Fall Sequencing Activity
At Clearway Speech, we love turning everyday moments into meaningful language learning opportunities. This simple fall sequencing craft invites your toddler to explore the changing seasons while learning to use the words first, next, and last. These are foundational skills for storytelling, comprehension, and early literacy.
Why Sequencing Matters
Sequencing helps children understand the order of events, an important step in developing language and narrative skills.
When your child learns to describe what happens first, next, and last, they are:
Strengthening comprehension and memory
Building sentence structure and storytelling skills
Gaining confidence in expressing ideas clearly
Materials You’ll Need
Free Clearway Speech “Fall Sequencing Printable”
Washable paint (green, yellow, orange, red)
Cotton balls or swabs
Clothespins (clip onto the cotton balls for easy painting)
Smock or old t-shirt
Step-by-Step: Learning Through Fall Colours
1. Introduce the Topic
Begin by talking about the season:
In fall, the leaves start to change colours.”
“What colours do you see outside?”
“Do the leaves stay on the trees or fall down?”
This builds background knowledge and vocabulary around fall: ‘leaf’/’leaves’, ‘fall’ or ‘autumn’, ‘change’, colours (‘red’, ‘orange’, etc.), ‘wind’, ‘falling’, ‘ground’, ‘raking’, etc.
2. Paint the Sequence
Use the printable to paint each step together.
FIRST: The tree has green leaves.
NEXT: The leaves change to orange, yellow, and red.
LAST: The leaves fall down to the ground.
Encourage your child to repeat or finish your sentences as you narrate.
“First the leaves are green. Next they…” (pause for your child to say “change!”)
3. Retell and Review
When the paint is dry, point to each box and retell the story.
Ask your child:
“What happened first?”
“What happened next?”
“What happened last?”
You can even act it out together, pretending to be trees changing colours and letting your “leaves” fall to the ground.
Language and Connection
When you sit down together to talk, paint, and explore, your toddler learns new words, hears clear models, and feels proud sharing their story with you. This craft is an opportunity to build connection, communication, and confidence.
Download the Free Resource
Print, paint, and play your way through fall while supporting your child’s early speech and language growth! Contact us if you have more questions about your family’s speech and language development.