October preschool curriculum
October in the free preschool curriculum: 4 theme weeks (farm, leaves, pumpkins, community helpers), each on one sheet with its parts, the skills they work on, box-free materials and open-ended ways in.
← SeptemberNovember →The whole year
- Week 6: Farm, the full plan
- Week 7: Leaves, the full plan
- Week 8: Pumpkins, the full plan
- Week 9: Community helpers, the full plan
A farm week for twos to fours: the animals, their sounds and babies, and the food that comes from a farm.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | Which animals live on a farm, and what do they say? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | At the Farm; Ten Pigs; Fox and the Hen; The Little Red Hen | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Paper-bag barn: Paint the bag red and let it dry. Glue white strips on as the barn doors. Put the animals in the barn and name each one. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Old MacDonald Had a Farm | Language, Moving |
| Snack | English Muffin Pizzas | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | F is for farm | Early literacy |
| Outside | Animal walk: Walk like each farm animal: a hen pecks, a cow plods, a pig rolls, a horse gallops. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: paper lunch bag, red paint, white paper strips, animal stickers or drawings, glue stick.
Snack: english muffins, pizza sauce, grated mozzarella.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
farm · barn · cow · hen
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out paper lunch bag, red paint, white paper strips and animal stickers or drawings with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own farm picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (farm, barn, cow, hen) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “Which animals live on a farm, and what do they say?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about which animal says what. Ask about what the little red hen made.
A leaf week for twos to fours: collecting, sorting by color and size, and watching leaves fall.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | Why do leaves fall off the trees? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | A Nest on the Hill; Go, Snail, Go!; Pit, Pat; Who Lives Under the Log? | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Leaf rubbing: Tape a leaf under the paper. Rub the side of a crayon over it until the veins show. Try a second leaf in another color. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Pease Porridge Hot | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Yogurt Parfait | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | L is for leaf | Early literacy |
| Outside | Leaf hunt: Find a big leaf, a small leaf, a red one and a brown one. Line them up from small to big. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: leaves from the walk, white paper, crayons with the paper off, tape.
Snack: yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, granola, honey.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
leaf · tree · fall · crunch
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out leaves from the walk, white paper, crayons with the paper off and tape with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own leaves picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (leaf, tree, fall, crunch) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “Why do leaves fall off the trees?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what colors their leaves were. Ask about how a leaf rubbing works.
A pumpkin week for twos to fours: from a seed to a vine to a big orange pumpkin, with counting, sorting and a pumpkin to touch.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | How does a pumpkin start? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Meg and the Seed; At the Farm; The Big Truck; The Enormous Turnip | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Pumpkin seed counting card: Draw a big pumpkin shape on the card (a grown-up can draw it). Stick on seeds: two for twos, five for threes, ten for fours. Count them out loud and write the number. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Ring Around the Rosie | Language, Moving |
| Snack | No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Cups | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | P is for pumpkin | Early literacy |
| Outside | Pumpkin patch walk: Set balls or cones around the yard as pumpkins. Walk, tiptoe, then hop to each one. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: orange card, round seed stickers, crayons.
Snack: graham crackers, canned pumpkin purée (not pie filling), marshmallow creme, cinnamon, whipped cream.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
pumpkin · vine · seed · orange
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out orange card, round seed stickers and crayons with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own pumpkins picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (pumpkin, vine, seed, orange) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “How does a pumpkin start?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what is inside a pumpkin. Ask about how many seeds they stuck on.
A community helpers week for twos to fours: who helps us (bus drivers, bakers, doctors, mail carriers) and how we can help.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | Who helps us in our town? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | The Red Bus; Stop, Bus!; Dex on the Bus; The Big Truck | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Helper hat: Choose a helper: baker, driver, doctor or mail carrier. Draw that helper's picture on the badge. Tape the badge to the headband and wear it. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | The Muffin Man | Language, Moving |
| Snack | English Muffin Pizzas | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | H is for helper | Early literacy |
| Outside | Mail carrier: Give each child a paper letter to deliver to a numbered cone or a friend's cubby. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: paper strip headband, crayons, a paper badge shape, tape.
Snack: english muffins, pizza sauce, grated mozzarella.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
helper · bus · baker · doctor
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out paper strip headband, crayons, a paper badge shape and tape with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own community helpers picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (helper, bus, baker, doctor) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “Who helps us in our town?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about which helper they dressed as. Ask about how they can help at home.