🍁 Fall Fun with The Leaf Thief & A Box of Preschool! 🍁
This week, we combined a fall-themed play dough kit from A Box of Preschool with the story The Leaf Thief for a delightful, hands-on learning experience. Not only was it fun, but it also provided a fantastic opportunity to enhance language development through sensory play.
Keep reading to learn how you can create language through play at home!
Why Sensory Play Matters
Engaging in sensory activities like play dough helps children build neural connections in their brains, which supports cognitive growth, language development, fine and gross motor skills, and problem-solving abilities. Research shows that sensory play improves language development, fine motor skills, and problem-solving abilities.
What I love about A Box of Preschool’s themed play dough kits is the wide variety of mini toys and activities all in one box! My kids like play dough, but WOW I’ve never seen them play for as long and as interactive as they do with these play kits. Included in each kit is a mix of themed manipulatives like little squirrels, pumpkins, leaves, etc and they all have different shapes, textures, sizes and ways to play (a language GOLD MINE!). I love using her kits both in Speech Therapy and at home with my own kiddos because they are ready to go with no prep on my part, which leads to more time for play! She’s got lots of themed kits, including adorable Halloween kits and play dough rollers, too! For 10% off your first kit, use code LITTLEMOOSE10 at checkout here!
Language Skills and Activities
Here's how we used the play dough kit and story to target specific language skills:
1. Fall Vocabulary & Action Words
We explored fall-themed items like squirrels, pumpkins, and leaves, introducing words such as leaf, pumpkin, squirrel, rake, crunch, and pile.
Modeling Tip: As you play, narrate your actions.
Toddler (18–30 months): "Look, I have a leaf. Let's squish it together!"
Preschooler (3–5 years): "I'm rolling the orange dough. Can you roll the green one too?"
2. Spatial Concepts & Comparatives
We practiced words like on, under, next to, behind, big, small, more, and less.
Modeling Tip: Use the manipulatives to give simple directions.
Toddler: "Hide the pumpkin IN the dough."
Preschooler: "Which leaf is bigger?” “Let’s see who has the MOST leaves.”
3. Story Retell & Sequencing
After reading The Leaf Thief, we recreated the story with our play dough pieces, helping children remember the sequence of events.
Toddler: Point to pieces and say, "The leaf is ALL GONE! Where did the leaf go?”
Preschooler: "First, the squirrel thought someone stole his leaf. Then…” and see if they will finish the story! Offer picture cues by showing them pages in the book.
4. Inferencing & Problem-Solving
We used the story and play dough setup to think about why characters do things and what might happen next.
Toddler: Ask simple questions like, "Is the squirrel sad? He’s sad because the leaf is all gone!”
Preschooler: Pose a scenario: "Oh no! The squirrel made his friend upset when he blamed him for the missing leaf. What could squirrel do to fix this with his friend?”
Tips for Parents at Home
Keep it playful! Narrate, ask questions, and expand on their words.
Let them lead and explore in their own way without directing the play.
Repetition is proven to be very helpful for learning new language skills, so bring the book & kit back out over and over this fall to really boost their vocabulary!
Remember, learning through play is powerful! Sensory experiences like squishing, rolling, and shaping play dough help children retain language better while also strengthening fine motor skills and creativity.
Using a story plus hands-on manipulatives like this is a great way to combine literacy, language, and sensory fun all in one. Plus, it’s just plain adorable watching those little squirrels and leaves come to life! 🍂 For more of my favorite fall themed books, click on the photo below!
Please note, the links to shop these books are affiliate links through Amazon
