Fall Fun for Children

Oh, the fall! Such a cozy season! While we spend much time reading by the fire, I like to make sure we still get our daily outing. In truth, fall is my favorite season; so, it does not take much convincing to get me out of doors. Aside from yard clean-up, vegetable harvesting, and spontaneous games of "mom-ster" where I am chasing and capturing my kids, here are a few activities that we really enjoy and might even do multiple times in the same week:

• Nature Scavenger Hunt—This is an activity that I like to do in both the spring and the fall because of the increased moisture, which causes all the fun, slimy bugs to be found more easily. You can do this activity in your backyard or at another nature location: at a park, in the mountains, or down by a close river, whichever is available to you. Create a list of things that you would like your kids to try to find. Consider fewer easier things for your toddler: a rock, a stick, a leaf; and more difficult things for your older kids: a particular type of bug, a particular type of plant or bird. You can also make it harder by increasing the amount of a certain thing they have been tasked to find.

  
  

• Homemade Wreaths—This is a fun activity that can be modified for all ages. First, grab a large bag and go on a leaf-finding expedition. You may have to leave your house for this, but the goal is to find as many different pretty leaves as possible. Once you have the leaves, toddlers can use glue sticks to stick their leaves to a white paper. You may have to show them how to make the shape of a wreath. For your older kids, you will need to provide a wreath base (made out of a paper plate or cardboard), just a simple ring to which they can attach their leaves. Then, they can either super-glue them or, with your supervision, use a hot glue gun to attach the leaves.

  
  

• Build a Bouquet—My children love to do this during any point of the growing season. I plant many, many flowers around our home in order that the kids can frequently pick them for the dinner table. If you do not have flowers growing around you, you can always purchase a few bundles of different flowers at the grocery store and allow your kids to build bouquets with those. One of the main reasons that I enjoy this activity so much is that it makes my child pay attention to the beauty in nature. It is also a good lesson on what flowers look good together and what shapes and colors compliment each other. Besides, who doesn't love a toddler-made flower bunch on the kitchen table?