Squirrels, Acorns, and Fall. Discover and experience nature and squirrels in fall or autumn. Hand out a paper lunch bag for each child and take children on a walk to collect a variety of leaves, acorns, and pinecones. Talk about the color, sizes, and shapes of the collected items. Provide boxes for children to sort their treasures. Use the acorn and pinecones to play some games. Explain that squirrels are scampering to gather nuts, acorns, and pinecones to store for the winter. This month your kids will go nuts for the squirrel crafts, activities, lessons, games, and resources that we've gathered for you. Warning! Some children are allergic to nuts. Make sure to check for food allergies before serving nuts to children.
The busy squirrel scampers around.
Gathering nuts that fall to the ground.
Hiding them in secret places.
Covering them over, away she races.
The busy squirrel seems to know.
Winter's winds soon will blow.
Squirrel Counting Activity and Game
Print the Crazy for Nuts game mat printable and laminate for extra strength. Place acorns or nuts inside a small basket or container. Let children roll a die and count and place the matching number of acorns on the Crazy for Nuts game mat. Let children count the acorns after each roll. The player that first covers all the acorn outlines on his/her Crazy for Nuts game mat wins the game.
Squirrels Rhymes and Songs
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel
Shake your bushy tail. (Pretend to shake tail.)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel
Shake your bushy tail, (Pretend to shake tail.)
Wrinkle up your funny nose, (Wrinkle nose.)
And put a nut between your toes. (Pretend to eat a nut.)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel
Shake your bushy tail. (Pretend to shake tail.)
Wisky, frisky, (Move finger side to side.)
Hippity hop, (Move finger up and down as hopping.)
Up he climbs (Raise finger high in the air and wiggle.)
To the tree top.
Whirly, twirly, (Move finger in small circles.)
Round and round,
Down he scampers (Lower finger, wiggling back and forth.)
To the ground.
Furly, curly, (Move arm in circles, getting larger.)
What a tail! Tall as a feather, (Extend arm in the air.)
Broad as a sail! (Wave arm back and forth)
Wheres his supper? (Lower arm and shade eyes.)
In a shell (Hold palm up and curl fingers into a fist.)
Snappity, crackity, (Open hand, palm up.)
Out it fell!
Squirrels Game and Movement
Place a hula hoop or a piece of brown or green fabric napkin for each child on the floor. Place lots of acorns or nuts all around the room. Let children pretend to be squirrels gathering as many acorns as they can carry. When the music stops, the squirrels go “home” to their trees (hula hoops). Ask children to place their acorns in their home. How many accorns did they gather? Ask each child to count them and tell you the number. Continue until no more acorns are left.
Preschool Activities: |
Preschool Activities: |
Preschool Activities: |
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Fall and Autumn Activities and Crafts | Animals in Winter Activities and Crafts | Squirrel and Acorns Math Activities |