This is a fun week to learn, how with a little help, the earth can provide a variety of bountiful produce. This theme makes a great introduction to Thanksgiving.
Art Activities
Books
Songs/Fingerplays
Center/Misc Ideas
Kix Corn Cobs
Let the children glue Kix cereal on to a bare corn cob pattern. They can either color or marker the husk at the bottom of the corn pattern or you can have precut husk patterns cut out for them to glue on to it.
Bubble Wrap Corn Cobs
Make a mitten, minus the thumb, out of bubble wrap with the bubbles facing out. Then paint with them and cut a corncob pattern out of that print when dry. Just add on a husk pattern at the bottom and you have another fun corncob.
Corn Is Maize
From Kernel To Corn
I'M A LITTLE CORNSTALK
Tune: I'm A Little Teapot
I'm a little corn stalk straight and tall.
Pick my corn cob that grows in the fall.
At the farmer's market you’ll pick me out
Yummmm, Corn on the cob is what you'll shout.
Seed Corn In The Sensory Table
We add seed corn to our sensory table, both with husk on and husk off and sometimes we just add it to the leaves already in there.
Seed Corn Painting
Roll a couple of husked corn cobs in two different autumn colors of paint and let the children roll them on their paper. Black paper works best with orange and yellow paint.
The Corn Grows Ripe
JOHNNY APPLESEED
Tune: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Oh, the Lord/world is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord/world,
For giving me the things I need,
The sun, the rain, the apple seed,
The Lord/world is good to me,
Observe Seed Corn In the Husks
Have some seed corn in the husks and some with the husk off. Observe the pattern of the kernals and how that looks on the painted artwork. You can also bring in some indian corn and talk about the different colors of the kernals.
Potato Prints
Cut 2 potatoes in half, each potato a different direction. Stick a fork in them and dip them in two different colored paints to make potato prints.
From Eye To Potato
It's Harvest Time
IT'S HARVEST TIME
Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Dig, dig it's harvest time,
Dig down in the ground.
Pull out all the vegetables
Big and ripe and round.
Pick, pick it's harvest time
Pick them at the stem
Pick each fruit one by one
To eat each one of them.
Pictures of Crops
Have different pictures of crops as they are growing in the field, what they look like when we see them in the store and what they would look like once they are cooked, for the children to match up.
Gourd Painting
Pick out different kinds of gourds with different textures and roll them in paint and then on the paper. This was a bit messy for some kidds since fingers got paint on them, but I always have wet wipes handy to show them how easily we wipe the paint off.
Fall Harvests
Harvest Time
HARVEST TIME
Tune: Jingle Bells
Harvest time, harvest time,
Time to pick the crops.
Harvest time, harvest time,
When the growing stops,
Dig them up, pick them off,
Gather them just right.
They’ll taste good when winters here,
When the ground is white.
Sorting Gourds by Size, Color or Shape
Count and chart the different varieties of gourds. Investigate which gourd is each child's favorite.
Basket of Produce
Let the children paint with different vegetables and then glue on a cut out basket around the bottom of them.
Apples And Pumpkins
Apples For Everyone
APPLE SAUCE
Tune: Peanutbutter And Jelly
Apple, Apple Sauce, Yum
Apple, Apple Sauce, Yum
First you take an apple
And you peel it, peel it.
Apple, Apple Sauce, Yum
Other verses: Then you take the apple
And you chop it;
cook it; mash it; strain it;
(sauce) & season it; eat it
Pretend Market
Set up a farmers' market with all kinds of vegetables and fruit for children to put in their baskets and pretned to buy. Discuss the different foods you could make from them at home.
Play Dough
Roll out different vegetables and fruit with playdough. Use the different gourds to make prints in the playdough.