This Fall preschool acorn activities are center stage in my classroom! I love acorns, so naturally, I want to share that love with my students. That being the case, I just had to create math, literacy, and science centers centered around ACORNS!
Preschool Acorn Activities: Math
To begin with, acorns are falling off the trees in large numbers right now where I live, so I have an easy and free source of counting manipulatives. Secondly, kids love acorns! Therefore, they will naturally count, sort, and divide them. But if you don’t live around an endless supply of acorns, have no fear! With this in mind I have created printables that are easy to prep and the kids in my class loves them!
Because it is important to teach math standards, I have included many different math concepts. Start with Acorn Shape Matching it’s a great activity to reinforce basic shapes. Each acorn shape has 4 real-world shapes to match and learn! Included shapes are as follows; circle, oval, diamond, triangle, square, rectangle star & heart. Afterward, you can extend learning by asking your students to find those shapes in the classroom!
Next, I move into counting and numeral identification games. I love bringing fine motor work into these centers as well! Two centers that my kiddos always love are Spin, Graph, & Count games, and Stack & Count mats. Both require fine motor skills, and bring in multiple math concepts.
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Rainbow Acorns Count & Stack -
Rainbow Acorns Count & Stack -
Spin, Graph, & Count Colorful Acorns -
Spin, Graph, & Count Colorful Acorns
Additionally, another tried-and-true center is “Feed the Hungry Squirrel”! You’ll find that this activity takes a bit more prep…but it is SO worth it! The kids love feeding the squirrel his acorns. It is great, because you cause real acorns, manipulatives, or the printed acorns included in the resource. Either way, this one is a winner!
More Acorn Math Centers
Finally, 2 more acorn math centers I tried for the first time this year require numeral identification and visual discrimination. There is a “Where’s the Squirrel?” game requires numeral ID. I’ve included numbers 0-20 for differentiation and review. My class couldn’t get enough of it! We played it for two days! Just hide the squirrel and guess which number it is hiding under! The “Make a Match” visual discrimination game requires a mat of 6 pictures and 6 identical picture cards to match. Sounds easy, but my 3-year-olds had to really work to get it right. Consequently, it was much easier for PreK, but they enjoyed the activity anyway. It was fascinating to see the developmental differences.
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Make a Match Visual Discrimination Game -
Where’s the Squirrel? Numeral ID Game
Preschool Acorn Activities: Literacy
In addition to Math centers, I created some fun acorn literacy activities as well. One of my Favorites is “Beginning Sounds Acorns”. Kids match the letters on the top of the acorns with a beginning sounds picture to complete the acorn. I like to use the letters we have learned so far in the year, plus the first letters of the kid’s names. Because the entire alphabet can be overwhelming this early in the year for some kids. Kindergarten should have no problem with this activity, especially if you have done an Alphabet Boot Camp or letter review.
Next, you can round out your literacy centers by adding an Acorn Rhyming pairs activity and a letter match activity such as “Squirrel & Oak Tree Letter Match”. Both activities are cute, fun, and engaging!
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Acorn is it a Rhyme? Rhyming pairs activity -
Acorn is it a Rhyme? Rhyming Pairs Activity -
Squirrel & Oak Tree Letter Match
Preschool Acorn Activities: Science
Because acorns are the beginnings of oak trees, I added a lifecycle lesson to this fun unit. Therefore, I have included a Lifecycle of an Oak Tree poster, Lifecycle of an Oak Tree information and coloring poster, Lifecycle Mats and Sequencing Cards, plus an Acorn information and coloring page to bring in fine motor skills and writing practice as well!
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Lifecycle of an Oak Tree Poster -
Lifecycle of an Oak Tree Information & Coloring page -
Lifecycle of an Oak Tree Mats -
Acorns Information & Coloring
Acorns & Squirrels Math, Literacy, & Science Centers
Last but not least, if you are wondering where to find all of these fun centers (plus 4 more “Scaredy Squirrel” centers), look no further! You can find all of the above preschool acorn activities in my Acorns & Squirrels Math & Literacy Centers available in my TPT store! So, check it out…your class will LOVE it, and so will you!
Thanks, and Happy Fall!
