Fine Motor Mats Pom Poms: Fall

These fall pom pom mats let preschool and kindergarten kids fill pumpkins, acorns and scarecrows with pom poms while they practice beginning sounds, word tracing and fine motor skills.

Orange, red, yellow and brown pom poms piled up like fall leaves… these mats are cozy autumn in a center.

Each mat shows a fall picture made of circles. Kids place a pom pom on every circle, trace the picture word and circle the picture that starts with the same sound.

Every picture comes in a color version and a black-and-white version. The color mats are perfect for the first weeks of school and the black-and-white mats add a challenge later in the fall.

Fall is the perfect time for beginning sound practice. Kids are just learning letter sounds and listening for the first sound in pumpkin, apple and corn gives them real words to practice with.

The black-and-white mats are a nice surprise for kids who like to be creative. A purple pumpkin or a blue acorn might not be realistic, but kids still get all the same fine motor and sound practice and they love making it their own.

The 10 Fall Pictures

Kids fill and trace all of these:

• Tree
• Scarecrow
• Mushroom
• Basket
• Corn
• Sunflower
• Acorn
• Apple
• Leaf
• Pumpkin

How to Use Fall Pom Pom Mats

1. Choose a fall mat and set out the pom pom colors.
2. Fill each circle with a matching pom pom.
3. Trace the word and circle the picture with the same beginning sound.

Small Group: Fill the pumpkin together, then say “pumpkin” and the three choices. Ask which one starts with /p/.

Independent Practice: Keep the mats in a fall fine motor tub from September through November.

Tips for Smooth Pom Pom Time

• Sort pom poms by color into an egg carton before center time.
• Laminate the mats so tracing and circling wipe clean.
• Keep a small basket of extra orange and brown pom poms. The pumpkin and acorn use a lot of them.

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Easy Ways to Differentiate These Fall Pom Pom Mats

Early in the year, kids are at very different places with fine motor skills and beginning sounds. These ideas help you meet each child where they are.

For Children Who Need More Support:

• Start with the leaf or the apple. They have fewer circles. A quick finish helps new students feel successful in their first centers.
• Let kids use their fingers before trying tongs. Fingers are easier to control. Kids can learn how the mats work before adding a tool.
• Say each choice picture slowly with the child. Hearing the words one at a time helps kids compare the first sounds.
• Use the color mats for the first few weeks. The colored circles show where each pom pom goes. Kids can work on their own while they learn the routine.

For On-Level Practice:

• Fill the scarecrow and trace the word. It’s one of the bigger pictures in the set. Kids practice staying with a task until it’s done.
• Sort the mats by beginning sound. Acorn and apple both start with /a/. Grouping pictures by sound helps kids hear the pattern.
• Count the orange pom poms on the pumpkin. Kids have touched each one they count. Counting real objects builds early number sense.

For an Extra Challenge:

• Fill a black-and-white mat with your own fall colors. Kids choose a color for each part and explain why. That adds creativity and language to the task.
• Use tweezers for every pom pom on the sunflower. Tweezers need a careful pinch between the thumb and pointer finger. That is the same grip kids use to hold a pencil. The sunflower becomes handwriting practice in disguise.
• Name another fall word for each beginning sound in the set. Without the choice pictures to lean on, kids show they can hear the sound on their own.

For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support:

• OT: Pick up pom poms with clothespins for a hand workout. Squeezing clothespins builds the same muscles used for holding a pencil.
• Speech: Practice /p/ with pumpkin and /k/ with corn. Say the word each time a pom pom goes on. A whole picture gives lots of practice in one sitting.
• ELL: Bring in a real apple or leaf to hold while saying the word. Touching the real thing helps the word stick.
• Special education: Fill one row at a time and check it before moving on. Checking each row keeps mistakes small and easy to fix.

Perfect For

• Fall fine motor centers
• Apple and pumpkin units
• OT sessions
• Homeschool fall learning
• Early finisher bins

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