Fall is the time of year when the air cools and colors abound. From hikes in the park to see the beautiful changing leaves, to apple festivals, to lighting that first fire in the fireplace, there's so much to love about fall.
Another wonderful thing about fall is the Montessori activities I get to do with my kids. There is so much sensorial exploration to be experienced.
I have put together a list of 5 fun and easy Montessori Fall activities that your kids will love.
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5 fun and sensorial Montessori fall activities
1. Spice Painting
What you'll need:
- paint brushes
- pinecones
- ramekins
- spices
- washable tempera paints
- cup of water for rinsing the paint brushes
- small towel or sponge for spills
This is a great activity for budding artists and little chefs! We found a few pinecones in our yard, mixed some yummy smelling spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) in some fall colors, and PRESTO – A delicious-smelling, Montessori-inspired fall activity.
During our pinecone hunting adventure, we discovered lots of different colored leaves and had the chance to talk about the change in seasons.
Picking out which spices to mix with our paints was a big hit with my daughter. This is one of my favorite Montessori-inspired fall sensorial activities.
2. Leaf Rubbing
What you'll need:
- leaf identification book (This book is great, however, you may want to find a book about trees and leaves that are indiginous to your area.)
- a variety of leaves
- paper
- crayons
- laminating sheets
There is a lot to love about this activity. Collecting the leaves from outside was a whole lot of fun.
My 3-year-old and I took a book with us to help us identify what type of tree each leaf came from.
We got a chance to talk about the changing of the seasons and why leaves change colors, as well as to just appreciate the beauty of the autumn leaves.
I laminated the leaves to use again and to prevent them from shredding under the pressure of the crayon, though you don't have to, and then we picked some warm fall colors for rubbing.
My daughter really enjoyed this one. A 3-period lesson using leaf margin 3-part cards is a great adjunct activity for this, as well.
3. Leaf Threading
What you'll need:
- leaves
- single hole punch
- twine
- small twig
This is a really fun and challenging activity. Threading is a great pre-sewing activity that encourages the development of hand-eye coordination, pincer grasp, and is great for building concentration!
I punched holes in the leaves to make things a bit easier. Just cut a short length of twine and a tiny twig makes the perfect “needle”.
Take a walk through the park or in your yard and have your child pick out the leaves.
4. Clove Punching
What you'll need:
- whole cloves
- apples
This was a lot of fun and the house smelled so yummy afterward. My daughter had some difficulty pushing the cloves in, so I pre-punched the holes for her.
Some children will have a much easier time doing this than others. Afterward, we took our apples to the stove and heated them up in some water, and added a little cinnamon. (optional)
We got to learn some descriptive language about scents and also learned about wafting/safety. This is an excellent fall fine-motor activity.
5. Apple Painting
What you'll need:
- apples
- washable tempera paints
- plate
- paper
For this Montessori-inspired fall activity, you simply slice the apple in half and demonstrate for your child how to dip the apple half in the paint and place it on the paper – easy.
There is a lot of learning that can go along with this activity. When you cut the apple in half, you may want to talk about the parts of the apple and the life cycle of an apple tree.
Again, a 3-period lesson using these Apple Tree Life Cycle 3-part cards goes well with this activity.
Then, when you press the apple onto the paper, you might point out that the colored impression made on the paper matches the shape of the halved apple.
You could even give a lesson on mixing primary colors to make secondary colors with the paints!
Or you could just set the activity up and let your child have at it, creating beautiful artwork, all their own. Process art is perfectly Montessori aligned.
My kids had a blast and they were so happy to show off their artwork to me when they were finished.
I hope you and your children enjoy these fun Montessori fall activities as much as we did.
Cheers and don't forget to subscribe!