create their own leaf rubbings. You’ll need a piece of paper, crayons and the collected leaves. This is a great process art activity.
Autumn Tree Cork Painting
This Pre-K book companion includes a template for creating a tree using paint stamping.
The story In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes is a fun book and great addition to this theme! The In the Middle of Fall Pre-K Book Companion set also includes questions and vocabulary for guiding discussion, a book review, and directions for the activity. |
Available in our shop!
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Splatter Paint with Leaves
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Place leaves on a paper, invite children to splatter paint, remove the leaves when complete. See all the details including how to make the splatter paint on our Splatter Paint Leaves blog post
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Try this!
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Paint on LeavesGo on a leaf hunt, gather leaves from the ground and then paint on them!
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Leaf & Cotton Swab ArtCombining mediums in art is so much fun and adds lots of texture. Glue down leaves that have been gathered from outside (make sure they are dry), then set out a variety of paint (colors that compliment the leaves or any other color desired!). Wrap a handful of cotton swaps with a rubber band (see our cotton swab paint tutorial here) dip in the paint and then stamp on the paper as desired.
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Enhance your Dramatic Play Space
Add some leaf decor and books about leaves and trees to your space.
Pull out leaf/tree puzzles. If you have incorporated a tree into your space-change out your "Summer" leaves into "Fall ones. If you plan on adding a tree to your space, consider adding velcro, so that the children can change out the leaves seasonally. Add some paper leaf bags, and rakes to your space-like your students would see at home.
Pull out leaf/tree puzzles. If you have incorporated a tree into your space-change out your "Summer" leaves into "Fall ones. If you plan on adding a tree to your space, consider adding velcro, so that the children can change out the leaves seasonally. Add some paper leaf bags, and rakes to your space-like your students would see at home.
Raking Leaves
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Add a "raking center" in your dramatic play space (you can purchase silk leaves at your Dollar Store or local craft store). Add some plastic rakes and a strip of indoor/outdoor carpet for a fun effect.
This precious Leaf Raking area was created by reader Tamara G. Elemeno Preschool
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From our Reader
Bethany F. created all kinds of dramatic play fall fun in a her space, including a felt pumpkin picking area, and leaf raking area!
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Falling Leaves
Pretend to be leaves falling from a tree. Enhance this activity by wearing fall leaf color smocks, and listening to some fun Autumn leaf inspired inspirational music on YouTube.
Tree House
Set up your dramatic play area to look like a tree house. You could use branches along the walls and several large cardboard boxes to create the house. Leave binoculars, games, etc. in the tree house for play.
Tree Small World Play Invitation
Encourage kids to create trees for the construction space. Provide them with a variety of recycled items to turn into small trees. You can purchase, or paint your own "tree" blocks for this space as well. Consider adding loose parts such as silk leaves, and pine cones to enhance their play.
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Build a Tree from a Cardboard Box
Provide your students with a large cardboard refrigerator box. Have them paint or color a large tree (Trunk, branches, and leaves) on the box. Cut out a large hole in the trunk for them to use for squirrel week.
Tree Challenge
Give children craft sticks, play dough and green beads. Challenge them to build a tree that stands up.
Build A Block Tree
Print off different pictures of trees. Cut the pictures into thirds. Tape each third on to a wooden block. Challenge students to match the pieces and build the different types of trees.
Letter MatchingCommunity member Laura M. shared this DIY leaf letter matching activity created from a felt place mat and silk leaves from the dollar tree.
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Invitation to Match LettersOur Friend Veronica wrote a guest post on how to create invitations to play by combining printables and loose parts! Here she set out our uppercase and lowercase sorting mats with wooden letters.
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Label the Parts of a TreeLabel the parts of a Tree with this activity found inside our Leaves and Trees Activity Pack
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Zoom in on Fall
Strong visual discrimination skills help young children help young children spot subtle differences between letters. Your students will have fun building this skill as they search for the fall items inside our Zoom In On Fall Activity .
*Letter MatchingSet up an invitation for preschoolers to work on matching letters. There are a variety of mats and pieces included to customize letter matching practice uppercase-to-uppercase, lowercase-to-lowercase, or uppercase-to-lowercase. Included in the Leaves & Trees Activity Pack
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Fall Word Wall Activities
Introduce your preschoolers to syllables with this sorting game included in the Fall Word Wall Activities Pack. Setup is easy and the hands-on components support engagement.
Leaf Name Craft
Here's a fun way to get in some theme related name practice! Use this page from the Editable Name Activities Pack for children to practice building their name.
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Make Your Own Nature Letters
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Make Your Own Nature Letters with twigs, sticks and leaves for some nature based learning fun! During the preschool years there is a lot of focus on learning the alphabet. The alphabet takes center stage in singing songs, reading books and practicing letter sounds; with the ultimate goal of helping preschoolers identify and learn to write letters!
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Try this!
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We're going on a Leaf Hunt
Red, Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
Fletcher (The Fox) and the Falling Leaves
The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward
How do you know It's Fall? by Lisa M Herrington
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard
Learning About Trees by Catherine Veitch
A Tree is a plant by Clyde Robert Bulla
Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
Red, Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
Fletcher (The Fox) and the Falling Leaves
The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward
How do you know It's Fall? by Lisa M Herrington
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard
Learning About Trees by Catherine Veitch
A Tree is a plant by Clyde Robert Bulla
Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
*Color Sorting LeavesInvite your preschoolers to practice sorting and classification with this activity from the Leaves and Trees Activity Pack.
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Fall Tree Counting Mats 1-10Member Cassandra shared our Fall tree counting mats 1-10 without frames being used in her program, she paired our mats with fun mini leaves for this activity.
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Leaf color MatchingMember Alina shared this adorable invitation to sort leaves by color using the printables from the Leaves & Trees Activity Pack
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Tree Ring Counting Match-UpPractice Counting tree rings with this math activity found inside the PKPF Leaves and Trees activity pack
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Fall PatterningWork on patterning skills with an engaging fall theme!
This Fall Patterning Set works great for this theme and is easy to use. |
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This graph is included in our Leaves & Trees Activity Pack
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Count Points on LeavesGather up some leaves then count up all the points on each, make comparisons between each. Are there more points on small leaves or large?
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You can turn silk leaves into "Felt Board" activities, or add them to your Sensory Table for some fall fun. You can also turn simple Bulletin Board Leaf Cut-outs into a matching game (if you are unable to procure a variety of leaves in your neighborhood).
Tree Sensory BinAdd leaves, pine cones, pieces of bark, pine needles, etc and let children explore the tree parts. You can place in your science center or inside of your sensory bin.
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Leaf Specimen Activity
Use this free Leaf Specimen printable from PKPF to record and document your leaf specimens. This activity helps young children start to identify different characteristics of living objects. Many discussions can be had about the changing seasons, as well as the similarities of their specimens they have collected.
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Parts of a Tree
Set up an invitation to build a tree with this activity found inside our Leaves and Trees Activity Pack.
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Leaf and Tree Inspired Sensory BinsCommunity Member Stacy set up this colorful invitation with dyed rice. I love how she set up the rice bin with colors to match fall leaves.
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Fall Sensory Bin
Our community members always share so many wonderful sensory invitations!
Andrea set up the invitation to include a variety of items in fall colors along with cinnamon sticks, pine cones, and gourds. |
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Leaf Sensory Bin
Bonnie of Miss Bonnie's Happy Campers Home Daycare created the bin with a variety of dry leaves for the kids to explore.
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*Changing Seasons of a TreeExamine the trees then place them in order by season. While studying the cards talk about the differences between them. Follow up this activity by studying the trees in your area; support historical thinking by challenging children to consider how the trees have changed over the year. What did they look like when they were running through the sprinklers? Around Easter? When there was snow on the ground?
part of the Leaves & Trees Activity Pack |
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Fall Squishy Bags
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This easy to do activity just requires water, food coloring, either silk or real leaves, and feel free to add some glitter. Check out this blog post for a tutorial.
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*Leaf Shape Clip Cards. These leaf shape clip cards can be found in our Leaves and Trees Activity Pack.
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Leaf RakingCommunity member Laurie Cheney shared this lovely photo! There is something magical about raking fall leaves on a crisp fall morning into a big pile-and of course jumping into them.
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Tree & Leaves Pre-Writing PracticeMember Alina set up this invitation to practice pre-writing skills. Using a sand tray to recreate the lines on the page is a creative way to engage preschoolers in practicing following a line. You can find this Pre-writing/cutting practice page in our Leaves & Trees Activity Pack
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ABC Leaf Hunt
This game would work well with the Letter Matching File Folder Game printables from the Leaves and Trees pack. Place the leaves with the alphabet on them all around the room, be sure to consider spots where children need to crouch, crawl, reach high, or jump to get them working their large muscles.
As children find pieces have them add them to the letter mat on top of the matching letter.
As children find pieces have them add them to the letter mat on top of the matching letter.
Fall Leaves with Play DoughPlay Dough Activities are great for building fine motor skills! Our Fall Play Dough Mats Set has a variety of designs for an easy hands-on activity.
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Roll and Color LeavesBuild fine motor skills with this fun Roll & Color Leaves Activity found inside our Leaves & Trees Activity Pack
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Leaf Cutting Bin
Add leaves to your sensory bin with some scissors and invite the child to practice cutting, a great fine motor activity!
Leaf Jumping
For this activity you will need big cut outs of leaves, and encourage the child to practice hopping from leaf to leaf.
Follow That Leaf
With painters tape or chalk create a tree outline with branches that go in several directions and are different lines. Put a leaf at the end of each "branch" Have students follow the lines to get to the leaves and collect them.
Stump Path
Gather several different sized stumps and set up and obstacle course with them. All students to climb on and jump from stump to stump.
Discuss: What grows on Trees in your area?
Learn about the fruits and nuts that are grown on trees in your area.
Leaf Blowing Calm Down Activity
Introduce gently blowing on a leaf as a calm down strategy.
Children can focus on their breathing and observe how the leaf moves.
Children can focus on their breathing and observe how the leaf moves.
Create a Family Tree
Talk about a family tree and what it is. You can create a big classroom tree where each student can add a picture of their family or create individual family trees!
Leaf Investigation
Take a neighborhood walk and talk about all the changing colors on the trees, the child can collect some leaves and investigate the difference in the leaves.
Group Time, Snack Ideas, Family Engagement, Educator Tools and More!
Leaves Sign-In ActivityWelcome your students to class with this engaging name recognition activity.
Includes a variety of themes and available in the shop! |
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Group Discussion
Have a group discussion about the changes that happen in fall
(Seasonal Changes, Clothing, Holidays, and Events).
(Seasonal Changes, Clothing, Holidays, and Events).
Fall Circle Time Rhyme
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Read Aloud: Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
Lois Ehlert has many wonderful children's books with lovely illustrations and stories that are pleasant to read to young children. Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf is just one of them. Read this book aloud to your group and explore the colorful images on each page. As you read ask children what they notice on each page.
Consider following this activity with the Coffee Filter Leaves exploration shown above in the Art & Creativity section. As children create make connections to the book and describe how Ehlert used watercolors in her illustrations.
Learn more about this wonderful author with this Interview with Lois Ehlert on Reading Rockets. You can pick up her book Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf in my book shop.
Consider following this activity with the Coffee Filter Leaves exploration shown above in the Art & Creativity section. As children create make connections to the book and describe how Ehlert used watercolors in her illustrations.
Learn more about this wonderful author with this Interview with Lois Ehlert on Reading Rockets. You can pick up her book Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf in my book shop.
Leaf Ordering Activity
Have the children go on a leaf hunt to find a leaf. After the find their leaves, have everyone sit in a circle. Ask the children questions about the size of their leaves (Who has: a large leaf, small leaf, the biggest/smallest). Have the children work together to order their leaves from smallest to largest.
Family Engagement
Ask each family to take a photo of a tree they have in their yard and send it in with their child.
As a group compare the trees. Are any of them the same? What are the similarities and differences in the trees? Ask the children to each share something about the tree. It could be information about the tree or a memory they have related to the tree.
As a group compare the trees. Are any of them the same? What are the similarities and differences in the trees? Ask the children to each share something about the tree. It could be information about the tree or a memory they have related to the tree.
Assessment Opportunities
Here are some suggested assessments to carry out during activity engagement with this theme:
- Art & Creativity: Creates art using a variety of tools and techniques (coffee filter art)
- Mathematics: Matches numbers to sets of objects (counting tree rings)
- Science & Discovery: Describes changes in the environment (changing seasons of a tree)
- Language & Literacy: With support identifies & discriminates syllables in words (syllable sort)
Trees through the Year
Make a Year long project where you study a tree in your yard. Take a photo of your child in front of the tree during each season, at the end of the year put the photos together in a collage and talk about the changes together.
Fall Skills Binder
Fall can be a busy time for many families. Binder activities are fantastic for creating engaging learning opportunities while on the go. The Fall Skills Binder is easy to assemble and has a variety of activities you can take with you anywhere!
Fruits that grow on trees
Go through your refrigerator to identify fruits that grow on trees. Taste some for a healthy snack!
