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Harvest Misc
• ontact_FullName: Lindsay Contact_Email: lindsayringo@yahoo.com Area: Harvest-Misc. Idea: I read an idea for pounding golf tees into a pumpkin on here. I visited a center where they also did this but had the children stick the stems of silk fall leaves into the holes and then use it for a center piece at their Fall Harvest Feast. I plan on using this idea in my toddler room next week! Contact_FullName: Cristy Contact_Email: tendertimes@netzero.net Idea: This year at my daycare, I was cutting a pumpkin to show the kids what was inside. we took out the seeds to roast, then I took the top of the pumpkin, which has a large stem, and carved a pumpkin in it to make a stamp. We dabbed it in fall colored paint and had a pumpkin patch. Contact_FullName: Cametra B Contact_Email: Ladyhc.1@Com Area: Blocks Idea: for a fall idea take the blocks, hide leaves under the blocks and have the children go to block area and fine the red block. Contact_FullName: Karen Contact_Email: kwanke@mindspring.com date:: 11/04/02 Area: Seasonal/Autumn Idea: At our preschool all the teachers rotate doing the bb in the hall. We had October this year. We took an individual digital picture of all the children, then scanned them onto the face of a scarecrow. The teachers were the farmers! We used die cut black crows, corn stalks, a tractor, and a bushel of apples. We place the scarecrows all over the bb, with clouds and a sun. We put letters at that top that said Autumn Blessings. The children loved walking by and seeing their pictures! The parents loved it too! Contact_FullName: karen Contact_Email: karen@aol.com date:: 09/12/02 Area: sensory table/ harvest Idea: During Harvest Time, use cornmeal in your sensory table. For a variation put some water in with the cornmeal.
ideaFall Walk I have 3 and 4 year olds. Around the middle of Oct each year, we go on a fall walk. We walk around our school collecting leaves, pine cones, left-over cotton stalks; anything the children want. They put their treasures in a paper bag which they have decorated with crayons and stickers. When we get back to the room, the children choose 1 thing they want to display on our fall mural. For this, I use orange or brown butcher paper and my assistants help me glue these things on. We gather around the paper and do this one at a time so we can see what everyone has chosen. My class loves this. They also make their own mural on construction paper and take their other items home.
11-5-00For harvest week I took a large piece of brown cardboard (about 4' x 5') and I taped three rows of leaf vines. I bought them at the dollar store. Then I bought a dozen small gourds and "planted" them in our garden. In between the rows I put out to wicker basket for the children to gather the harvest. I put a sign on the wall that said "Harvest Garden". I told the children they could harvest the vegetables then take them into the dramatic play area and make "stew or dinner". Then when they finished they could go back to the garden and plant the garden again. It was really neat to see them pretend to wash and cut up the vegetables.
11-4-00In my 3 year old class I brought in leaves, different colors and shapes. I asked them to put the alike ones in a pile. After that I had them count them and they got the blocks and stacked the blocks to how many the alike leaves and colors there were. The kids really liked this idea because it involved counting, colors, and outdoor stuff!
11-4-00This is a variation on scooping out a pumpkin. First, some of the children scooped out all the seeds and separate the pulp in our sensory table. Then a few of the children get to wash the seeds and put them into a colander. Next, the next set of children put the seeds on a layer of paper towels to dry them and put them into a microwave safe dish. I put them into the microwave to dry the seeds (approx. 2-3 mins.). The next group scoops butter(2 or 3 spoons full) onto a pie plate. I put this in the oven to melt (350 degrees) for a few minutes. Then, I pour the hot, dry seeds from the microwave onto the melted butter. A couple of children sprinkle salt over the seeds. I put them into the oven and let them bake for 5-10 mins. depending on how many seeds. Remove and serve to class! This kids love it. It tastes a little like popcorn. It doesn't take as long to do as the instructions seem. I teach half-day classes and we do this with both classes.
10-23-00In my sand/water table for our fall theme I bought a bail of hay $6.oo app. and bought some assorted gourds and let the children play with the gourds in the haystack. My twos and threes love it.
10-17-000Mix dried black beans and red lentils (they look orange) for a festive addition to your sensory table.
10-16-00Go on a "leaf walk" Prior to this, discuss how leaves change colors during fall. Then take a camera outside (digital, if your school has one) and take pictures of all of the different colored leaves and trees. Make a class book and discuss what you saw.
10-16-00During fall, I bring in pumpkins. I draw three different jack-o-lantern faces on paper and have the kids vote on which one they like. We then, cut the top off of the pumpkin and the kids help me scoop it out with their hands. (good sensory activity) we then separate the seeds from the gooey part and let them dry to toast for snack later. We then carve the face. We put the "guts" in a bowl or the sensory table and let the kids feel and smell what the inside of a pumpkin is like. If your school does not do holidays, you can still do this, but don't carve a face.
10-16-00In a week we are going to visit a pumpkin farm. When I told the kids about it, they got really excited and have been asking everyday when we are going to the farm! So, we set up a farm in our class. We have barns and farm animals in the block area. Big red cardboard blocks for building a barn, farm animals in hay in the sensory table. we have had eggs for snack, inflated surgical gloves for cow udders, and much more. The kids are so excited, especially since it is something they initiated!
10-16-00In the science center, we have a balancing scale. The kids are "weighing" small gourds, pumpkins and ears of corn. We talk about which side has more and which side has less and why one side of the balance goes down and one side is up, etc.
10-16-00I always like to use birdseed in the sand and water table during our fall unit. We talk about how important it is to feed the birds through the fall and winter months since there are not as many things available to the birds for nourishment during this time of the year. The kids enjoy hiding different things in the seed and then searching for them. And the best part is....after the unit is over we can use the seed in our bird feeders and watch the birds gobble it up.
10-8-00We take a field trip to a pumpkin patch and the children can get a small pumpkin. Then they may draw a face and paint it. We also read the 5 little pumpkins story.
10-6-00I took advantage of our yearly family reunion on a farm in southern Iowa to bring back a garbage bag full of field corn for my urban Head Start students to explore. First we shucked the corn, which was like unwrapping a present. The kids took turns banging the cobs on our sensory table, and pushing the kernels off with their thumbs. (Fortunately, we are on good terms with the custodian.) The "corn table" is still a popular center, where children fill containers with corn and empty them. I threw in a few farm animals and toys, as well. The cobs were used to paint pictures. (I believe I found this idea at your website.) We put finger paint (acrylic would do) on paper plates, each with its own corn cob (with the corn removed.) The children rolled the cobs in the paint, then rolled them on their finger-paint paper. The colors were great, and we taped them up for the parents to admire. Finally, we sprouted some of the corn kernels. Each child had two kernels , a square of plastic wrap, and a dampened paper towel, which each child had watered himself. The plastic was covered with the paper towel, the corn seeds were placed on the damp paper towel, and the whole thing was rolled up, folded over, and placed in a large Ziploc. This was taped to a window (no additional watering necessary) and a few days later, all the corn had sprouted. I equipped our playground area, covered with wooden chips, with toy tractors and wagons for harvest time play.
10-3-00This year I brought two large pumpkins in my room. We then took golf tees and hammers and hammered the golf tees into to pumpkins. My pumpkin lasted 2 weeks with out getting mushy or smelly. It is an awesome fine motor experience!!
9-26-00This is a variation of an idea already submitted. It is for a seasons tree. We made a very large tree with lots of branches and covered it in clear contact paper for durability. Then using that sticky gum stuff we attach different seasonal things such as fall leaves, snow flakes, buds, and green leaves. We put up one for each day of the season and then as the days go pull one off at a time. In fall we put them piled at the bottom of the tree. This is a great way for the children to tell when it will be cold/warm soon, and they love doing this with the calendar each day.
9-26-00Autumn Magnet: Trace the shape of a leaf onto heavy construction paper (red, orange or yellow). Cut out. Glue a picture a child in the center with the words "I fall for you!" under the picture. Older children can decorate the leaf with glitter or crushed leaves, etc... Glue a magnet to the back.
8-3-00Taking a bail of hay placing small treats in it let the children dig and find them -like needle in the haystack.
Date: 12-11-99I work at a family resource center. However, we have a bulletin board in one of the main halls at the elementary school we serve. For fall, I covered the board in blue paper, added some green paper at the bottom and cut to represent hills, then hot glued poly fill to the "Sky" section to look like clouds. I then printed many different colored leaves on to card stock paper, and cut them out. On 10 of the leaves I printed worlds like..."Tell the Truth" or "Be a good listener". We then curled the edges of the cut out leaves by wrapping them around a large marker and glued them to the tree. The 10 leaves with words on them were glued across the bulletin board to look as if the wind were blowing them across the fall scene. The title to the Bulletin Board read.... "10 Fall Friendship Refreshers" It was beautiful!! I hated to take it down! ideaHere's a great science, sensory, and manipulative idea all in one. Just clean out a pumpkin for a jack-o-lantern or pumpkin pie and put the stringy, seedy middle in a large bowl. Let the children gather out the seeds and put them in another bowl. When each group is through, pour the seeds back in and mix. The next group will have just as much fun picking them out, and you will have fun watching their faces. Date: 10-31-99ideaScarecrow Date: 10-21-99ideaTrace the child's hand on a piece of paper. The traced hand becomes the rake. Let them draw a rectangle for the stick. The child can then draw leaves, or use real leaves from outside. Date: 10-14-99ideaI had saved some Indian corn that I had taken off the cob. We used a corn pattern (Leaves-green, corn yellow construction paper). The children glued the yellow corn onto the green leaves. I drew lines so that the corn resembled graph paper. The children glued a piece of Indian corn in each small box. Very showy and we received allot of positive feedback about this craft. Date: 10-14-99
ideaWe have a special day at preschool called Harvest Day. Regular classes are cancelled and all 65 children, many parents and even siblings attend dressed up as farmers. There are many stations set up and each parent is assigned two or three children for the next approximate 40 minutes. The stations include: 1. Milk the cow. (Warm milk in a latex glove hanging from a stick between two chairs. Pinholes are placed in the glove, a bucket is underneath, and a cows head and tail are placed on the two chairs. 2. Hand print turkeys. Children’s hands are traced ahead of time and glued down on a small piece of mat board. Seed, corn, beans, etc. are available to glued down on the handprint. A red piece of tissue paper is there for the waddle. Children draw the legs and feet on it. 3. Butter making. (Shake cream and salt in a jar) 4. Ice cream making. (Children roll coffee container back and forth to each other or a parent.) Cream, vanilla, and sugar are placed in a small inner coffee can . . .duct tape the lid on, so no rock salt can get into the ice cream. Place in larger coffee can, which has the rock salt and ice in it. Place lid on and duct tape again. Roll and roll and roll. It takes about half hour or so. Check occasionally to add additional ice as it melts. At snack time everyone gets a sample of the ice cream. It’s very delicious and some parents even do it at their home for Thanksgiving dinner. 5. Cornucopia Snacks. Take a soft flour tortilla rolled into a horn or cornucopia shape and let child choose between cheese chunks, pretzels, raisins, grapes, etc. and fill the tortilla. Only taking what they can eat is a good idea. 6. Children have made a placemat ahead of time that has been laminated. Our meal prayer is on it along with their name. As the children finish their cornucopia it is taken over to the table and set on the placemat. 7. Bean Bags. (Really they are corn bags.) Ahead of time, mothers sew beanbags with denim on one side and a fabric of farm or harvest on the other side. A two-inch opening is left so the children can fill with popcorn kernels. Each child’s name in on the their particular beanbag with fabric paint. The four preschool classes are color coded so names are written in the four different colors and are easy to identify. 8. Fruit Turkeys. Apples and oranges are set out and children thread raisins and marshmallows on to 4 toothpicks that are the back fan-like feather tail of the turkey. A neck is also made the same way. They are stuck into either the apple or orange. The head of the turkey is a green olive with the pimento hanging down out of it. This turkey needs three legs (toothpicks) to stand on though. The children have a lot of fun making all these things and get to take lots of things home with them. We also have some songs to sing and short movie about farm life. We’ve been doing it for 5 years now and it is always a big hit with everyone. Date: 10-11-99ideaHarvest Moons: Read the book - "Opossum's Harvest Moon" Discussion points: The moon can take several shapes from a sliver to a full moon. A Harvest Moon is always a full Moon. Harvest/ fall are soon followed by winter and in the winter the animals sleep and don't see each other until spring - that's why the opossum want to have a party! Tell the kids that opossums hang upside down by their tails. " Circle Time Have the children make a Harvest Moon Read "Opossum's Harvest Moon" or discuss the book while they do their project. Harvest Moons You will need: Yellow construction paper Wax paper Yellow and Orange crayon shavings Small amount of gold or silver glitter Wheat stalks Scissors Glue Teachers may want to have circles and wax paper pre-cut before project time. 1.) Cut circles out of the yellow construction paper. 2.) Cut the middle out of the circle - leaving an edge about ¼" wide 3.) Cut pieces of wax paper just a little bit bigger than the circles 4.) Gently scatter crayon shavings and a dash of glitter on one side of the wax paper. 5.) Teacher - put a piece of wax paper on top of the shavings. Place a dish clothe on top of the wax paper and with a cool iron, press the wax paper together - melting the crayon shavings. 6.) Glue the wax paper between the construction paper circle. 7.) Put short stalks of wheat in the bottom edge of the construction paper - so they come up through the moon. Glue them down securely. *7a.) Remember to put the child's name on the project. 8.) Put a light small weight (such as a book) on the wheat and allow the glue to dry until the next day. 9.) Using a paper punch, put a small hole near the top of the moon. 10.) Hang the harvest moons from the top of a door frame Date Posted: 9-23-99ideaTo help with those small motor skills, get some Indian corn and have the children de-corn the cob with a strawberry huller. It is a good idea to start by removing a few of the kernels yourself, this makes removing the kernels easier. If children have difficulty removing the kernels with the strawberry huller, they can also use their fingers. Great concentration. Date Posted: 9-23-99
Date: 8-19-99In the fall I put whole dried corn on the cob in my sensory table. This can be purchased in a pet store (used to feed squirrels) or if you have a contact on a farm you can get it free. The children "shuck" the corn. For you city folks, use their fingers to remove the corn from the cobs. After they have removed the corn it can stay in the table to play with like sand, and the corn cobs can be used to paint with. Dip in paint and roll them on paper. This is a great fine motor activity and children of all ages love it...even teenagers! Date: 7-24-99Every year our school has a Thanksgiving program, and each class (4k - 4th gr, currently) shares songs, finger plays, reenactments, etc. One of my 4k-ers' responsibilities is to make table decorations for our "harvest feast". We have made pinecone turkeys, with 1 pinecone, several feathers, and a small piece of playdough per turkey, and we also made cornucopias from sugar cones filled with candies shaped like corn, pumpkins, etc. It was simple and fun to do, and the children were very proud to have helped their schoolmates.
Date: 7-24-99When doing a unit on "fall", try putting leaves and small rakes in your sensory table. Date: 10-25-98Due to the fact that many people do not celebrate Halloween, we always have a Fall Feast instead of a Halloween party. This way all of the children can stay and participate. We have parents donate the food items we will need for our menu. This year we are making vegetable stew and parents are donating the vegetables and whatever sides we have. Also, we invite the parents to attend. In a class of 20, we usually have over 30 people attending and eating. We also make centerpieces for the tables. 10-21-98 Name: Rhonda
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