FALL: Snapping, Clapping Poems for Kids
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ACTIVITIES
THE THREE MONTHS OF FALL
Science—Conduct mini-research about why leaves change color and fall to the ground in autumn. Read aloud Why Do Leaves Change Color by Betsy Maestro, a picture book that explains this process.
https://www.amazon.com/Leaves-Change-Lets-Read-Find-Out-Science/dp/0062382012/ref=reader_auth_dp
Field Study & Art—Make fall centerpieces. Go on a nature walk and gather leaves, pine cones, grasses, rocks, etc. Help your child press his/her finds into a base of Styrofoam. Then, spray paint the finished creation gold, or leave natural.
A VERY STRANGE WEEK
Plant Lifecycles—Visit a pumpkin patch or grocery store and purchase a large pumpkin. Study it closely and discuss how a pumpkin grows. (They grow on vines.) Discuss the various ways pumpkins are uses. (For baking, carving, decoration, etc.)
Write & Illustrate—Draw/color pictures based on the text from the poem—one stanza per picture. Have young children write/copy the day of the week that goes with their picture; more advanced children might try writing the entire stanza.
COUNTDOWN TO AUTUMN
Innovations—Together, rewrite the poem changing the main nouns. So, ten geese flying might become ten leaves falling or ten turkeys talking, and so on.
Art—Make colored glue pictures. Put a few drops of food coloring (orange works great) into a small bottle of liquid, white glue. On black construction paper, invite your child to create a Halloween, or fall picture, using the glue bottle as the writing implement. Let dry overnight, then display.
FALL IS FALL
Rhythm & Drama—Together, chant the poem. Chant again, adding clapping. Chant again, pausing to give the children time to act out any of the lines that mention an action/motion.
Math & Current Events—Election Day comes in November. Find this year’s Election Day on a calendar. Hold your own election and have your class, your friends, or family members vote for their favorite food, color, animal, season, etc. and use tally marks to count the results.
THE COLORS OF AUTUMN
Tasting & Counting—Conduct an apple taste test using three different types of apples. You will need two apples of each type. Set one whole apple on a plate surrounded by slices of the other/same type apple. Do this with all three varieties. After tasting, each child can then rate/talk about their favorite. Keep track of favorites with tally marks or a voting box. Discuss the results.
Music & Drama—What does a leaf look like as it falls from a tree? Play soothing music such as Canon in D by Pachelbel, and encourage children to pretend to be falling leaves.
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ANIMALS: Snapping, Clapping Poems for Kids
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