Crisp leaves, cooler weather, and… a never-ending to-do list? Fall is such a fun season, but it’s also one of the busiest in the classroom. That’s why I’ve pulled together four print-and-go, free fall activities that give your students a seasonal touch of fun while still practicing literacy and math skills. These activities are ready to go without hours of planning and provide alternatives to holiday-themed resources.
Journal writing is an easy way to bring seasonal topics into your classroom. This printable includes a poster and picture cards with common fall activities such as watching football, jumping in leaves, carving pumpkins, or going on a hayride.
Students choose an activity, draw a picture, and write about it in their journals. This works well for a whole-group writing time or as an independent literacy center. The visual choices support all writers, including reluctant ones, and make it simple for students to get started.
This makes a great morning work activity and can spark fun classroom discussions about favorite fall traditions.
Comparing numbers is a key math skill across grade levels, and this activity gives students a seasonal way to practice. Using the pumpkin spinners, students generate two numbers and then compare them.
There are three versions included—2-digit, 3-digit, and 4-digit numbers—so you can easily differentiate for your class. Younger students can work on comparing tens and ones, while older students can practice with larger numbers. All you need to do is print the game pages, and students are ready to go.
For added practice, you can combine this with our fun Candy Corn Compare activity, or get hands-on with a few fall-themed math crafts!
Retelling is one of the most important comprehension skills for elementary students. With this booklet, students can organize their thoughts after reading any fall or pumpkin-themed story.
They draw or write about what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the book. After completing the pages, students cut them out, color the cover, and staple them into a booklet.
This activity can be used in small groups, literacy stations, or as a follow-up to your read-aloud. Students will love turning their work into a real booklet!
Directed drawings are a great way to pair art with literacy. The beauty is that they help even reluctant writers feel confident, as art gives them a starting point.
In this activity, students follow step-by-step directions to create a fall leaf. Once the drawing is complete, they can extend the lesson by writing about the story they read or creating their own imaginative story about a leaf.
This works especially well with books that highlight leaves or seasonal changes, but it can also stand alone as a creative writing prompt. It’s print-and-go, so students have both structure for their artwork and choice in their writing.
Each of these free activities can be used at any point during the fall season. They give students meaningful practice with writing, reading comprehension, math, and creativity—without requiring extra prep time from teachers. Just print, pass out, and you’re ready to teach.
Hey, y’all! My name is Amy Lemons and I am passionate about providing students with both engaging and effective standards-based Math and ELA lessons.
Sample a day of Rooted in Reading with these lesson plans and activities for Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, and Grammar!
