As a former teacher fall has always been my personal favorite time of year.  The activities and projects are limitless!  Fall is a great time to incorporate more than your typical art supplies or STEM materials.  Take a walk outside, collect leaves, acorns, branches and get creative! We have shared some of our favorite STEM and art projects for children.  Always remember, it’s all about the process of your children learning through these activities, the final product doesn’t need to be perfect!

STEM Activities

Apple Science

The apple science project is great for children from preschool through middle school.  All the materials you need can be found around the house.  Start by having your child or children each pick 1-3 different solutions to leave their apple in.  These can range from water, vinegar, milk, or juice! After solutions are selected and poured into their individual bowls, it’s time to add the apples.  Have your children check on the apples periodically to watch if their apples turn brown!

Pumpkin Exploration

There are so many activities and projects you can do from one simple common fall staple!  A great sensory activity comes from simply exploring the insides of a pumpkin.  When it’s time to carve your pumpkins, save some of the insides and have your kids explore!  The textures, smells and colors of the inside provide such a great learning opportunity while giving the children a chance to get their hands dirty (which we all know they love to do).  To adapt for younger children, place a scoop of the insides in a plastic bag and tape the edges shut and have your baby touch and feel through the bag!

Art Projects 

Fall Process Art

While on a nice nature walk outside with your kids, take some time to collect parts of nature.  This can range from leaves, acorns, branches to anything your little one finds!  We all know after some time outside parts of the outside mysteriously end up in their pockets.  Use all these wonderful materials to create art.  Whether it’s through using the leaves or branches to paint with or panting over the leaves and branches.  Let them use their imagination to come up with their very own fall masterpiece!

Leaf Suncatcher

This project may require some materials not always kept in the home, but always a crowd pleaser when it’s done!    Start by having your children incorporate a wonderful fine motor skill of cutting or ripping up pieces of tissue paper.  When your tissue paper ready to go, start placing them all over a piece of contact paper you have laid out.  Once they are completed with placing the tissue paper you have two options to finish.  You can stick the completed piece directly on the window and watch the sunlight come through. For an alternate finish simply place a second piece of contact paper on top, cut into the shape of a leave and hang somewhere in your house!