It’s finally autumn, school’s been back in session for a bit, and we’re feeling all the fall goodness. And to show the love for all the amazing educators out there inspiring learners of every age and stage, we’re celebrating World Teachers’ Day with a special 15% discount on all PLT digital products!
PLT Fall Faves
The fall is a wonderful time of year to introduce learners to seasonal changes, especially with leaves changing color and falling from trees, while fulfilling academic and learning standards. Check out some of our favorite fall PLT activities.
Fall for Trees (Ages 3-6)
In this multi-sensory activity from Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children, little learners go on an outdoor adventure looking for signs of autumn. From collecting fallen leaves and nuts for art and math projects to pretending to be dancing leaves and making pressed leaves, there are so many ways for children to learn about the changes that happen in nature each fall.
Have Seeds, Will Travel / Ten Semillas, Viajarán (grades K-2, with variations for grades 3-5)
Autumn is the perfect time of the year to collect seeds, which means it’s a great time for this activity from Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide / Explora tu Ambiente: Guía de Actividades K-8. Head outside with learners to gather seeds—from acorns to pinecones and even those pesky ones that stick to your clothes like burdock! Together, students will examine the seeds they find, classify them, and discuss how the seeds are dispersed by things like wind, animals, and falling from trees.
Signs of Fall / Señales de Otoño (grades 3-5, with variations for grades 6-8)
In this activity from Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide / Explora tu Ambiente: Guía de Actividades K-8, learners get outside to observe the signs of autumn. They’ll collect a variety of leaves from evergreen and deciduous trees and conduct an experiment to help them investigate how and why leaves change color. The best part of the experiment? (Spoiler alert) Actually seeing the leaves’ colors separate out between chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments.
Start Composting
If you have a garden at your school or center, fall is an excellent time to start composting because there will be plenty of leaves to add to your compost pile.
Teach young people about the benefits of composting and waste reduction with some of these activities from Explore Your Environment / Explora tu Ambiente—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle / Reduce, Reutiliza, Recicla and Improve Your Place / Mejora tu Lugar and GreenSchools Investigations – Waste & Recycling Investigation. Creating a compost pile allows you to teach myriad lessons throughout the year—from understanding the properties of soil to learning about decomposition. Plus, in the spring, you can use that incredibly nutrient-rich soil to plant some vegetables in the garden.
We hope you FALL in love with these fun PLT activities!
P.S. Don’t forget to get your 15% discount at checkout for all PLT digital products. Use coupon code FALL15 (promotion good through October 31, 2025).
