Autumn activity for toddlers and preschoolers with instructions, procedures, materials list, learning objectives and sample verbal cues

Autumn has arrived with its leaves of brilliant red, orange, and gold. Fall Leaves is a fun, age-appropriate activity which celebrates the fall while promoting the development of physical gross motor skills. Gather crunchy fallen leaves for a fun, fall-themed, outdoor activity perfect for the preschool or daycare setting.

What are Physical Gross Motor Skills?

According to the Encyclopedia of Children’s Health, gross motor skills are the abilities required in order to control the large muscles of the body.

Some important physical gross motor concepts and skills that preschool age children learn to master are balance, spatial orientation (which means that the child is aware of the position of his or her body in space as well as in relation to other people and objects), laterality (which means that the child is aware of the left and right sides of the body), and the coordination of major muscles.

Preschool teachers and daycare providers can encourage gross motor skill development through effective lesson plans and play. Children learn gross motor skills through practice and by participating in play which involves hopping, jumping, and climbing. In addition, games which involve catching and kicking objects are great examples of activities that promote the development of gross motor skills.

Fall Leaves is an activity which allows children to practice jumping, hopping, and projectile management. This lesson plan includes not only the preparation instructions, procedure, and materials list for this activity, but also the age appropriate learning objectives and a sample of the simple supporting verbal cues necessary to encourage participation and support learning.

Fall Leaves Lesson Plan

List of Materials

• Dried fall leaves
• Child-sized plastic pool
• Child-sized brooms and rakes

Preparation

Find and collect dried colorful fall leaves. Fill a child sized pool with the leaves. Scatter the leaves on the ground for raking and sweeping.

Procedures

Invite the children over to the activity area. Explain that you are going to jump in the leaves. Let the children take turns jumping in the leaves as well as raking and sweeping the leaves.

Fall Leaves Lesson Objectives

Objective 1

To enhance rebound and airborne activities through jumping

• Verbal Cue A: Would you like to jump in the colorful leaves?
• Verbal Cue B: Let’s jump in the leaves together!

Objective 2

To provide opportunity for projectile management through raking and sweeping the leaves

• Verbal Cue A: Let’s sweep the leaves into the pile!
• Verbal Cue B: Would you like to use the rake to rake the leaves?

Objective 3

To enhance rebound and airborne activities by encouraging the children to hop in the pile of leaves

• Verbal Cue A: Can you hop on one foot in the leaves?
• Verbal Cue B: Let’s hop from this pile of leaves to the other!

This Fall Leaves activity is just plain crispy fun! For more preschool and daycare activities, see Online Preschool Lesson Plans.