Autumn is the time…
…when the leaves fall down… and this makes the children tune in to the changing of the season. They become aware of the wonderful colours in the leaves by sweeping them, collecting them, organising them, using them for measuring, identifying, making compost and in art projects.
They shuffle through them in their wellies, enjoying the sound they make, and we sing lots of songs about leaves. Here are a couple:
Autumn is the time when the leaves fall down, the leaves fall down, the leaves fall down
Autumn is the time when the leaves fall down, and we can shuffle through them.
Or a counting one:
Five little leaves so bright and gay
Were dancing about on a tree one day.
The wind came blowing through the town,
Ooooooooooo! Oooooooooooo!
And one little leaf came tumbling down.
Four little leaves…. three little leaves…. two little leaves…. one little leaf….. and that little leaf came tumbling down.
In the run-up to Halloween our focus is on pumpkins and seeds rather than ghosts and ghouls, which are difficult for nursery aged children to understand, and so a favourite rhyme for Halloween is ‘Jack-o-Lantern’:
Pumpkin, pumpkin round and fat (Make a big circle with your arms)
Turn into a Jack-o-lantern
Just (clap) like (clap) that! (clap)
Happy Halloween!