• Hands-on science activities help children learn about the fall.pumpkins and fall flowers image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  Seasonal changes provide a great opportunity for scientific discovery. Children can experience the use of all their senses in discovering the science of seasons. Educators believe that science is a process, not just learning vocabulary words and memorizing facts from a book. Children can learn by doing in a variety of fall science experiences. Hands-on activities help children use their five senses, therefore creating more learning opportunities than just watching, listening or reading.
  
  

Pumpkin Discoveries

• Children can perform several science activities to learn about pumpkins.pumpkin image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
  
  Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a pumpkin. Guide children in doing a variety of activities, such as measuring around the pumpkin, touching the pumpkin skin and pulp, scooping out the pulp and seeds, and counting and measuring seeds. Older children may cut pieces of the pumpkin to cook and eat or roast the seeds in an oven.
  
  Add an additional learning experience by having the children put a few seeds on a damp paper towel placed inside a clear plastic bag. Seal the bag and watch the seeds as they grow roots and sprouts in a few days.
  
  

Science Project on a Tree

• Just as the leaves are changing color, choose a few trees that still have some green leaves. Help each child choose a leaf, leaving the leaf on the tree. Fold a small piece of heavy paper or aluminum foil and slip this covering over half of the leaf. Fasten the covering carefully to the leaf with masking tape. The children may write their names with permanent marker on the leaf covering.
  
  Visit the trees often to watch the changes in the uncovered part of the leaf. Wait until the covered leaves have fallen or most of the other leaves have turned colors and fallen. Have the children find their leaves and bring them indoors to study. Remove the covering from the leaf and compare to see if the covered part stayed green, while the rest of the leaf changed color. Discuss why that happened.
  
  

Nature's Recycling

• Help students discover ways that nature recycles without the help of humans. Let the children examine an empty bird nest and identify some of the items used to build it. Find a tree with a squirrel hole in it and look for evidence of storing up for the winter, such as walnut shells, acorn tops and corn that the squirrel has dropped. Identify a tree that once had berries to feed birds and other animals. Show some apples with worm holes in them. Look for a spider web with insects caught in it. Gather up some of the safe items to put in the science center of the classroom for further examination and discovery.
  
  

Easy Leaf Science Project

• Make a picture or book about fall leaves.fall leaf image by IKO from Fotolia.com
  
  Take a nature walk and have the children gather some colorful leaves. In the classroom, have books about trees and leaves ready for the kids to use. Have the children make leaf discovery pictures or books.
  
  

Watch a Caterpillar Turn into a Butterfly

• Find at least one caterpillar from outdoors to place in a glass container with leaves and a small tree branch. The kids can watch the caterpillar change into a chrysalis before it becomes a butterfly.