As summer turns to fall, the preschoolers have been noticing the changes happening in the world around them. Through conversations, stories, sensory play, art, and outdoor exploration, the children have been discovering what makes this season special. We began the season with introducing “Hill” the bear, to help the children explore how we dress for different seasons. The children worked together to choose fall clothing for Hill, including pants, a long-sleeved shirt, socks, boots, and a jacket to keep him warm in the chilly weather. Our learning continued through sensory play, as the children explored a fall-inspired tuff tray filled with mini pumpkins, gourds, leaves, acorns, and woodland creatures. The children used their imaginations to create homes for the animals, explored different textures and shapes, and shared their ideas with one another. Hunter's question, “What is inside of here?” sparked curiosity about the pumpkins and opened the door to future discoveries. Taking our learning outdoors, we ventured through the forest and around the pond to collect leaves and sticks for an upcoming art activity. Along the way, the children listened to leaves crunching beneath their feet, heard birds singing, felt the cool breeze, and noticed the beautiful colours of the season. When we discovered that the ducks and geese were missing from the pond, the children connected this observation to a recently read Franklin story about migration, sharing their ideas about where the birds might have gone. Our learning continues as we also explored the changing colours of fall leaves through an art experience, where the children used leaves that we gathered from the walk to create their own beautiful artwork. These experiences have encouraged the children to observe, ask questions, share ideas, and make connections between their play and the natural world. As we continue exploring the changes that fall brings, we look forward to following their curiosity and discovering together all the wonderful learning opportunities this season has to offer.
