Fall Upper Elementary Writing and Art Activities

Janis Lodge
Oct 23
2 min read

As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, fall is the perfect time to bring seasonal creativity into your upper elementary classroom. Autumn offers so many opportunities for writing inspiration—and when you combine it with art or creative prompts, students will be BEGGING to do more of them!

Here are two of my favorite fall writing and art activities that help students practice narrative, informative, and opinion writing while keeping things fun, colorful, and low-prep.

Grab the Fall Leaf Art Project HERE

Leaf Art Project also available HERE

1. Fall Leaves Writing & Chalk Art Activity

I love this project because it brings the beauty of autumn into your classroom, and it’s a hands-on writing and art combo! Students begin by choosing one of three short fall-themed writing prompts:

Narrative: Imagine life as a leaf in the fall—where do you go when the wind carries you away?
Informational: Explain the science behind why leaves change color and fall from trees.
Opinion: Share your opinion on the best part of the fall season and why.

Each prompt connects to the theme of autumn leaves while strengthening a different type of writing. Then, students do a fun chalk art component to create a unique piece of artwork to go along with their writing. These turn out so vibrant and eye-catching!

Save time, and use these pre-made templates. There are writing planning sheets, a writing checklist and rubric, and a step-by-step guide for the chalk art activity.

2. Fall/Autumn Emoji Writing

If your students ever say, “I don’t know what to write!” — this activity is the cure! Fall Emoji Writing gets every student engaged by using emoji picture prompts to spark creativity. Students arrange emoji pieces in any order, then write a narrative, opinion, or informative paragraph based on their sequence.

This simple twist helps even reluctant writers feel confident and inspired. You’ll see students focused, laughing, and actually excited to write — even those who usually struggle with generating ideas.

Implementation Tips:

Let students arrange the emoji pieces in the order of their choice to create their own unique storyline.
Model how to build a paragraph from emojis using sequencing words and transitions.
Customize the writing objective to match your current lessons — figurative language, vivid details, dialogue, transitions, or CER writing.
Encourage students to spend time creating a meaningful illustration of their emoji story or scene!

Use it as a quick writing warm-up, a Friday creativity challenge, or a fun sub day activity. It’s flexible, low-prep, and easily adaptable for any writing focus.