By Alex Chiu and Alisa Jones<\/p>\n
Autumn is in the air! Crisp, cooler temperatures make us grab a sweater in the mornings. Vibrant colors of the changing leaves cause us stop to take in their beauty. Smells of cinnamon, apples, and pumpkins spike cravings of pie and cider. Our senses are beckoned at every turn.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the senses of children in Montessori classrooms are heightened as we invite them to tune into all that is around them, not only in autumn, but all year long. While the Sensorial area of the classroom is specifically dedicated to stimulating and enhancing children\u2019s senses, Montessori classrooms enrich students\u2019 sensorial experiences across curriculum areas. This happens in every season through a variety of enriching activities that bring in what is unique to each different time of year.<\/p>\n
Fall provides us with an abundance of activities we can do that help to build skills across curriculum areas using easy to find apples, acorns, pumpkins, and leaves. There are so many things we do in our classrooms with an autumn theme, and there are even more that you might enjoy trying at home as well. What follows is just a sampling of some fun fall activities that are easy to do with your family and friends this autumn season.<\/p>\n
Fall into Science<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Sort types of apples or leaves by size, color, or variety. Practical Life Autumn Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Slice and serve apples. Check out the website www.forsmallhands.com for child-safe kitchen utensils. Seasonal Reading Connections<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Read the Dr. Seuss classic Ten Apples Up On Top<\/em> and then do some follow-up activities. Autumn Art Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Chop up an apple, add toothpicks, and build creative 3D structures. Math Fun in the Fall<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Count the number of trees that have lost all of their leaves in your front yard or on your street. As you can see, it\u2019s easy to incorporate fun learning activities into family time this fall season. We look forward to your children sharing all of their family autumn adventures with us when they come to school. And as fall turns to winter, and then spring, and then summer, challenge your family to apply some of these ideas to what is unique to each of the seasons for family fun all year long!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clip art credit to:\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/gallery.yopriceville.com\/var\/resizes\/Free-Clipart-Pictures\/Fall-PNG\/Autumn_Pumpkin_and_Fruits_PNG_Clipart_Image.png?m=1443543781<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Alex Chiu and Alisa Jones Autumn is in the air! Crisp, cooler temperatures make us grab a sweater in the mornings. Vibrant colors of the changing leaves cause us stop to take in their beauty. Smells of cinnamon, apples, and pumpkins spike cravings of pie and cider. Our senses are beckoned at every turn. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[28,69,87,1],"tags":[205,17,10,38,47,73,4,54,52,78,145,147,9,18,6,70,8],"coauthors":[13],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Autumn_Pumpkin_and_Fruits_PNG_Clipart_Image.png?fit=600%2C292&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7icff-8M","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1235,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2023\/12\/29\/the-absorbent-mind-supporting-mcas-youngest-learners\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":0},"title":"The Absorbent Mind: Supporting MCA\u2019s Youngest Learners","author":"Tori Inkley","date":"December 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bernadette Fasolas, Director of Hiring and Montessori Educationand Tori Inkley, Executive Director \u201cAbsorbent Mind\u201d is a term coined by Dr. Maria Montessori to describe the natural absorption of information by a child from birth through the age of 6 years. A child in this age range has been described\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/MMCM1.jpg?fit=440%2C650&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":717,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/13\/farmers-markets-and-montessori\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":1},"title":"Farmers Markets and Montessori","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"August 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"By Alex Chiu August is perhaps one of the most colorful months of the year, especially if you take some time to visit any number of local farmers markets in the area. Fruits and vegetables in rainbows of hues fill the baskets and tables, inviting a closer look at their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Farm-Market-2-e1534205581259-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1414,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/08\/independence-in-the-early-childhood-montessori-classroom\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":2},"title":"Independence in the Early Childhood Montessori Classroom","author":"Tori Inkley","date":"January 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Development \u201cHow does he achieve this independence? He does it by means of a continuous activity.How does he become free? By means of constant effort\u2026Independence is not a static condition; it is a continuous conquest,and in order to reach not only freedom, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care of Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Care of Environment","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/care-of-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Independence6.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1405,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/16\/handwriting-without-tears-in-the-montessori-early-childhood-classroom\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":3},"title":"Handwriting Without Tears in the Montessori Early Childhood Classroom","author":"Tori Inkley","date":"December 16, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Krissy Huetz, Early Childhood Head Teacher Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) was developed by Occupational Therapist Jan Olsen and is a multi-sensory approach to teaching handwriting skills. This approach is designed to make the process of learning how to write less intimidating and more accessible for students of all ages\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/HWT-1-1.jpg?fit=415%2C586&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":269,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/11\/five-questions-to-ask-at-a-preschool-open-house\/","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":4},"title":"Five Questions to Ask at a Preschool Open House (Repost from October 2016)","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"January 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"As this is a common time of year for families to begin their preschool search for the next school year, we would like to once again share with you some pointers when attending a preschool Open House. 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\n\u2022 Grade apples or pumpkins from largest to smallest.
\n\u2022 Examine the parts of an apple or pumpkin from stem to skin to core to seeds.
\n\u2022 Experiment to see if apples (or pumpkins) sink or float (and if you find that apples float, why not create an apple boat by slicing an apple in half, adding a toothpick and paper flag, and letting it set sail in a bowl of water!).
\n\u2022 Do an experiment to find out why apples turn brown. Slice an apple, leave one piece as a control, soak one in lemon juice, one in vinegar, one in water (label them). Set them out on plates, and then observe and log what happens to the different samples of apple slices as they sit out over time.
\n\u2022 Explore gravity! Don\u2019t want to drop the apples or pumpkins from the top of the swing set and clean up the mess? Try rolling two down the slide or a ramp made of cereal boxes. Guess which will roll to the bottom first. Were you right? Why or why not?
\n\u2022 Measure the circumference of your pumpkin and compare it to the measurement for your head.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Wash a pumpkin. Have a parent carve open the top, and scoop out the seeds. Design your jack o\u2019 lantern.
\n\u2022 Make applesauce or apple or pumpkin pie or muffins, or any other wonderful recipe you have.
\n\u2022 Conduct a blind taste test of different types of apples and vote to see which is your family\u2019s favorite variety.
\n\u2022 Toast pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle with salt, cinnamon sugar, or a favorite spice to try a new twist on an old favorite.
\n\u2022 Transfer acorns from one dish to another using a spoon, tongs, or, if you\u2019re really up for a challenge, chopsticks.<\/p>\n
\nAfter reading, see how many apples you can stack. Discuss with your child what makes it easy or hard to stack them? What could you do to make it more stable? (Pyramid? Skewers?)
\n\u2022 Cozy up with some of our favorite pumpkin-themed books, such as Pumpkin, Pumpkin<\/em> by Jeanne Titherington, The Pumpkin Book<\/em> by Gail Gibbons, Pumpkin Soup<\/em> by Helen Cooper, Pumpkin Town<\/em> or Nothing is Better than Pumpkins<\/em> by Katie McKy.
\n\u2022 Go on a nature scavenger hunt after reading We\u2019re Going on a Leaf Hunt<\/em> by Steve Metzger. Invite your children to search for seeds, different types or colors of leaves, a stick that looks like a letter, something fuzzy, etc.
\n\u2022 Count acorns or leaves by ones, twos, fives, and tens after reading Nuts to You<\/em> or Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf<\/em> by Lois Ehlert.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Slice an apple in half, paint the flat half, and make apple prints. Try slicing one apple through the center and another from core to base to see how the prints differ. This makes pretty fall stationery.
\n\u2022 Make leaf rubbings. Peel off the paper around your crayons to allow for a smoother crayon rubbing.
\n\u2022 Create an apple or pumpkin inspired drawing using crayons, colored pencils, or oil pastels. Look closely at your apple, what different colors do you see? Blend them together and cut out in an apple shape.
\n\u2022 Decorate a pumpkin using paint, pipe cleaners, glitter, buttons, or unusual items you may find around the house.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Estimate how many seeds are in your pumpkin as you carve it. Then count them before roasting!
\n\u2022 Collect acorns or leaves when out for a walk (you will need a lot!). At home, have your child set out the leaves by quantity from 1-10 (or as high as you can go!).<\/p>\n