Searching for circle time activities for your preschool or head start class? Needing some ideas about fall? Circle time can help your students learn new facts, share thoughts and have fun. Below are a handful of circle time ideas for fall.
Discuss harvest.
One activity for fall is to discuss harvest and farming. Show pictures of tractors, combines, wheat, cotton, pumpkins, etc. (Search on google images and print them off.) If you have a toy tractor or combine, pass them around for children to see.
Read a book such as Fall Harvests: Bringing in Food by Martha Rustad and Amanda Enright. This also provides an opportunity for a quick science lesson. Discuss what plants need to grow such as water, sun, soil, etc. You might also talk about what can destroy crops such as excessive wind, bugs, flooding and drought.
If you have access to a laptop, show Youtube videos of harvest such as the cotton one here.
Talk about Christopher Columbus.
October is a great time to discuss Christopher Columbus. Read a book such as A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David Adler. This provides a brief lesson on American history and exploration.
Learn about leaves.
Another idea is to talk about leaves and how they change color in the fall. Collect several different types of leaves and pass them around for the children to touch and feel. Ask them what colors they are, and what colors they think the leaves were originally. You can also discuss raking leaves, jumping in piles of leaves and more.
Play “hot pumpkin” game.
Play the hot potato game, but use a little pumpkin instead. (If you aren’t familiar with the game, the students pass it around as fast as possible, until the music turns off. The child holding it when the music turns off then has to answer a question of your choice.) Discuss pumpkins, and consider sharing baked pumpkin seeds if possible.
Discuss the color orange.
Talk about how pumpkins and some leaves are orange. Have every child wearing something orange to stand up. Ask what other items are orange. If you are feeling artistic, mix yellow with red to show that it creates orange.
These are just a few circle time activities for fall. For additional circle time suggestions, please read “Preschool Circle Time Activities and Ideas to Do Everyday” and “Circle Time Ideas for a Preschool or Homeschool Parent’s Day Out Program.” You might also check out “Online Support Forums for Home Child Care Providers” for more advice. Happy Teaching!