175+ Festive Fall Words (Free Printable List and Cards)
Some people love spring best, others luxuriate in the summer heat, and there are even those who love winter’s bracing temperatures. But many folks point to fall as the season they love best, for the gorgeous foliage, delicious treats, and start of the holiday season. These fall words for colors, foods, weather, nature, activities, and more are perfect for students and classrooms. Find ideas for using them, plus get a free printable list and cards too!
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Want even more words for fall? Check out these lists:
Fall vs. Autumn
Is it autumn or fall? Depends on who you ask! Autumn is the older of the two words, stretching back to the 1300s. Since the season is associated with changing foliage, poets throughout the centuries often talked about the “fall of the leaves.” Over time, this was shortened to “fall,” which became especially popular in the United States. In European countries, “autumn” tends to be more common. Either way, our list of fall (or autumn!) words has you covered!
How To Use These Fall Words With Students
There are so many ways word lists and printable cards can help your students. Try these creative ideas:
Word Wall: Use the cards to create an easy seasonal word wall.
Tree of Words: Have kids cut out autumn leaves in bright colors, then write one word from the list on each. Create a fall bulletin board with a big paper tree, then attach the word leaves.
Word of the Day: Introduce one new word from the list each day. Post it in a designated spot on your whiteboard, and ask students to come up and write sentences using the word.
Memory Match: Print two sets of the cards, then use them to play a memory match-up game. This is a perfect idea for fall ELA centers.
Creative Writing: Have a student draw five word cards at random. Then challenge students to write a short story using all five words.
Writing Challenge: Give each student a copy of the printable word list. Then, ask them to write a story, poem, or essay that uses as many of the words as possible. See who can manage to use them all!
Sentence Builders: Begin with a simple sentence like “In fall, I like to …” Then, use words from the list to expand the sentence to be more and more descriptive. “In the crisp golden days of fall, I like to rake crunchy russet and saffron leaves, then drink spicy apple cider.”
Word Sort: Mix up the cards, then ask students to sort them any way they like. They could do it by parts of speech, beginning letter, number of syllables, or any other categories they can think of.
Fall Word Lists
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Fall Colors
amber
beige
brown
burgundy
chestnut
copper
crimson
forest green
gold/golden
maroon
orange
red
rust
saffron
scarlet
sepia
tan
yellow
Fall Words About Food
acorn squash
apple butter
apple cider
apple crisp
apple pie
apples
berry/berries
butternut squash
caramel apples
corn
cornbread
cranberry
fruit
gourd
grain
maize
mushroom
nut
nutmeg
pear
pecan pie
potato
pumpkin
pumpkin pie
soup
squash
stew
turkey
turnip
vegetable
wheat
yams
Fall Words About Weather
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blustery
brisk
chill
cloudy
cool
crisp
damp
drizzle
fog
frost
gale
gusty
mild
mist
overcast
pleasant
rain
sleet
stormy
windy
Fall Activity Words
apple picking
bonfire
camping
carving pumpkins
corn maze
fall festival
farmers market
football
hayride
playoffs
raking leaves
Descriptive Fall Words
blazing
breezy
bright
chilly
cozy
crunchy
damp
dazzling
deciduous
delectable
drifting
dry
frosty
golden
juicy
mellow
misty
nippy
rustling
smoky
snug
spicy
sweet
temperate
vibrant
warm
windswept
zesty
Fall Phrases
apple orchard
autumn breeze
bundle up
changing seasons
cold snap
county fair
fall festival
fall foliage
falling leaves
fire pit
harvest home
harvest moon
harvest time
leaf litter
leaf peeper
leaf pile
pumpkin patch
pumpkin spice
straw bale
sweater weather
Fall Words About Nature
acorn
aster
chrysanthemum/mum
cobweb
crow
flock
forest
goldenrod
hibernate/hibernation
leaf/leaves
log
maple
migrate/migration
oak
owl
pine
pinecone
squirrel
tree
woods
More Fall Words
autumn
blanket
bushel
campfire
clove
cornucopia
decay
drift
equinox
feast
firewood
flannel
gobble
Halloween
harvest
hay
homecoming
jacket
November
October
orchard
scarecrow
scarf
season
September
snuggle
straw
Thanksgiving
trick-or-treat
World Series
Grab your free printable word lists and cards for fall!
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