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It’s so fun to put together a seasonal nature study, to study the seasons and the unique way nature behaves in that particular season. Autumn is my personal favorite, and I’m savoring these years of still having elementary kiddos who want to dig in to nature study and study the seasons with me! Fall obviously looks different here in the Midwest than it does in the South, but it’s fun to study the changes that happen – even if you aren’t seeing them happen in your neck of the woods. Put these ideas together to do a full blown unit study, or you can just add an activity here and there during your day.
Other CYH Nature studies:
Winter
Insects
Trees
Nature Journaling
Summer books
Gardening
Foraging
Topics to study
These are just some ideas – follow the bunny trails that your kids take and the things they want to discover about winter!
- trees, leaves, and seeds
- animals gathering food for winter
- migration
- fall gardens
- seeds and seed saving
- fall equinox
- foraging for fall plants (make sure you check out this CYH post on foraging)
Printable Resources
Books
Here are some great fall books we love:
When the Leaf Blew In by Steve Metzger
Fall is Here! I Love It! by Elaine W. Good
Yellow Time by Lauren Stringer
Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro
Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
Leaves by David Ezra Stein
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlison
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
Fall Leaves Change Colors by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
From Seed to Pumpkin by Pfeffer
Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie by Robbin Gourley
Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll
Sara Squirrel and the Lost Acorns by Julie and Catherine Waters Sykes
Seeds and Trees by Brandon Walden
Goodbye Summer Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
Lonely Scarecrow by Tim Preston
The Scarecrow’s Dance by Jane Yolen
The Scarebird by Sid Fleischman
Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh
Strega Nona’s Harvest by Tomie de Paola
Nature Journal
Grab a sketchbook (or any kind of notebook) and take it outside to start observing the bugs you see around your yard, in your neighborhood, or on a hike. You can do a full nature study on any of these things, or just a one-time observe, sketch, write nature journaling time. Here are some other ideas:
- look for animal tracks
- observe the changing leaves
- sketch and identify leaves
- gather, sketch, and identify seeds
- observe how different trees look compared to summer (if you have pictures, look at them!); young kids can make predictions about what will happen to the trees when winter comes – older kids can predict WHEN it will happen!
- observe squirrels gathering food for the winter, draw and record their behavior
- sketch and identify fall flowers
- sketch fall produce, like apples and pumpkins – try to observe them when they’re growing too
- identify and mark maple trees so that you can come back and tap them in the winter/spring!
- learn about your first frost date – predict when it will happen and observe what happens to the plants after the first frost
Make sure you check out this post if you haven’t done any nature journaling with your kiddos and want some tips on how to incorporate it.
This CYH post will help you do a Trees Nature Study
Fun Outdoor Activities
- apple or pumpkin picking
- go for a hike/drive looking for fall colored leaves
- leaf pile jumping
- fall bonfires
- hayrides
Make sure to also check out your local nature center for any classes they might have about animals, plants, and insects in autumn!
Links
(always preview videos to make sure you feel comfortable with your kids watching)
Why do some leaves change color? from Fun Science Demos
Leaf Chromatography Experiment from Kids Fun Science
Creative Writing Ideas
I think it’s fun to take what we’re studying and make it into a creative writing prompt. This could literally be about anything, but here are some fun ideas to start with:
- write a short story about a pumpkin that wasn’t round
- my favorite thing to do in fall
- I was about to jump into the pile of leaves, when out popped…
- poems about falling leaves
- The autumn that the leaves all turned blue
Art
My favorite fall activity every single year is when we read the book Leaf Man and make leaf creations! I love to have my kids write poems or stories that go along with their creations as well.
Here are some other ideas:
- leaf rubbings
- apple stamps – cut apples in half and use them as stamps with paint
- dip leaves in beeswax to preserve them, then make garlands!
- paint pumpkins (this is especially great if you don’t enjoy carving pumpkins and want an alternative ;)
- egg carton pumpkin craft
- draw or cut out trees from construction paper, then use Q-tips to paint leaves onto and falling from the trees
Math
Here are some ideas for incorpoating math in an autumn unit study:
- chart or graph the weather (temperature, amount of rain, etc.) each day for a week or even longer
- collect and count acorns or pumpkin seeds
- sort seeds/apples/etc by shape, color, or size
- graph colors of leaves or type/amount of seeds
- simple activities for littles – how many animals do you see outside right now? How many trees have green vs orange leaves?
- learn about converting temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius for older kids
- measure the height or width of a leaf pile, a pumpkin, etc.
Poetry
There are some great poems about fall in these books:
You can use these poems as copywork, draw pictures to go with the poems, or just read them!
Create your own poems about autumn. Experiment with different types of poems – try writing them in the shape of a leaf! Check out the printable resources for some printables to use.
Engage the Senses
- crunchy leaves
- make fall scented playdough (add cinnamon or an essential oil like cinnamon or Thieves)
- Sensory bins – add felt leaves into acorns, popcorn seeds, beans, etc.
- take a sensory hike (see the printable that’s included in the resource section!)
Make
There are many things you can make as part of an autumn unit study!
- applesauce
- apple or pumpkin pie
- roasted pumpkin seeds
- pumpkin bars
- fall scented playdough
Other CYH posts you might like:
Insect Nature Study
Trees Nature Study
Art Study
Nature Journaling