Fall is such an exciting time in the classroom. By this time, you’re finally getting into a routine and developing relationships with students making your days flow much more smoothly. This also means it is the perfect time to bring in new projects and activities while lesson planning. Not to mention, fall is full of fun and engaging topics to explore! Ready for some new fall activities to try in your room? Come along to join the fun!
Fall Fun Classroom Activities
Fall is my favorite season. Cooler weather, football games, colorful leaves, and pumpkin-everything. I mean what’s not to love?! Additionally, now that students have settled in and understand expectations, they are usually ready for more centers and independent work in the classroom. Hip-hip-hooray! There’s nothing like seeing the payoff of your efforts from August appearing in the fall, right?! So, let’s embrace this fun time of year and plan some hands-on learning activities and lessons that students will love!
Books to Set the Stage for Fall Activities
Students of all ages love to sit and listen to the teacher read to them. They usually also love to curl up in a comfy spot and read a book to themselves or a friend. The power behind reading is unmatched and it’s really fun to see how books support learning in the fall and beyond. In my classroom, I’m a huge fan of thematic teaching, which means you can count on a fun new stack of themed read-alouds each month in my room!
When it comes to fall books, I’ve got a ton of suggestions. Be sure to check out these blog posts for a closer look at books that are perfect to use this fall!
- Fall Picture Books for the Primary Classroom
- Apples and Pumpkins Picture Books
- Thanksgiving Picture Books
No matter what you’re looking for, there’s a little something for everyone! Use these books to set the stage for your other fall activities, by strategically choosing books that match your themes. Try reading aloud, discussing as a group, and making an anchor chart with your students before diving into your fall lessons!
Fall Reading Resources
Now that we’ve talked about books, let’s chat about reading resources that will make your students excited to curl up with a good book! In my room, I’m a big fan of using Reading Challenges. These are a more engaging spin on a traditional reading log that uses fun prompts to help students choose a book.
I have reading challenges for September, October, November, and more! These prompts are seasonal, and fun for students, which is sure to make them excited to read! Oh and did I mention these are editable too? You can add your own prompts to make these work even better for your room! Take a peek at the Reading Challenge Bundle for a closer look.
Bookmarks are another way to get students excited about reading. I make a point to allow students to choose a seasonal bookmark to color and personalize as we begin a new month. After the students have added their special touches, I laminate the bookmarks and then pass them back out. The kids love using these all month long to mark where they left off. I also have full-color options available, which are perfect for student gifts and prizes!
Fall Decor & Bulletin Boards
I am a sucker for cute decor. I feel that seasonal decor and cute bulletin boards help make a classroom feel more like a home. I’m that teacher who LOVES swapping out decor seasonally, so that means whatever I choose has got to be quick and easy to get up on the walls.
I tend to lean on no-fuss, simple to use bulletin boards like these:
Each of these bulletin board sets features a cute phrase, editable student tags, and a writing prompt paper and craft topper. Not only do they go up quickly and easily, but they also serve a fun purpose in the classroom!
Students love to complete their prompt and decorate their crafts and then see it added to the board. I love that this activity adds instant seasonal flair too! Oh and if you’re looking for another simple way to add some fall feels to your room, be sure to check out these Fall Watercolor Posters. Just print and you’re ready to decorate for fall!
Fall Activities and Centers
Next up on our list of fun fall activities, let’s chat about center time! Fall is such a great time in the classroom as students are usually ready to start being more independent and try some fun new activities. This is always SO exciting to me when it happens. If your kids aren’t quite there yet, don’t worry – this next batch of ideas is always great for whole group and small group teaching as well. The versatility means you can use these fall activities in the way that makes the most sense for your group!
Fall Thematic Centers
First up, I’ve got a one-stop shop for you that you’re bound to love! The idea behind this resource is that you’ll have a wide variety of thematic learning activities at your fingertips, so you won’t have to spend precious hours hunting down “just right” activities this fall. These time-saving lessons include:
- vocabulary activities
- writing prompts
- math centers
- literacy centers
- mini readers
- craftivities
- fall book lists
- science activities and more!
This All About Fall Unit is jam-packed with over 1600 pages of engaging fall activities your students will love. Topics covered in this unit include leaves, trees, turkeys, scarecrows, 5 senses, healthy foods, and more. Not quite ready for turkeys? No problem! Check out this post on Apples and Pumpkins Activities or this one on Bats and Spiders Activities! Both of these posts walk you through some center activities that are perfect for September and October.
Fall Search and Find Centers
Looking for an independent center activity that uses a fall theme, is differentiated, and is easy for students to use independently? I was too, which is why I created these fun Fall Search and Find Centers! Inside this resource, you’ll find activities to practice:
- letters
- numbers
- CVC words
- addition
- subtraction
- plus editable options!
Students will search each fall picture for whatever skill you’re targeting and then record what they find as they go. I like to provide students with a magnifying glass as they work to make this more engaging! Everyone will be excited for their turn! The best part of these resources though is the editable feature. Editable pages mean you can add any word or skill you want to focus on! Sight words, vocabulary words, literacy skills, you name it! These are bound to be a favorite in your classroom this fall!
Fall No-Prep Activities
If you’re anything like me, you probably enjoy having some fun and engaging no-prep activities on hand. They come in handy for your fast finishers in the group, as homework, or anytime you have a few extra minutes to fill. My criteria for no-prep practice pages are they must be fun, simple to use, and meaningful to students. No need for fluff when we can practice valuable skills!
This is where color by code always saves the day! You can take a closer look at some of my fall color by code pages in the video below. Essentially, they are a great way to practice just about any skill you can think of because they are editable in both Adobe and PowerPoint. Just add your skills and you’re ready to practice!
But don’t worry, there are print and go pages included too! I’ve included ready-to-print pages for words, letters, number recognition, and number sense. Color by Code activity sheets are always a hit with students! Between following the code and creating a cool picture, students are super focused. Check out the Fall Color by Code Bundle if you’re looking for a fun way to practice a variety of skills in your room this fall!
Fall BINGO Game
Last on this list of fun fall activities for the primary classroom, I’ve got a favorite among all students, BINGO! Bingo Games are such a great way to boost engagement while also focusing on mastering important skills. I love to use them to learn CVC words, which is why I created a Fall CVC Word BINGO Set! This no-prep resource is ready to play with pre-made BINGO Cards with words for short a, e, i, o & u, along with BINGO word cards and calling cards. I like to print and laminate these materials so they last all through the fall season.
But if you’re looking for a more customized approach, I’ve got your back! This resource is also editable, which means you can add any word or skill you’d like to focus on! Math facts, letters, vocabulary words, sight words, and more! This feature means you can craft your very own BINGO game that’s perfect for your students.
Make Planning Your Fall Activities Simple
Fall lesson planning can be simple and easy with these ideas and resources! If you have found many favorites on this list, be sure to check out the Autumn Activity Bundle which features many of the fall activities detailed here along with others too! You get 9 resources that will help simplify your fall planning and make the most of your time. You can find all of the other resources mentioned in this post in my TPT shop, along with many others! Happy Planning Friends!
Save These Fall Activities
This post is filled with fun fall activities your students will love. Pin it on Pinterest so you can come back to it when you’re ready!
