September Classroom Activities: Make Fall Learning Fun and Engaging
As leaves fall and the temperatures drop, students in elementary classrooms settle into the routine of a new school year. While students may be nervous about being in a new grade in a new classroom with a new teacher, September creates a sense of ease.
The initial worry over the first day of school is over, and students see how exciting the year will be. These September classroom activities are exciting, interactive, and hands-on with the amazing Fall teaching ideas and activities below!
Many teachers just like you have commented and let me know what activities they enjoy doing during the month of September. I have curated some of the most common September classroom activities I saw and also added a few more fall teaching ideas of my own.
When you’ve gotten to the end of this blog post, keep scrolling to see all of the comments and get even more teaching ideas for the month of September!
Fall Classroom Craft Ideas
As students begin their journey in a new classroom, they are often scared to make mistakes. Many times, they don’t know how their teachers or classmates will react. However, it is imperative that students realize that everyone makes mistakes.
Fall Leaves Craft – Mistakes are Opportunities to Learn
Thankfully, the Fall Leaves Craftivity shows how mistakes are learning opportunities. Students write or draw about what they do when they “fall down” and make a mistake. They also reflect on people they can go to for support when making mistakes, what they learn from mistakes, and encouraging words. Ultimately, students can build so much empathy for each other and themselves with this activity!
This craft pairs well with the book ‘The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes.’
Back-to-School Bus Craft
While building empathy, students get to know each other. This is essential when developing a strong classroom community. However, building conversation is hard when students are falling into September. They are still nervous and hesitant around each other. Luckily, the Back-to-School Bus Craftivity is the perfect way for students to learn about their classmates and classroom! Specifically, students focus on sharing all about themselves, reflecting on their first day, being good classmates, and following class rules. Students will love getting to know each other with this craft!
Painted Kindness Rocks
Spreading kindness is crucial during September. Students need to know they are around supportive classmates. Thankfully, they can spread kindness through a fun classroom activity involving rocks and paint.
Students can paint rocks with fun fall designs and a kind word or message. This includes leaves and pumpkins. Have students place the rocks around areas of the school, such as the playground and entrance/exits.
Truthfully, it is one of the best feelings to see how excited students are when finding a rock!
Ice-Breaker September Classroom Activities as Students Continue to Get to Know One Another
Engaging students in ice-breaking activities can help them relax, build rapport, and foster a sense of camaraderie. Even if you’re teaching online, setting the stage for the school year is important.
While I have 40+ Back-to-School Ideas in another post, here are a few favorite ones mentioned in the comments below:
- Link hands & pass a hula hoop
- Building the tallest tower with cups – this is a great STEM activity!
- Passing a ball of yarn to “weave a web” to show we are all connected & if one person lets go – the whole thing falls apart. I call this a Spider Web and have more details in this post.
- ‘Getting to know you’ scavenger hunts where students seek out classmates who match certain criteria encourage interaction and help students learn about each other.
- Send home an All About Me sheet. Have students fill out the sheet and then add pictures of their family on the back. Spend the first month sharing students’ sheets. Once everyone has shared, put the All About Me sheets in a classroom book. Have each student take the book home to share about their classmates. Students get really excited to bring the class book home.
- The ‘Saving Fred’ activity, another favorite, reviews classroom partner work expectations while incorporating the scientific method
- Another unique and humorous ice-breaker involves a roll of toilet paper. Each student takes as much as they want and then must share a fact about themselves for each square they took. This fun activity inevitably leads to laughter and helps students open up about their interests and experiences.
- Lower grades can engage in a ‘Back to School’ Kahoot game or a ‘This or That’ game which is a fun way to learn about the students.
- Create a time capsule and save it until the end of the school year.
- I “Moustache” You A Question where students write questions they have for the teacher on sticky notes. As an end-of-the-day routine during September answer a few of the questions. It is a great way to start some really fun conversations
Set Classroom Norms Throughout the Month of September
Instead of prescribing rules, involve students in creating ‘class norms.’ Have students create posters of the agreed-upon norms. When students illustrate the norms and see them posted on the walls, it increases their sense of ownership and commitment to maintaining a positive classroom environment.
Here are examples of Back to School Anchor Charts that focus on our roles as teachers, students, and parents. Also included are ideas about what makes a good friend and what students can do at home in different subject areas. These are great starting points in setting classroom norms.
Thematic Teaching Ideas for September
Thematic teaching in September provides a unique and engaging approach to kick-start the academic year. This method facilitates a comprehensive learning environment, merging academic subjects like Math, Science, and English around a central theme. Thematic learning not only makes education more enjoyable and significant but also fosters a sense of community as students collaborate and share experiences.
Here are a few thematic teaching ideas for September:
Learn about 9/11
In September, consider dedicating some time to honoring the heroes of 9/11. While you can focus on traditional human heroes, you can also delve into the stories of the dog heroes of 9/11. Extend the learning and create an opportunity to meet and learn about the incredible ways your local K9 officers contribute to the safety of your community.
Teach about Estimation and Three-Digit Addition with LeaveS
A perfect way to bring the tranquil feeling of Fall into the classroom involves the Fall Leaves Craft with Math and Art. Students create a beautiful fall tree with colorful dots.
Then, they apply their three-digit addition strategies to figure out how many dots they have on their sheet, as a table group and as a whole class. Students can work on estimating and seeing how close their guess was to the right answer.
Students even use addition strategies to see how many dots the whole class has!
Grandparents Day Interview
September is also a great time to celebrate Grandparents Day with the students. One activity I personally love to do involves the students interviewing their grandparents about their childhood experiences. It’s not only a wonderful intergenerational interaction but also a rich, real-life history lesson.
Students prepare questions on what life might have been like when their grandparents were children, covering topics like school, entertainment, holidays, and even the fashion trends of the era.
After the interviews, we compile these stories into a class “History Book”, celebrating the shared journey of our ancestors. The students relish hearing these personal narratives and it often sparks lively discussions about how times have changed.
It’s a wonderful initiative that brings the past alive and enriches our understanding of history.
Apple Teaching Ideas for September
A popular theme for September month is ‘Apples and Johnny Appleseed’, which encompasses various activities ranging from making homemade applesauce to conducting science experiments on apple oxidation or decomposition.
Consider making apple sauce and discuss the science behind the process, including concepts like reversible and irreversible changes and the oxidation of apples. While you’re at it, investigate the life cycle of apples, read about Johnny Appleseed, and discuss legends and folktales.
If you teach upper elementary, you too can learn all about apples! I created these resources just for older students and teachers who love thematic teaching. This All About Apples unit focuses on reading comprehension, science, social studies, and math. All of the components are apple-themed.
Learn about Labor Day
Looking for engaging Labor Day activities for your 2nd-5th graders?
Check out this comprehensive unit that combines history and reading!
Students will learn about the importance of Labor Day through informative text, vocabulary building, and comprehension activities.
Perfect for making the most of this holiday!
Science Teaching Ideas for September
Nature is so beautiful during fall. The leaves are turning red, orange, and yellow. Fall-themed vocabulary, books, and leaf change activities engage students in understanding and celebrating the season. Embrace the change of seasons with fall-themed science activities.
Explore the Science Behind the Changing Colors of Leaves
Have students explore the photosynthesis of deciduous trees. We have a third-grade and a fourth-grade science station designed just for this!
In the third grade station, students investigate how colors can be found in other colors, demonstrating how there are many colors in leaves, including green, yellow, and brown.
The investigation uses chromatography and includes student text about photosynthesis and chlorophyll, in addition to the actual investigation.
The fourth-grade science station goes deeper. Students explore the colors of autumn leaves and why leaves change in the Fall.
Students explore what leaves need for photosynthesis how chlorophyll is not the only pigment in leaves and what happens to chlorophyll in the Fall.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
If you have younger students, consider going on a nature scavenger hunt, collecting leaves, sticks, twigs, etc. End the activity by using the items found on the nature scavenger hunt to create a bookmark. Laminate the bookmark for students to use for the rest of the school year.
While on a nature scavenger hunt collect seeds from a garden that students grew in the spring. Learn about the beginning of the plant life cycle and continue into the following spring. This can even be the beginning of a year-long garden project.
Goal Setting Activities for September
September is the time for all of the back-to-school assessments. Look at where students are at right now and make plans on how to move them forward, both academically and behaviorally.
Have students write a letter to themselves that will be opened at the end of the school year. In the letter have students set some goals about what they want to learn this year. This can be a part of the time capsule activity!
Consider having students set strategic behavior goals and create a plan of action to accomplish the goal. Don’t forget to check in with students at the end of the month to see if they accomplished their goal!
Read the book Fair is Fair and explain to students that fair means everyone gets what they need, not everyone gets the same things. This can be super helpful when students notice you are differentiating work. You can refer back to the book and explanation of fair vs. the same.
September is an emotionally strong month for students. They are excited about a new year but still nervous about all the unexpected. Thankfully, the September classroom activities above will build communication and collaboration among all classmates!
I love doing a intro unit in science. This explains what a scientist is, tools, safety, following directions, as well as the scientific process.
I love having the students create their own desk plates with their names. I also love starting a chapter book and reading to them each day.
Getting to know you by creating a “Virtual Locker” is an activity I enjoy doing with the students in September. Students design with words and pictures to share their favorites & items about themselves. Then, they share out to the class. They are comfortable speaking because it’s their creation. Plus, I get to learn their character too when they speak about their locker design. Since this is done in Google Slides I can refer back to it to remember what students enjoy!
I send home an All About Me sheet. Students fill out the sheet and then add pictures of their family on the back. We spend the first month sharing their sheets. Once everyone has shared, we put them in a classroom book. Each student gets to take the book home to share about their classmates. They get really excited to bring the class book home.
In September I like to have the kids write about their favorite foods and use sensory details. We put their answers on apple cutouts and on my Christmas tree that stays out all year! (Our Community Tree)
I’m math I like to use the estimation station to introduce rounding. Usually I’ll use a seasonal candy to get the kids excited!
We do themed things all september like reading Johnny Appleseed and then having them make painted apples to put up, and having writing prompts like “Explain how to bake an apple pie.” I love reading how a 2nd grader thinks you make an apple pie, it’s hilarious!
September? Apples & Johnny Appleseed. First Grade. Wendy McCarty 1stgradefireworks
Anything APPLE and fall themed! I love cutting the apples open and using science to explore!
The first week I like to spend time doing “getting to know you” activities. Have the children share with me all about themselves. I also love anything fall related – doing lots with Fall themed vocabulary and books and working on developing their oral language with doing retell.
Fall fun- activities about leaves changing. Pumpin weigh- seed counting.
I like to do a “Find a Friend Who” activity where the kids finds someone who (for example) loves pickles.
To get excited for math, we listen to the book The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes and we make math explorer hats! They love making the hats and it is a fun way to help them start thinking differently about how to approach math!
That sounds amazing! I want a math explorer hat!
One of the getting to know you activities I like to do involves a roll of toilet paper. I pass the roll around and each student takes as much (or as little) as they want. Once everyone has their share of toilet paper I tell them that for every square they have they need to tell one fact about themselves or their summer. You always get that one student who ends up with 20 squares (or more!) because they think they’re being funny…
I saw it a long time ago, and still do it !
I love teaching a whole unit on Johnny Appleseed. We read informational texts, we write in response to the those texts. We learn about how apple trees grow, learn some geography marking Johnny’s journey on a map, learn some history, figurative language (hyperbole) and explore the genre of folktales. We do some math using apples, lots of creative art projects with apples too. I enjoy including so many subject areas. It seems much more meaningful to my students when it is all connected, building knowledge for sure.
I teach K-6 technology classes, so I see all elementary students in my building. One of my favorite activities for upper grades is an “Introduce Yourself to the Class” presentation where the students create a short slideshow to introduce themselves, their families, things they like, etc. using Google Slides. I give them a basic outline of what to include so everyone has the same framework and they add their pictures and information. The kids love this activity and their presentations help me learn many things about them. With lower grades, I do a Back to School Kahoot game and a This or That game with questions geared to help me get to know the kids. Once we finish the Introduce Yourself activities, we create “Our Favorite Things” pennants to hang in the hall. These activities not only help me learn things about the kids, but it helps the kids learn and review technology skills that we use throughout the year. They are light and fun activities to get everyone involved and are a great way to start the year!
I love teaching a social emotional unit to set up our class expectations. We talk about courage, kindness, growth mindset, responsibility, respect and inclusion
I like having the students come up with “class norms” instead of rules, I have them illustrate them and then I post on the walls. They take more ownership in following the norms they made instead of the rules I give them.
I really love doing the Saving Fred activity on the first day of school. It gives me a chance to review classroom partner work expectations, gives me and the kids a chance to get to know each other, and I also tie in a review of the scientific method (HEHE!!) The kids LOVE doing this STEM activity!
I like to start with a lot of ice breakers like “Getting to know you” scavenger hunts, Save Fred, creating our classroom rules together, and “The Best Part of Me” reading and writing project. It’s a great few weeks of establishing norms and really getting to learn about my students and their interests.
As part of our Apple unit we make homemade applesauce where the kids bring in apples from home and help peel/slice/core the apple. I cook it in the room (smells so good in there all day) and then we eat it before we go home!
Getting to know you by creating a “Virtual Locker” is an activity I enjoy doing with the students in September. Students design with words and pictures to share their favorites & items about themselves. Then, they share out to the class. They are comfortable speaking because it’s their creation. Plus, I get to learn their character too when they speak about their locker design. Since this is done in Google Slides I can refer back to it to remember what students enjoy!
I like to have my students do activities which allow me and the other students a chance to get to know more about them. I teach 4th-6th and we did a I Am poem and an autobiography poem activity. I enjoyed getting to know what their interests, strengths and concerns are.
I plan to introduce Articulation Cards for teaching Letter-sound association for the first time.
I love our Who Am I? project. Kids list their favorites and then best of all draw a self portrait. The pictures are always so cute and wonky in the best way!
In September, I like to do a lot of growth mindset read alouds such as Your Fantastic, Elastic Brain and The Magical Yet. I also like to build a strong classroom community of learners using SEL activities. If we can build a strong mindset and classroom community at the beginning of the year, it will help the year go smoothly.
I love reading First Day Jitters and doing an accompanying activity. Also, I love to do ice breakers, back to school projects and fall senses poems.
My favorite activities to use in fall using getting to know you activities like “find someone who …….. or the “two truths and a lie” game. I also like to have students create name plate designs and come up with a class team name. Reading some beginning-of-school-themed picture books and sharing after is something we always do.
I love sharing great read louds like First Day Jitters and Crysanthemum. I also love doing lots of getting to know you activities like interviewing a classmate, Name Bingo and all about me projects.
In Kindergarten, we do a lot of name activities. Learn each other’s names and how to spell them. Put them in alphabetical order, count how many letters each name has. Also, we focus on all things fall. Apple investigation day, leaves changing, etc. September is my favorite month to teach. You consistently teach rules and procedures and by the end of September, hopefully it becomes natural for them.
* typo* read alouds
My favorite September activity is collecting seeds from the garden the students grew in the spring. We learn about the beginning of the plant life cycle, and it will continue into the following spring. It’s the beginning of a year-long garden project.
I like doing “find someone who …….. or play the “two truths and a lie” game. I also like to have students create name plate designs with all their interests and activities on them. They present them to the class and we put it up as a border for a bulletin board.
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In September we do Pirate Day to go with international talk like a pirate day! We do all kinds of activities and the kiddos are invited to dress up like pirates.
We also celebrate apple week, which is one of my favorite weeks in kindergarten! At the end of the week we make apple pie in a cup! Yum!
I am starting my 24th year of teaching, and also looping my 2nd graders up to 3rd grade. So to bring a little extra fun for kids that already know me and each other, I tend to steal other teachers’ great ideas! My district also keeps heaving fall family conference the first two days of school (since COVID) so we start school the Friday after Labor Day. I like to do a STEM challenge and some read alouds to share expectations, and make some co-constructed charts together for each. I also put a book bin on each table group, with a variety of books, so they can get excited about reading without getting hung up about levels, etc. Finally, I will do a mathematician activity like “what a mathematician looks like from CubedMath (?) I think, with various non-stereotypical math people to show them that they are all mathematicians. Then onMonday we’ll have lots of points of reference to start from.
I love doing the leaf chromatography activity with 3, 4 and 5 science classes so students can see all the colors in leaves and apple oxidation experiment. I am also excited to being the book Who Stole Halloween with 4th graders.
I love reading Fair is Fair and explaining to kids that fair means everyone gets what they need, not that everyone gets the same things. It’s super helpful when they notice me differentiating work.
We study the changes of Fall. I love to read different books to my students about how the seasons change and why each season is important. We also do apple investigations.
I love September. Such a fun month. Our local area hosts a Fair, so that always provides opportunities for discussions and writing. The students are so excited to draw/write about their favorite Fair experience. And since it’s close to Grandparents Day and many of our students attend the Fair with extended family members, it’s easy to tie the two together. Constitution / Citzenship Day, International Dot Day, first day of Autumn and Johnny Appleseed’s birthday keep us on the move all month long.
I love September. Such a fun month. Our local area hosts a Fair, so that always provides opportunities for discussions and writing. The students are so excited to draw/write about their favorite Fair experience. And since it’s close to Grandparents Day and many of our students attend the Fair with extended family members, it’s easy to tie the two together. Constitution / Citzenship Day, International Dot Day, first day of Autumn and Johnny Appleseed’s birthday keep us on the move all month long.
I teach Culinary in high school, and September is often when we are making our way into the kitchens for the first time. Students are excited, I am excited, and it just brings life into the classes!
I love to have students complete SEL activities, All About Me jeopardy games and complete goal setting activities.
I like to give caregivers a homework assignment at Open House. I ask families to write me a letter (or email) and describe their incoming fourth grader to me. This is purely optional but more than half of the families complete it each year. I am always blown away by these letters as they are very thoughtful and honest. Some colleagues have scoffed at my assigning this year after year as they do not believe I will receive honest descriptions. But I completely disagree. These letters demonstrate a level of love, support, and innocence that I have not been able to duplicate in any other attempt.
In September, It’s all about relationships and using morning meetings as the tool to get to know each other. We are also talking about Fall, baseline assessments, and working on routines and procedures!
We already started school but my favorite back to school activity would now have to be creating our own desk name tags with STEM and with guidelines such as it must be 6 inches long, etc. 🙂 It was fun to see which students think outside the box.
In September, I like reading The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and having the students complete a STEM challenge that goes along with the book. The kids love to hear the wolf’s side of the story and there are lots of laughs watching to see if the houses they built can withstand the big bad wolf, aka a fan.
I actually really like doing all the back to school assessments to find out where the children are at. Looking at the data and seeing where they are and where they then eventually end the year is really rewarding.
We start school next week Aug 14, so in September I like to do anything Autumn/Fall but I especially love making a pumpkin art projetc by Deep Space Sparkle. I attached the link for anyone to check it out.
https://www.deepspacesparkle.com/starlight-pumpkin-art-lesson/. It a K level project but I do it with my 2nd graders and they love it!
I love to do apple experiments in September.
I love teaching the American Flag Etiquette. I spend a month teaching the proper ways to hang the flag, raising the flag and the proper folding of the United States flag. Students are actively involved and are put in charge of raising and taking down the flag at my school.
My students and I enjoy making craftivities.
I have several favorite activities, but one of my favorites is to have students make virtual lockers through Google Classroom. They decorate their lockers with their name, and items to describe themselves. For example, my locker has Bai Water, Dr. Pepper, crochet hooks and yarn, cacti and succulents, PaperMate InkJoy pens, post-its, etc. We take time for each students to share their locker with the class as they finish.
I “Moustache” You A Question ~ Kids write random questions they have for me on sticky notes and at snack time every day for September I answer a few of the questions. It is a great way to start some really fun conversations, and then I usually ask the students the same questions!
I like to do All About Me and getting to know you activities.
In September, we start personal narratives, start reading from our reading series, begin addition and subtraction, and learning about being a citizen. In science we learn about life cycles by getting caterpillars and watching their metamorphosis.
I teach adults who have not completed traditional school so I always begin with community and rapport building in September. Some of my learners have been out of public school for more than 20 years and many have had negative experiences so I work to make their new classroom as welcoming and open as possible. We establish guidelines and boundaries for success, we play games, and we begin the formal learning process based on their learning goals.