I always think Autumn positively overloads your senses...all the beautiful Autumn colours, the sound and feel of rustling leaves beneath your feet, misty mornings, damp vegetation and smoky bonfires, bonfire toffee, chestnuts and hotdogs yummmmm! So much to get creative about and to celebrate!
Here are some activities to do with your little ones:
- Go on an Autumn walk and make a collection of signs of Autumn...create an old fashioned nature table / nature basket and with the help of a magnifying glass simply explore.
- Collect leaves and do leaf rubbings using Autumnal coloured wax crayons. If you then place them face down on plain fabric and use plenty of scrap paper to protect the iron and table you can iron the leaf rubbings onto fabric to create lovely Autumn material.
- Create an Autumn bouquet using grasses, twigs, wheat and barley, Autumn flowers.
- Make an Autumn collage either abstract or create a recognisable picture using strong glue.
- Make an Autumn picture as a transitional piece of art work...take a photo as you don't keep the picture, the pieces are used again and again.
- Use a cardboard tube to scan the countryside / park for signs of Autumn...use it like a telescope.
- Fruit printing...half apples create a lovely shape to print with.
- Create an Autumn weave using leaves, grasses etc. woven through a basic frame work created using a forked stick and wool or string.
- Make a scarecrow puppet using a wooden spoon and bits of fabric and natural materials.
- Make a simple headband using a ring of card and decorate it with Autumn leaves forming an Autumn crown.
- Memory tray game using a number of Autumn objects...take a good look, cover and remove an item...children guess what is missing.
- Cut out felt leaves using orange, brown and red felt and then decorate them, either sewing simple stitches or sticking collage sequins, buttons etc. onto the surface.
- Attached leaves to string or ribbon and hang up to form a temporary Autumn banner.
- Create a simple Autumn treasure bottle for a toddler by filling a plastic see through bottle with orange, yellow, brown and red ribbons, pom-poms, cut out leaves, conkers and acorns. Seal the bottle if your child is still at the stage where everything goes in their mouth or leave to open if they enjoy tipping, sorting and posting.
- Create an Autumn treasure box, including everything mentioned so far but also include Autumn clothes such as hat scarf and gloves, photographs of Autumn days and some autumn themed drapes and ribbons.
- Draw around leaves on coloured card, decorate them and glue onto a polo shaped ring to create an Autumn wreath.
- Make an Autumn sun catcher using a paper plate with the centre cut out. Replace the centre with clear sticky backed plastic and lay a few really pretty Autumn leaves onto the sticky surface. Hang up against a window and let the light shine through.
- Cut out different leaf shapes from strong card and simply let your child wrap them with orange, red or yellow yarn...it's really easy, good for fine motor skills and very satisfying.
- Play hide and seek with apples or conkers around the room.
- Use Vivaldi's Autumn music and let your child move to the music. They can be Autumn leaves floating, twirling, falling and tumbling around in the wind. The addition of some ribbons or my special dance bands adds to the enjoyment. I make them to match themes and they Velcro easily onto the wrist. They have even been used on wheel chairs so those using them can join in the dance fun.
- Create a simple feely bag with lots of Autumn related items inside to encourage descriptive language.
- Make Autumn shakers by filling plastic bottles with Autumn seeds, one with acorns, one with conkers...try sunflower seeds and anything you find when out and about this autumn. Use the shaker to accompany some Autumn songs...you can find lots on the internet.
- The PVA glue can add weeks to the life of Autumn leaves so they can be used long after others shrivel and collapse. It also enhances the colours...just paint each side leaving to dry each time. They will need to be thrown away after a few weeks but that's fine because Winter is on it's way as soon as Autumn begins!
- Make Autumn necklaces using conkers and leaves...an adult will need to drill a hole in the conkers prior to the activity.
- Look at the Scripture Union web site to explore an alternative to a Halloween Party...hold your own Light Party.
- Visit an orchard, a fruit farm, a green grocers, the veg stall at the supermarket
- Photograph where the apple comes from
- Buy a selection of apples...are they all the same? What do they taste like? What do they smell like? Which do you like best?
- Cook apples - make apple pie, baked apple, toffee apples, apple chutney
- Look at the apple on the outside, guess what's on the inside, Cox, Russet cut it open, print with it. Look at the funny names of apples - Granny Smiths, Golden delicious, Look at the different sizes and order them from smallest to the largest
- Wonder at the way an apple is constructed/created
- Apple parts: peel. skin, stalk, core, pip, leaf, flesh -What is wind fall
- Questions to ask: Are apples red? Is an apple dead or alive, where are the pips, what are the pips,
- Investigate apples using a knife, a peeler, a juicer, a corer, a grater
Hope these ideas are enough to get you started on making the most of Autumn with your children.
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