Fall Pattern Cards for Kids

Patterns help kids learn how to make connections, predict more accurately, notice similarities, and learn sequencing – skills they’ll use for reading, writing and math later. These quick prep pattern cards add some fun by using colorful fall candy.

Grab a bag at the dollar store and you’re ready to play. For more preschool fun, check out our Ultimate Preschool Activity Pack in our shop!

Making Pattern Cards

Since this would be the first time my three year old would be practicing patterns, I wanted to make it really clear what he needed to do by drawing up some pattern cards. I grabbed a couple sheets of white cardstock and cut them into two inch wide strips. On each card, I hot glued the first few candies in a simple pattern and drew blank lines where I wanted him to add on to it:

• pumpkin – candy corn – pumpkin – candy corn…
• chocolate candy corn – regular candy corn – chocolate – regular…
• pumpkin – pumpkin – candy corn – pumpkin – pumpkin…
• regular candy corn – pumpkin – chocolate candy corn…
• candy corn – candy corn – pumpkin…

Finishing the Pattern Cards

I knew that simple AB patterns like pumpkin – candy corn would be the easiest for my son to tackle first, so I introduced the concept of patterning by having him act out a few. We talked about how a pattern repeats like clap – tap – clap – tap. We clapped and tapped several times so he could feel his hands repeating the same movement over and over again. Then, we tried a new one: stand – sit.

Several patterns later, I grabbed his first candy pattern card and had him touch each candy as he said their names out loud. “Pumpkin – candy corn – pumpkin – candy corn – pumpkin… CANDY CORN!” he said excitedly as he realized he knew what to put on the blank line. He reached over to the candy pile and grabbed a candy corn.

Starting at the beginning of the line again, he touched each candy and said it’s name. “Pumpkin – candy corn – pumpkin – candy corn – pumpkin – candy corn – PUMPKIN!!” He added the pumpkin on the end.  He was working his way nicely through the pattern cards by now!

I gave him another AB pattern before upping the difficulty and throwing an AAB pattern.

Increasing the Difficulty

Although I wanted to keep the activity simple and fun for Little Brother, I extended the project for Older Brother later by giving him more complicated patterns with extra blank spaces.

This pattern cards for kids activity was a fun {and tasty!} way to practice an important math and literacy skill.

Find More

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