Fall is in full swing, and with Halloween just around the corner, you might be starting to think ahead: “What do we do next?” If you lead preschool or kindergarten music groups, or if you're a music therapist or educator working with young children, now is the perfect time to transition into cozy, seasonal themes that celebrate all things autumn (without the scary stuff).
Maybe you found this blog post because you’re searching for fall or autumn music ideas that aren’t centered around Halloween, something that still captures the beauty and excitement of the season. Look no further! We’ve put together a list of five engaging, fall-themed musical activities perfect for preschool and kindergarten music groups.
1. Go on a “Hay Ride”
Hay Ride is a versatile fall song that you can use with infants and kids all the way up to 1st or 2nd grade. "Hay Ride" is a song about being outdoors and sharing all the fall things we notice as we go on (you guessed it) a hay ride.
Kids are asked, "What do you see?" (apples, a cart, a basket, a tree, leaves, grass, dirt, etc!), as we go down the road.
To take the learning even further, we’ve created a free Fall Nature Hunt printable you can use as an engaging extension activity! As you sing about riding through the fall scene, kids can look for things like apples, leaves, trees, and more — just like in the lyrics!
Download our Fall Nature Hunt here and turn your next outdoor walk, hayride, or circle time into a hands-on seasonal adventure.
Hay Ride is also a great song to use with infants as the chorus encourages them to lap bounce as we feel the bump, bump, bump, bump, bump as we go down the road.
2. Pass The Pumpkin
"Pass the Pumpkin" is a favorite fall song among music educators, and in this video, I share how I use it in my early childhood music groups. I also talk about introducing minor scales in a way that's accessible for young learners, and how I’ve found a successful way to incorporate the gong into sessions without it becoming a source of overstimulation.
Here are the lyrics I'm using:
"Pass the pumpkin all around,
Listen to the minor sound,
Uh-uh, uh-uh
Will it stop on you?"
3. Count & Sing with "Five Perfect Pumpkins"
Five Perfect Pumpkins is a fun, catchy, and easy-to-learn song that your students and clients will love. The five pumpkins in a pumpkin patch go rolling one by one and then go... SPLAT! 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃The SPLAT part is truly what sets this version apart from others and kids LOVE it!!
This song works great with manipulatives! Have five laminated pumpkins and have students take one away as they roll away in the song. This is a great way to assess if they are following along with the song and if they understand the concept of subtraction or one being taken away.
Download the visuals to make your own here!
Make Five Perfect Pumpkins multi-sensory with some play dough! 🎃 This idea was shared by members in our membership group and it’s SUCH a fun one. 🙌
4. Play with “Blowing in the Wind”
"Blowing in the Wind" is a gentle, movement-rich song that invites children to explore wind-like motions with scarves — floating, twirling, sneaking, and throwing with a joyful WOOSH and PLOP! While individual scarves are perfect for personal expression and fine motor movement, you can also bring the song to life in a group setting using a parachute or canopy scarf.
The canopy scarf is lightweight and creates a magical group movement experience that mimics the swirling wind! For an even richer fall sensory experience, try adding artificial leaves on top! As the scarf rises and falls, the leaves flutter and scatter just like they would on a breezy fall day, adding visual excitement and seasonal fun to the activity.
5. Move like a “Falling Leaf”
“Falling Leaf” is a gentle, flowing song that invites children to become swirling, spinning, flying autumn leaves. To make the experience even more interactive, you can use these action cards that guide kids through movements like spin, fly, and float.
Discuss with students how they think leaves would move. How would they twirl? How would they fall? Remember to use as many of their ideas on how a leaf can move. Really emphasize the A and B sections and allow the kids to experience the contrast between the active and resting movements in the song.
Scarves make a wonderful movement prop for this song, helping children visualize and embody the gentle motions of falling leaves. You can also bring in real leaves collected from outside or use artificial ones — watching how they fall, float, and spin through the air can inspire even more movement ideas. This is a great sensory-friendly alternative for students who might need alternatives for full-body movements, offering a calm, hands-on way to explore leaf-like motions.
LOOKING FOR these and MORE FALL SONGS?
Checkout our FALL SONGS FOR KIDS album on Spotify and all music streaming platforms!
We hope these fall-themed musical activities bring fresh energy and cozy seasonal vibes to your classroom or music sessions. Whether you're singing about swirling leaves, taking a musical hay ride, or counting pumpkins, these songs and ideas are designed to spark joy, movement, and meaningful engagement for your students and clients. 🍂
If you try any of these activities, we’d love to hear how they went! And be sure to check out the free printables linked throughout the post to make planning even easier. Happy music-making this fall!
