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Hold on tight!
Part 1
Hold on Tight, Little Leaf!
You're a leaf in the autumn sun,
Clinging to a branch of a tall oak tree.
Here comes a breeze. Try to hold on!
Swing and twist, but don't let go.
A gust of wind comes along,
You flip and flop, but cling to the branch.
The wind rushes in, the tree sways again,
With a little "ping" you finally let go.
Swirling, twirling, you drift to the ground.
Part 2
Leaf Pile
Run and skip and leap through the leaves!
Clomp and stomp and listen to them crunch.
Hold them in your hand. Smell the dry, earthy scent.
Throw them in the air with your arms reaching high.
Now make a leaf pile, tall and wide.
Grab a rake, and sweep them up.
Gather the leaves in a colorful mound.
Look! Our pile is growing high.
Here comes the best part, ready, set, go!
One by one we run and jump.
High in the air, over the pile.
One more time, we jump right in!
Movement Prompts
Read Part 1 aloud, and then read it again, using the following movement prompts after each line:
Line 1: Imagine you're a leaf. What color are you? What shape?
Line 2: Cling to the branch
Line 3: Hold on tight!
Line 4: Now twist, swing, but don't let go
Line 5: Sway with the breeze
Line 6: Flip, flap, flop while still holding on
Line 7: Sway harder with the big gust of wind
Line 8: You can't hold on. You finally let go!
Line 9: How many ways can you move like a leaf as you slowly float to the ground?
Read Part 2 aloud, and, as above, read it again, using the following movement prompts:
First Stanza:
Line 1: Run, skip, gallop, leap
Line 2: Clomp, stomp, then freeze and listen
Line 3: Imagine you pick up leaves, crunch them and smell the aroma
Line 4: Throw them in the air!
Second Stanza:
Line 1: Walk around in a big circle
Line 2: Imagine you grab a rake and begin to rake up the leaves
Line 3: Continue to rake as you make a big pile
Line 4: Show how high the leaf pile is!
Third Stanza:
Line 1: Imagine you are lining up and crouching down to get ready to run.
Line 2: One by one, run and jump
Line 3: Run and leap into the air, as high as you can
Line 4: Jump high, then fall gently into the pile
To finish the activity, play some upbeat music for the children to dance freely. as they think about their favorite things about the autumn season. At the end of the music, prompt them to fall gently to the floor, like the little leaf in the chant who clung to the branch, then finally let go and drifted to the ground.