fall writing prompts Archives

5 Fun Apple Activities for September (That You Can Do with What You Have!)

August 22, 2025 teachersbrain Fall & Halloween, fall writing prompts

Fall is one of my favorite times to bring fresh themes into the classroom, and apples are always a hit with young learners. They’re simple, familiar, and so versatile for cross-curricular learning. The best part? You don’t need fancy supplies to make apple activities fun and meaningful. Here are five ideas you can try right away, plus two resources that take your apple theme even further.

🍎 1. Apple Graphing

Bring in a few red, green, and yellow apples (or show pictures if that’s easier). Have students vote for their favorite color and create a simple graph together on chart paper. You can extend this by counting, comparing, and even writing sentences: “More students like red apples than green apples.”

🍏 2. Five Senses Apple Exploration

Slice apples and let students describe what they see, smell, taste, touch, and hear (the crunch!). Record their observations on an anchor chart to build science vocabulary. This activity doubles as a writing prompt: “My apple tastes…”

🍎 3. Apple Art with Paper Shapes

Cut construction paper into red, green, and yellow circles, plus brown rectangles for stems and green ovals for leaves. Students can assemble their own apples and then write a sentence underneath: “My apple is red.” Simple, no prep, and perfect for a bulletin board!

🍏 4. Counting Apple Seeds

Use black beans or small counters as pretend “apple seeds.” Students can practice counting, addition, and subtraction by “adding” seeds to an apple outline or “taking some away.” It’s a quick math center that can be done with laminated templates and dry erase markers.

🍎 5. Apple Stories and Writing

Read a favorite apple book (Ten Apples Up on Top, Apple Trouble!, or Johnny Appleseed). Then invite students to write or draw about apples: “If I had ten apples, I would…” or “Johnny Appleseed planted…” This ties literacy and creativity right into your apple theme.

🍏 Go Even Further with These Ready-to-Use Resources

If you want to extend your apple fun without extra prep, I have two resources that pair perfectly with the activities above:

APPLE Activities, Crafts, Bulletin Board, Math and Literacy JOURNAL – Packed with crafts, writing prompts, math games, and display ideas to turn your apple theme into a whole unit.

Johnny Appleseed Activities Bundle – Celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day with fun crafts, timelines, and literacy tie-ins that make history come alive.

With just a few apples (or some basic supplies), you can create hands-on, engaging activities that your students will love. And with ready-to-use apple resources, you’ll have everything you need to make September both fun and educational! 🍎

For more apple activities, check out my post here all about fun activities to do on Johnny Appleseed Day!

5 Memorable Thanksgiving Activities to Make Your Classroom Feel Extra Festive

October 18, 2024 teachersbrain fall writing prompts, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Thanksgiving in Kindergarten

Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey and pumpkin pie—it’s an opportunity to spark creativity, build gratitude, and sneak in some academic fun! Whether you’re looking to add a touch of holiday magic to your math lesson or a creative spin to your writing activities, Thanksgiving offers endless ways to make learning festive. Below are five engaging and educational Thanksgiving activities that will leave your students feeling thankful for the time spent in your classroom this season.

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving in the classroom?

1. Thankful Writing Prompts | Thanksgiving Activities

Get your students thinking about gratitude with Thanksgiving-themed writing prompts. Writing helps students express themselves and develop important language skills, but it can also be a chance for them to reflect on what matters most.

The Thanksgiving Writing Craftivity resource from my TpT store is an engaging way to help your students determine what they are thankful for.

2. Pilgrim STEM Hat Craft

Who said history can’t be hands-on? This Thanksgiving, your students can step into the shoes (or hats) of the Pilgrims with the Pilgrim Hat Craft. They’ll build their own Pilgrim hats while also practicing their writing skills.

3. Candy Corn Math Activiites

Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you have to skip over math! Add a bit of holiday flair to your math centers with the Candy Corn Fall Math Activities . Teach math, opinion writing, letter id, STEM and so more with this activity pack made around a candy corn theme! Learning made fun for fall time!

4. Classroom Gratitude Tree

Encourage your students to reflect on what they’re thankful for by creating a classroom Gratitude Tree. Cut out a large tree shape from butcher paper, and have students add paper leaves with notes about what they are grateful for This activity can be done daily, with students adding a new leaf each morning, fostering a sense of appreciation all week long.

5. Thanksgiving Story Time | Thanksgiving Activities

To add a little calm to the Thanksgiving chaos, set aside time for a special Thanksgiving story. Reading aloud books like There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey or Turkey Trouble offers a chance for students to relax and enjoy some quiet time while learning about the history or fun aspects of the holiday. Afterward, students can discuss the moral of the story or even act out their favorite scenes.

Extend this activity by having students create their own Thanksgiving-themed story as a class! You could assign characters, plotlines, and let each student contribute a part, practicing collaboration and storytelling.

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to mix fun and learning. By incorporating these activities into your lessons, you’ll keep your students engaged while teaching valuable skills across writing, STEM, math, and social-emotional learning. I hope these ideas and activities bring lots of joy and thankfulness to your classroom!

Looking for more Thanksgiving activities? Check out these 7 fun and engaging Thanksgiving activities for kids!

4 Ways Seasonal Themes Help With Classroom Engagement

October 5, 2024 teachersbrain fall writing prompts

How do you engage students in the classroom?

As teachers, we’re always looking for ways to keep our little learners engaged and excited about what they’re learning. One of the best ways to tap into that enthusiasm and engagement is by incorporating seasonal themes into your lessons. Whether it’s the pumpkins of fall, the snowflakes of winter, or the flowers of spring, these themes can create a sense of excitement and connection to the world outside the classroom.

If you’re looking for tips to get engaged students in the classroom, this post is for you! I’m sharing why seasonal themes are so effective in engaging kindergarten and first-grade students, and I’ll share some ideas for how you can use these themes to create meaningful learning experiences.

Plus, I have a fun fall activity resource that your students will love!

Why Seasonal Themes Work

1. Familiarity and Excitement

Seasonal themes work because they are already part of your students’ lives. They see pumpkins in stores, feel the crisp autumn air, and notice the changing leaves. When you bring these familiar elements into the classroom, it helps make learning feel more connected to the real world. Kids naturally feel excited about things they’re seeing and experiencing outside of school, so when you incorporate those things into your lessons, you’re tapping into their enthusiasm and using it to help them reach those goals!

2. Helps with Retention

You likely already know that when students are excited, they’re more likely to engage with the material and, ultimately, retain it. Seasonal themes provide a memorable context for lessons. For example, using pumpkins to teach counting or patterns makes the learning more vivid. When students think of pumpkins later, they may also recall the skills they learned.

3. Encourages Creativity

Seasonal themes also open the door for creative learning activities. Whether it’s through art, writing, or hands-on STEM projects, the possibilities are endless. With a fall theme, you can do everything from pumpkin painting to creating a class poem about the season.

4. Multisensory Learning

Many seasonal activities encourage multisensory learning, which is especially effective for younger learners! Whether it’s feeling the texture of leaves, hearing the crunch of apples, or seeing the vibrant colors of fall, using the senses helps deepen the learning experience. To bring this to life in your classroom, consider using these materials in your lessons as part of math centers or writing crafts!

A Fun Fall-Themed Resource to Try

One of my favorite seasonal activities for fall is Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate. This timeless poem is not only fun and catchy, but it’s also packed with opportunities for teaching literacy, math, and even science! I’ve created a special resource that pairs this classic poem with engaging STEM activities designed for kindergarten and first-grade students.

With this resource, your students can work on STEM activities while enjoying the playful theme of pumpkins.

You can check out the Five Little Pumpkins resource here and bring some fall magic into your classroom!

By incorporating seasonal themes into your lessons, you’ll not only capture your students’ attention but also help them build meaningful connections to the world around them. Whether it’s pumpkins in the fall or snowflakes in winter, these themes can be the perfect way to make learning more engaging and memorable!

What are your favorite ways to get student engagement? Let me know in the comments!

For more classroom management tips, check out my post here all about behavior management!

5 Fall Activities to Do With Your Elementary Students

September 22, 2023 teachersbrain Fall & Halloween, fall writing prompts, STEM, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Writing

Fall is in the air! Are you ready?

The fall colors and weather are a fantastic backdrop for outdoor exploration. It’s the perfect time to take your students on nature walks, scavenger hunts, and teach them about the changing seasons.

I always loved using this time of year as a chance to explore apples and pumpkins in lessons. These activities not only engage students but also provide opportunities for math, science, and sensory learning. 🍁🍂📚