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A Fall Nature Walk: Before, During, & After Activities

Inside: Nature walks are a great way for children to experience firsthand the changes each season brings.  Here are some things you can do before, during, and after a fall nature walk to help children notice and appreciate the signs of the season.

Before Your Fall Nature Walk

Begin by bringing in a sign of fall to share with children, such as leaves, pumpkins, acorns, apples, gourds or a corn stalk.  Ask children to share why they think it is a sign of fall and let them explore the object in your science center.
exploring acorns in kindergarten
Set the stage for the walk by choosing a favorite fall book to share such as Yellow Time, Hello, Fall!, In the Middle of Fall, Full of Fall, Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn, or How Do You Know it’s Fall?.
Invite your kiddos to search and name the “signs of fall” they see in the illustrations.
children's books about fall

Brainstorm with kids what they might see on your fall nature walk.  Help children organize their thinking on your anchor chart by creating categories that include plants, animals, weather, and people.  Accept all responses!

fall nature walk anchor chart

Prepare children for the walk by explaining that they will be “nature detectives” searching for signs of fall and pack supplies such as magnifying glasses, tweezers, pencils, field notes, and clip boards.

recording sheet for fall nature walk in preschool or kindergarten

During Your Fall Nature Walk

While out on your nature walk, choose specific stopping points along the way for children to “stop and jot” their signs of the season observations.

fall nature walk observations

Take photos on your walk to use as a resource once you are back in the classroom. Be sure to save these and compare them to the photos you will take on your winter and spring walks, so children can observe seasonal changes over time.

pumpkins spotted on a fall walk

mums as a sign of fall

After Your Fall Nature Walk

Ask children to share the “signs of fall” they discovered and discuss the photographs that you or the children have taken.  In my area, where each season is distinct, the kids can easily notice changes by looking at the colors in each season’s photos and compare them.

fall photos

Return to the anchor chart you made before the walk and let children document what they actually saw in words and/or pictures.

fall walk anchor chart

Let kids create a Fall Walk book to draw and write about the signs of fall they saw on your walk.

fall booklet for kindergarten

Send home a family note and invite children to continue to look for signs of the season beyond the walk and bring in fall “wonders” to observe, sketch, and explore.

fall nature table tray

Place one sign of fall, such as a sunflower, in your Take-Apart Tub or Tray for children to dissect.
exploring sunflowers in a kindergarten science center
Choose another object, such as a pumpkin, for children to observe closely and sketch in your art center.

pumpkin activities in kindergarten

Work with children to identify the colors of fall and offer these in the form of paint, paper, and loose parts for them to create with.

painting fall colors

Create art to represent the “signs of fall” that children observed on their walk and use them to make a fall mural. Use interactive writing to label the mural with fall words.

making a fall pumpkin patch mural in kindergarten

…And Repeat!

To build on the learning from your fall nature walk, plan for a walk in all 4 seasons by repeating the above experiences.  This will provide opportunities for children to observe and note patterns of seasonal change over time.

You can find all four nature walks in this Wonder Walks: Four Season Bundle.

four seasons nature walk bundle
And if you enjoy your fall nature walk experience, try taking a Leaf Walk, where kids hunt for 4 different kinds of leaves and use them to identify the trees found on their school grounds.
leaf walk in kindergarten
For more science and inquiry ideas, visit the Growing with STEAM page inside the Roots & Wings Resource Library.

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