Autumn offers rich opportunities for play, such as leaf pile exploration and scavenger hunts, sensory activities with leaves and pumpkins, and various crafts like leaf art and conkers creations. Engage children’s creativity with fall-themed cooking and baking, storytelling, and outdoor art projects.
Outdoor Autumn Play
Nature Walks & Scavenger Hunts:
Go for walks to collect leaves, acorns, and pinecones, then use them for leaf art, collages, or nature-themed crafts.
Leaf Piles:
Jump into a large pile of fallen leaves, listen to the crunching, and feel the different textures.
Mud Kitchen Fun:
Use natural autumn materials to create “mud pies,” soups, and potions in a mud kitchen.
Pumpkin Patch Visits:
Trips to pumpkin patches are a classic autumn activity, allowing children to experience the wonder of pumpkins and corn mazes.
Hedgehog Dens:
Challenge children to build cozy dens for hedgehogs using wood and crates, then role-play as hedgehogs.
Creative & Sensory Indoor Play
Sensory Bins:
Create bins with autumn-themed items like pinecones, acorns, oats, or pumpkin pie oobleck for tactile exploration.
Leaf Rubbings & Art:
Place leaves under paper and rub with crayons to reveal their textures, or create leaf collages and leaf-man crafts.
Pumpkin Decorating:
Instead of carving, paint or hammer golf tees into pumpkins for a fine motor activity.
Conker Crafts:
Decorate pinecones and conkers, or make conker sculptures and snail figures.
Sensory Bottles & Playdough:
Make autumn-themed sensory bottles or cinnamon-scented playdough for a comforting scent and texture.
Baking & Cooking:
Bake autumn treats or “make conker tea” and “pumpkin tea” in a play kitchen with collected ingredients.
CONKER SEASON:
AUTUMN LEAF CRAFT
