October means cooler weather, sweaters, mud puddles, and more time spent indoors. While October means summer is officially over, it doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun. Here are some wonderful falltastic classroom ideas for October that will keep your charges excited about coming to daycare.
Celebrate Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Day
Did you know that October 7th is the official day of the chocolate covered pretzel? It’s not a particularly well-known holiday, but that will change when you incorporate it into your classroom activities. The great thing about celebrating chocolate covered pretzel day is that it’s a fun way to teach children about food safety and provide some basic health information that they’ll remember later in life when they have to make their own decisions about what they should and shouldn’t eat.
The best way to celebrate Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day is by choosing some low-sodium pretzels that your students can dip in chocolate. Depending on the age and ability of your students, you may even want to consider having the students make their own pretzels. While your students cover their pretzels with delicious chocolate, take time to teach them the importance of preparing food safely. Discuss why they should clean the dishes they use as soon as they are finished making the sweet treat. Talking about why they need to moderate the number of chocolate covered pretzels makes a great health lesson.
Before diving into this particular October classroom activity talk to each student’s parents and make sure they don’t have any health concerns that prevent them from enjoying this particular fall activity.
Teddy Bear Day
If you’re looking for a great way to discuss bullying, having students bring their favorite teddy bear to daycare on October 9th is a great place to start. There are several Teddy Bear related activities that you can run throughout the day. Discuss the importance of having a good friend, like their teddy bear who they can talk to about problems. Start teaching your students the early signs of bullying. You can talk about the history of teddy bears, study real-life bears, and even arrange a time when the students create short stories about an adventure they might go on with their teddy bears.
One of the great things about falltastic activities like Bring Your Teddy Bear to School is that having a stuffed animal with them encourages shy children to come out of their shell.
Autumn Leaf Day
Officially, Autumn Leaves Day falls on October 13, but if the weather isn’t ideal for an outdoor activity, you can schedule it for a different day. The purpose of Autumn Leave Day is to get your students outside. There are lots of activities you can do on Autumn Leaves Day. You can have them gather large piles of leaves that they jump into. You can have them collect interesting leaves and teach them how to identify the type of leave. You can discuss why leaves change colors in the fall. With just a few art supplies, your students can decorate leaves.
Celebrating autumn leaves day is a great way to cultivate an interest in nature.
New Friends Day
On October 19th, create a plan that helps your students understand the importance of friendship. Create activities that encourage each of your students to make a new friend. Activities that work well on New Friends Day include simple group projects such as scavenger hunts, discussing what makes a person a good friend, and exploring the concept of pen pals. Some teachers explore ways that they can help their students explore the concept of communication and the importance of social skills.
Reptile Awareness Day
Reptile Awareness Day falls on October 21. If possible, see if a local zoo or reptile rescue group has some friendly reptiles that they can bring in to show the class. If that’s not an option, look for interesting educational opportunities. Teach students how reptiles shed. Where they live. Watch a reptile movie or YouTube videos. Encourage each of your students to pick a favorite reptile and learn as much as they can about it. Celebrating Reptile Awareness Day is a great way to encourage an interest in wildlife and help your students understand that reptiles are important to the ecosystem and shouldn’t be feared.
United Nations Day
It’s never too early to start teaching your students about other cultures, and the best time to do this is on October 24 which is United Nations Day. It’s likely your students are too young to understand the importance of the UN, they aren’t too young to start learning about other cultures. Activities you can do on United Nations Day include finding pen pals who live in different countries, trying out foods that are popular in other parts of the world, coloring pictures, reading books that tell about how children in different cultures live.
Mule Day
On October 26th you should consider celebrating Mule Day with your students. This is a great opportunity to teach a little-discussed topic. If possible, arrange a field trip to a stable that is home to a few mules where your students can learn about basic mule care. If that’s not an option, considering watching a few mule-themed movies or having your students look at pictures of mules. The best thing about mules is that they played an important role in history. Teach your students how they helped early farmers, travelers, and war heroes.
Black Cat Day
October 27th is Black Cat Day. This holiday provides you with an excellent opportunity to explore the superstition behind black cats. Have your students tell stories about black cats. Discuss how to care for a black cat. Consider a field trip to a local animal shelter where your students can play with the resident black cats while also learning the important role animal shelters play in the community.
When you purchase a copy of 365 Days of Classroom Activities you’ll instantly gain access to a wide array of activities that make planning each day a breeze. The great thing about all of these activities is that they are easy to put together, help you turn your students into well-rounded individuals, and eliminate the risk that your students will be bored while they’re at daycare.
