Leaves, pumpkins and apples – oh my! Fall is here, and a new season means innovative and exciting ways to teach, learn and explore. Make the most of autumn every day of the month with your little one by trying out a few (or all) of these seasonal-inspired activities.
- Have a picnic in the park.
- Rake leaves and have your little one jump and play in them.
- Have a popcorn, pajamas and movie day while watching family-favorite Halloween films.
- Gather fall-themed books and read them outside with your child on a sunny afternoon.
- Have your children sit down and think about what matters most to them. Then, have them make a thankful list and display it.
- Go on a nature walk around your neighborhood. Bring a small bag for all the different fall treasures you find along the way.
- Go pumpkin picking. Let your little ones roam so they can find the perfect ones to bring home.
- Paint and decorate pumpkins and leaves.
- Carve out a jack-o’-lantern, and then play with the mushy insides with your children, allowing them to explore the mush in a sensory bin.
- Roast pumpkin seeds.
- Create a cardboard tube bird feeder with your children and hang it on a tree. Then watch and write down all the different birds that gather in your yard.
- Make a special homemade Halloween or Thanksgiving card and send it to their grandparents.
- Visit a farm and go on a hayride. Enjoy time outside spent experiencing the season of autumn.
- Play hide-and-seek inside the house at night with glowsticks.
- Attend a local fall festival or county fair.
- Pretend to make a potion. Let your little ones gather, measure, mix and add ingredients.
- Drink warm apple cider or hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows on a cold day!
- Take a scenic drive or road trip to see the fall foliage. If the season doesn’t change where you live, look up pictures and videos together.
- Organize a fall-themed scavenger hunt in the backyard.
- On a rainy day, bundle up and splash around in the puddles outside.
- Visit a local farmers market.
- Go to an apple orchard and spend the afternoon picking apples.
- Visit a local museum or arboretum to experience one-of-a-kind fall exhibits for children and families.
- Explore a corn maze.
- Cover a corn cob with paint and let your little one get creative.
- “Bob” for apples. Place some apples (real or fake) into a bowl filled with enough water so they float. Give you child a pair of tongs and have them practice picking up the apples and placing them in another container.
