Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to participate in physical activities that are related to the fall season, while improving your gross motor skills and coordination.
Materials and Prep
- Open space to move around
- Colorful leaves (real or paper cutouts)
- Soft ball or bean bag
- Optional: Fall-themed music
Before starting the lesson, make sure you have enough space to move around safely and gather the materials listed above.
Activities
- Leaf Pile Jumping: Scatter the colorful leaves on the floor. Encourage the student to jump from one leaf to another, practicing their jumping and balancing skills.
- Leaf Toss: Stand a few feet away from the student and gently toss a soft ball or bean bag towards them. Encourage them to catch it, improving their hand-eye coordination.
- Leaf Dance: Play some fall-themed music and have the student dance freely, imitating the movements of falling leaves. This activity promotes creativity, rhythm, and body awareness.
- Leaf Relay Race: Divide the open space into two halves. Place a pile of leaves at one end of each half. Have the student and yourself stand at the opposite ends. Take turns running to the pile of leaves, picking one up, and running back to deposit it in a designated spot. The first one to transfer all the leaves wins!
Preschool Grade Talking Points
- "In the fall, the leaves change color and fall from the trees. We can have fun with leaves too!"
- "Jumping from one leaf to another helps us practice our jumping and balancing skills. It's like being a squirrel hopping from tree to tree!"
- "When we toss and catch the ball or bean bag, we are improving our hand-eye coordination. Just like a squirrel catching an acorn!"
- "When we dance like falling leaves, we can move our bodies in different ways and be creative. Can you twirl like a leaf falling from a tree?"
- "In the leaf relay race, we practice running and picking up leaves. It's like a race between squirrels to collect the most acorns!"