As the leaves begin to fall and the weather turns crisp, it’s the perfect time to explore fall activities for toddlers that combine play and learning. This season brings countless opportunities to engage toddlers in sensory-rich experiences, motor skill development, and social interaction, all while soaking in the beauty of autumn.
Whether you’re a parent or a teacher working in a daycare setting, these fall activities for toddlers are designed to be fun, easy to set up, and full of educational value. Let’s explore ten activities that turn fall into a season of discovery and delight.
1. Leaf Collection & Sorting
Toddler fall activities could start as simple as nature walking. A very simple way to start might be leaf collecting. Get a small basket or bag and go outside with your toddler and ask him to pick up leaves of various sizes, colors, and shapes.
Once inside, sort leaves by color or size. You can even glue them onto paper to create a “Leaf Rainbow” or fall collage. This supports early matching and sorting skills and exposes them to nature patterns. Daycare teachers utilize this as a group activity and talk about seasons, trees, and plants.
You are also able to draw leaves on paper, familiarizing yourself with shapes and outlines. This becomes an early art and pre-writing exercise.
2. Pumpkin Washing Station
One of the toddler daycare fall must-haves is the pumpkin washing station. Soak a warm water tub and a little dish soap, and provide small pumpkins, sponges, and soft-bristled brushes. Let toddlers wash and play as they desire.
This play encourages responsibility, sensory awareness, and coordination. Kids love the bubbles and watching pumpkins get cleaned and shiny. It’s also a calming, solitary activity that’s great for relaxing. Add scoops and cups for extended water play.
You can also combine this with counting. Have your toddler scrub five pumpkins, or count how many scrubs. It introduces math into a sensory activity.
3. Scavenger Hunts & Nature Walks
Take your toddlers on a nature walk in your neighborhood, school, or park. These fall activities for toddlers allow them to connect with nature and remain physically fit.
Create a visual scavenger hunt with easy-to-spot images like a red leaf, an acorn, or a bird. Toddlers will feel accomplished as they spot each item. Have them describe what they can see, like color, texture, and sounds, to broaden their vocabulary.
In early childhood daycare, fall activities for toddlers can be modified into group work, where the children discuss what they have discovered and learned during circle time.
4. Apple Stamping Art
Cut apples in half from top to bottom to expose the star-shaped core, and then paint them to use to stamp patterns on paper. This fall activity for toddlers isn’t just enjoyable, but also exposes them to principles such as symmetry and patterns.
Get them to mix the colours or replace with other fruits like pumpkins or pears. Have them describe what they’re making, such as “This is a tree” or “I made a rainbow apple!”
You may also apply apple stamping to produce pretend apple-picking paper bags. Such forms of creative daycare fall activities for toddlers turn into theme-based learning adventures.
5. Fall-Themed Sensory Bins
Fill a sensory bin with the following: dry corn, oats, pinecones, little gourds, leaves, and cinnamon sticks. Toddlers scoop, pour, and explore the texture and scents.
These sensory fall play ideas are great for calming down toddlers as well as stimulating hand-eye coordination, concentration, and sensory integration. Add measuring cups and small rakes to turn it into a pretend harvest activity.
Use rich vocabulary while they play, like coarse pinecone, gentle leaf, and smooth corn, to develop their vocabularies and thinking abilities. For toddlers attending a pre-kindergarten program in Alpharetta, sensory bins are a daily treat during both structured and unstructured learning time.
6. Build a Scarecrow
Scarecrow construction is a large undertaking, but it’s easy enough to modify for small children. Use child-sized clothing, a small pillow or bag as a head, and filling like newspaper or straw. Have them assist in filling in the clothing, selecting the face features, and even naming their scarecrow.
This is a fall activity for toddlers that promotes creativity, teamwork, and storytelling. Teachers in toddler fall activities in daycare apply this as a group activity where all the children contribute to the final product.
You can also include conversations about cultivation, fall harvests, and how scarecrows protect crops.
7. Fall Song & Story Time
Music and books form the foundation of toddler development. Sing fall songs like “Leaves Are Falling” or “Scarecrow, Scarecrow.” Incorporate claps or simple instruments like shakers into songs.
Read books like We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt or The Busy Little Squirrel. Ask questions throughout to engage your toddler and practice comprehension.
For fall activities for toddlers in daycare, this can be integrated into a daily circle time and assist in building listening, memory, and bonding.
Story extensions, like coloring a squirrel after reading, link reading to art, making learning more enriching.
8. Corn Painting
Use ears of corn as paint rollers to make textured, colorful paintings. Paint the corn and roll it onto big pieces of paper or cardboard. The bumpy texture creates unique designs and introduces toddlers to texture play.
This toddler art project enhances motor control, hand-eye coordination, and encourages messy, process-based creativity.
For classrooms, it’s a great way to talk about farm equipment, textures, and changing seasons. Plus, it’s a great fall-themed bulletin board decoration.
9. Harvest-Themed Dress-Up Day
Dress toddlers up as farmers, scarecrows, or farm animals and give them a day of theme play. Organize games like apple tossing or “Find the Acorn.” You can even organize a pretend farmers’ market in your home or daycare using plastic fruits and small baskets.
This dramatic fall activity for toddlers daycare environment encourages social confidence and imagination. Role-playing helps children learn about the world and how communities interact with one another.
It’s also a time for learning manners, sharing, and communication, which are crucial social-emotional milestones.
10. Outdoor Obstacle Course
Set up a safe obstacle course with hay bales, little pumpkins, leaves, and tunnels. Include going through blankets, walking in a line of leaves, or jumping over pumpkins.
This outdoor fall fun for toddlers reinforces gross motor skills, balance, and problem-solving. You can time them gently or challenge them to finish the course.
It also builds confidence and resilience as they learn to handle little setbacks. In a preschool daycare, obstacle courses can be a weekly physical education feature.
Final Thoughts
Fall is a magical season, and with the right planning, it becomes a classroom or home full of joyful learning. These ten fall activities for toddlers go beyond play. They are carefully crafted experiences that spark creativity, enhance early development, and bring families or classrooms together.
For parents or teachers involved in a pre-kindergarten program in Alpharetta, integrating these fall activities for toddlers will keep your child engaged while fostering social, sensory, and cognitive growth.
Whether it’s apple stamping, building a scarecrow, or exploring nature, these fall activities for toddlers’ daycare programs offer endless ways to celebrate the season together with laughter and learning.