* Leaf Rubbings
 To help children notice the veins in leaves and the different shapes of  
 leaves, let them place a variety of leaves (underside up) under a piece  
 of light coloured construction paper.
 Using the sides of crayons that have had the paper covering removed,  
 children make crayon rubbings of the leaves.

* Cornucopia
  Ingredients
  1 box of Bugles corn snacks
  1 box of Trix cereal
  12 oz container of white icing
  Have the child wash their hands and then spread a small amount of icing
into one of the Bugles, then have them place pieces of the cereal into the
icing. Then say thanks, and eat.
 
* Apple Crunch Toast
 Ingredients
  a tub of butter
  1 apple for every four children
  1 slice of wheat bread per child
  cinnamon sugar mixture in a shaker
  *toaster oven
  Slice and peel the apples. Have the child spread the butter on the bread.
Have them place the apple slices on the bread. Then have them sprinkle the
sugar mixture on the apples. Place in the toaster oven, and toast. Let the
child eat after it has cooled off a bit.
 
* Cat Cookies
  Ingredients
  Oreo Cookies
  candy corn
  black licorice
  white frosting
  green and red M&M's
  Spread the frosting on the cookie. Place the two green M&M's on as the
eyes. Place the red one on as the nose. Cut the licorice into small pieces
(about one inch) and place them on as wiskers. Put a small amount of the
frosting on the bottom of (2) candy corns and place them on the top of the
cookie as the ears.
 
* Hot Apple Cider
  Ingredients
  3 cups apple juice
  1 cup cranberry juice
  8 in. stick of cinnamon, broken
  electric slow cooker, or saucepan
  cup measure
  Put all ingredients in the pot. Cook on high till mizture boils. Reduce to
low and simmer 5 minutes. *Do not let children near hot things. Serve warm or
cooled. Talk to children about the smell and taste.
 
* Cranberry Relish
  Ingredients
  1 quart cranberries
  2 oranges, quartered and seeded
  1/2 cup crushed pineapple
  2 cups sugar
  food processor
  (with a group)large baby food jars - 1 per child 
 spoons
  One or two children take turns putting cranberries and oranges into the
grinder. Some children may cut oranges into smaller pieces before grinding.
Grind again. Have someone stir in sugar, and the pineapple. When all mixed
up, fill each jar with the relish. If doing this with a family, you can give
the jars away as gifts tied with ribbon.
 
* Walrus Salad
  Ingredients
  1/2 cup raisins
  1/2 cup plain yogurt
  2 apples
  juice of 1 lemon
  2 stalks of celery
  mixing bowl
  measuring cups
 
 plastic knives
  apple corer
  Help the child measure the raisins and yogurt. You core the apple and slice
in half. Help the child to cut the apple halves into chunks - add to the
bowl. Stir in juice. Then cut the celery into small pieces. Add the remaining
ingredients into the bowl and mix. Enjoy!
 
* Monster Munchies
 Ingredients:
  bread
  raisins
  shredded carrots or shredded cheese
  peanut butter or cheese spread
  bananas
  celery
  round cookie cutter (an upside down glass)
  Using the cookie cutter, cut out a circle from a slice of bread. Spread
peanut butter or cheese spread over the entire circle. Cut two slices of
bananas for eyes. Place a few raisins for nose and mouth. Cut celery pieces
to use for eyebrows and/or ears. Use shredded carrots or cheese for curly
hair. Let the children be as creative as they want. You can add new
ingredients and let the children experiment!
 
* Fun With Scissors
  You will need:
  small plastic bags
  scissors
  colored paper in a variety of colors, scraps can be used
  Give children paper in several colors cut to moderate size for easy
handling. Each child cuts pieces to put into his bag. This is simply practice
in cutting skills. You can have example shapes and cutouts for the children
to see. But the fun is letting them experience cutting, and taking their bags
full of cutouts to show.
 
* Visiting A Farm
  As the seasons begin to change, now is a good time to plan a trip to a
nearby farm to watch the harvesting. Have the farmer explain how the garden
and the farm animals are prepared for winter. Pack a picnic snack to have at
the farm. Optional: You can gather stories about farms, sing songs about
animals and farms, Have a coloring sheet with the theme, and have each child
wear overalls, and have them decorate a kerchief to wear around their neck,
or on a hat.
 
* Mr. PumkinHead
  Place a pumpkin on a table, surrounded by washable markers, a damp sponge,
and accesories such as hats, eyeglasses, sunglasses, scarves, wigs, etc. Have
the children draw faces and dress up Mr. PumpkinHead, and have them use the
damp sponge to erase their work after it's done. 
 
* Pumpkin Exploration
  Have a large pumpkin put in a large bowl or pan. Cut off the top, and
enough area to allow arms and hands to reach in. Have the child reach in and
feel all the different textures, let them pull out the seeds and feel the
pulp. Discuss the different senses that they are experiencing. Wash hand and
go to a table. Give the child a large piece of paper with a pumpkin drawn on
one side. Have them draw in the things that they saw, and have them color the
pumpkin. On the other side of the paper draw lines across. Have the child
describe what they sensed. "It was squishy.", "The seeds were hard.", "It
smelled funny", and so on.... (If the child has trouble describing, you can
help by asking questions such as: "How did it smell?", "What did the inside
feel like?", "What were the seeds like?"
 
* Pumpkin Toss
  This can be a fun game when you are lacking in activities. Take a few
pumpkins, varying in size, and line them up. Give the some sort of ring that
will fit over each pumpkin; such as a hula hoop. If you are using very small
pumpkins, you can use an embroidery hoop, or the metal rings you can find in
varing sizes at the craft store. Then mark the line where they are to stand,
and have the child try to toss the hoop over the pumkins. It doesn't matter
if they get it or not, you can reward them with small prizes or stickers.
 
* Mr. Pumpkin's Nose
  Cut a large pumpkin shape out of orange bulletin board paper. Draw only the
eyes and mouth on the pumpkin, you can add a stem and lines if needed.
Laminate the piece. Attach it to the wall at the child's level. Give each
child a triangle cut out of black construction paper, and label with the
child's name. Attach a piece of rolled up tape to the back. Have each child
close his/her eyes and place the nose on the pumpkin. You can give awards
such as stickers for the one who was the closest, making sure each child gets
a sticker. Optional: You can also make a body and laminate and attach it to
the head, making sure that it can be at the child's level.
 
* Turkey
  Enlarge and laminate a large turkey character, and a supply of colored
turkey feathers. On one side of the feather write directions such as "Clap
twice", or "Turn around", or "Jump up and down". On the other side attach
pieces of velcro, and to the corresponding spots on the turkey's tail.
Attatch the turkey to the lower portion of the wall. Use this as a game, or a
time filler.
 
* Leaf Toss
  Take a sheet, or a parachute. Gather real leaves, fabric leaves, or paper
leaves. Place them in the middle of the sheet. Gather around the sheet and
have the children lift the sheet slowly and then quickly to see how all the
leaves "float".
 
* Scarecrow Song
  Ask the kids to name a different body part to wiggle each time you recite
the song:
  sung to the tune of the "itsy bitsy spider"
  The silly silly scarecrow
  Guards the fields all day.
  He waves his silly [arms]
  To scrare the crows away!
 
* The Leaves Are Falling Down
  sung to the tune of "the famer in the dell"
   The leaves are falling down
  The leaves are falling down
  Red, yellow, green and brown
  The leaves are falling down 
 
* Season Song
  sung to the tune of "when the saints go marching in"
  Oh when the leaves, fall off the trees
  Oh when the leaves fall off the trees
  We know that it must be autumn
  When the leaves fall off the trees.
 
  Oh when the snow begins to fall
  Oh when the snow begins to fall
  We know that it must be winter
  When the snow begins to fall
 
  Oh when the birds, begin to nest
  Oh when the birds begin to nest
  We know that is must be springtime
  When the birds begin to nest
 
  Oh when the sun, shines so-o bright
  Oh when the sun shines so-o bright
  We know that if must be summer
  When the sun shines so-o bright
  
* Leaves Are Falling All Around
  This is a finger play with movements
  Leaves are falling all around - (put hands up and wiggle fingers)
  Red, (do the sign language symbol for red)
  Yellow, (do the sign language symbol for yellow)
  Orange, (do the sign language symbol for orange)
  And Brown. (do the sign language symbol for brown)
  Twirling, swirling to the ground (wiggle fingers and bend knees and do the
twist)
  Look how many leaves I've found! (jump up with arms stretched out)
 
  
* Falling Leaves
  All the leaves are falling down
  (flutter fingers downward)
  Orange, green, red, and brown.
  (flutter fingers)
  If you listen, you'll hear them say,
  (cup hands around ears)
  "Wintertime is on it's way."
  (whispering)
 
* Fall Tree
  Give your kids a feel for fall by having them create their own tree. Have
each child decorate a paper lunch bag, with fall colors, and their name. Take
them out for a nature walk. Let them see and feel the tree's bark, fallen
leaves, sticks, etc. Have them collect leaves (fallen&fresh), sticks, bark,
and small parts of tiny branches. Bring them inside. Lay out newspaper for
each child, have them empty the collection onto the newspaper. Give each
child a large piece of manilla paper. Have them arrange and glue the sticks,
bark and brach pieces to form the trunk and branches, then have them attach
the leaves.
  
* Finger Tree
  Gather colored paper (red, orange, brown, green, yellow) Trace the child's
hand onto several sheets of several colors. Cut out. Then cut out a brown
tree trunk&branches in proportion to the amount of leaves. Have the child
glue the hand shapes to the tree trunk to form the leaves of the tree.
Option: Have the child think of things to be thankful for and label the
hand/leaves. Another Option: Use as a class project. Use one hand cutout for
each child to make a class tree.
 
 * Turkey Plate
  Have your child paint a paper plate with lots of different colors, or have
them sponge paint all over the plate. Let the plate dry. Cut out a brown
construction pear shape to resemble the body of a turkey. Cut out a yellow
triangle and red teardrop shape to form the beak, and punch out two black
"eyes" with a hole punch out of black paper. Have the child assemble the
turkey and then glue onto the plate as the turkey's feathers.
 

* What's Inside A Pumpkin?
 Cut out a brown pumpkin stem, a green leaf, and two identical orange
pumpkins. Label the first pumpkin, "what's inside a pumpkin?". Have the child
glue small pieces of yellow/orange yarn, and pumpkin seeds to the other
pumpkin. Assemble the pumpkin and place a brad at the top to hold it all
together. Now they can flip and see..."What's Inside a Pumpkin"