Fall Into Music: Outdoor Activities to Kickstart the School Year

As students return to school and the leaves begin to fall, educators have a unique opportunity to bring music learning outdoors. Fall is full of sensory experiences that can inspire rhythm, melody, and movement. With outdoor musical instruments, teachers can create inclusive, engaging lessons that support music education standards while connecting children to nature.

Why Fall is Ideal for Outdoor Music Education

Fall is a season of transformation—vibrant colors, crisp air, and natural rhythms that lend themselves beautifully to musical expression. Outdoor musical instruments provide a hands-on way for children to explore sound, movement, and creativity while engaging with the world around them.

Sensory-Inspired Musical Activities for Fall

• Sight Encourage students to observe the changing colors of leaves and the patterns of migrating birds. Use these visuals to inspire rhythm games or create leaf-themed crafts that accompany songs. Try leaf rubbings or nature mandalas as part of a cross-curricular music and art lesson.

• Smell Fall brings the comforting scents of cinnamon, bonfires, and damp earth. Use these smells to set the mood for musical storytelling or improvisation. Ask students to describe what they smell and match it with a sound or instrument.

• Taste Celebrate seasonal treats like apples and blackberries with harvest-themed songs. Incorporate rhythm games using food names or create a musical picnic where students compose short tunes inspired by their favorite fall snacks.

• Touch Explore textures like crunchy leaves, smooth acorns, and bumpy pumpkins. Use these tactile experiences to inspire percussion play—what sound matches the feel of a frosty morning or a gust of wind?

• Sound Fall is full of natural sounds: rustling leaves, migrating geese, wind through trees, and children’s laughter. Encourage students to mimic these sounds using outdoor instruments or body percussion. Create soundscapes that reflect the season’s mood.

Here are a few simple, singable songs to get children moving and making music outdoors. These are perfect for circle time, music lessons, or spontaneous play:

To the tune of “London Bridge”
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down…
Sweep the leaves and put them here…
Jump right in and have some fun…

To the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
All the leaves are falling down, orange, yellow, red, and brown…
Falling softly as they do, over me and over you…

To the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”
The leaves on the trees turn orange and brown…
The leaves on the ground go swish swish swish…

'To the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Leaves, leaves falling down – falling on the ground…
Red, yellow, orange, brown – falling on the ground…

To the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In”
Oh, when the leaves fall off the trees…
We know that it must be fall…

These fall-themed musical activities support key elements of the National Core Arts Standards for Music Education, including:

• Creating: Students improvise rhythms and melodies inspired by seasonal sounds.
• Performing: Children sing and play instruments in ensemble settings outdoors.
• Responding: Learners identify and describe the sounds of fall and connect them to musical elements like tempo, dynamics, and timbre.
• Connecting: Activities encourage students to relate music to personal experiences and the natural world.

By integrating outdoor musical instruments and seasonal themes, educators can meet curriculum goals while fostering creativity, collaboration, and sensory engagement.

Podcast Inspiration: Inclusive Music in Schools

Looking for real-world inspiration?
Listen to our Insights podcast episode: “Recess Rhythms”

In Tucson, Arizona, Tanque Verde Elementary School opened a Music Garden, funded by a grant from A for Arizona. It features colorful instruments like Rainbow Sambas, Harmony Flowers, and Tubular Bells. Music teacher Mr. Seth Murzyn helped create this outdoor classroom, which allows students to connect, create, and decompress through music under the desert sky. The garden is used during and outside music class to enhance student well-being and learning. This story highlights how outdoor spaces can unite communities through music and education.

Fall is a wonderful time to embrace outdoor learning and music-making. Whether you're singing about harvest time, collecting acorns, or celebrating the changing seasons, outdoor musical instruments help children connect with nature and each other.

Explore our Education Resources Page for more ideas, case studies, and instruments designed for schools.