Tag Archives: Fall

Fall Activities for Kids

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Fall is my favorite time of year. The vibrant colors, the leaves changing on the trees. I often find a sense of renewal and excitement in the fall. Change and new beginnings, an expectation of things to come. Now I know that spring is typically the time for renewal and new things but for some reason this applies more to me in the Fall. There is just something about the energy, the way the warm sun glints through the trees, the crisp cool mornings, and the cozy afternoons. It’s magical, inviting and I look forward to it every year.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I also enjoy all the activities that you can do in the Fall with the kids, the Fall recipes like warms hearty stews, specialty coffees like Pumpkin Spice Lattes, the bonfires, the festivals. It creates a warmth, a coziness and welcoming feeling that I love. It’s the time of year that I start to light more candles and fill my house with scents of pumpkin, cinnamon and cloves. It’s also a great time of year to be outside enjoying the warm sunny autumn afternoons.

One of my favorite things to do in Fall is to just go for a walk, letting the kids explore and play in the leaves. The leaves are the best part of Fall. Whether we are kicking them up and dancing with them as they blow in the wind or gathering them for crafts and decorations for later. And I still love jumping in them! When I was growing up my sisters and I would love raking up the leaves, piling them high and jumping in them. Now as a parent and adult I love to jump in the leaves with my kids.

Taking the kids out for a walk is a great opportunity for them to not only have some fun but to teach them to learn about and appreciate their natural environment. There are lots of simple activities you can do while you’re out with very little equipment. If you bring a few items with you such as a magnifying glass, some paper, crayons, pencils and a cloth bag, this will get you started.

Many of these activities will engage kids of all ages. Here are some of my favorites:

Tree & Leaf Rubbings

Leaf Rubbings

Have the children pick a tree, then take a piece of paper and a crayon. Put the paper up against the bark of the tree and then gently rub over the paper with their crayon. Younger children may need assistance holding their paper. Once they are finished they can leave the tree rubbing on it’s own or then add to it and make it part of another picture. They can also do leaf rubbings with leaves they have found on the ground, but will need a flat surface to do the rubbing. If there is nothing close by then take the leaves home and they  can do the leaf rubbings there.

More Leaf Fun…

Have the kids gather a variety of leaves, different shapes, sizes and colors. (Please note to get the children to take the leaves off the ground not off the trees!) The kids will love gathering them and it is an easy way for them to explore and teach them about the different kinds of trees. Take a moment to help them figure out which leaves belong to which trees. If you aren’t familiar with which trees are which, you can get a tree identification book from the library. With young children only talk about one or two, with older more.

With their gathered leaves they can also make a bouquet to put in a vase and use as a centerpiece on your table, or cut a circle out of cardboard and glue the leaves on to make a  leaf wreath.

They can trace their leaves on construction paper using different colors, cut them out then decorate their room or a part of the house. Also using construction paper they could make their own Autumn tree by cutting out a trunk and glueing the leaves on the branches or creating leaf people out of their leaves. Younger children may need help with cutting.

Find a Tree

This is an environmental game that I do with all ages of children, from my 2 year old twins to the Leaders in Training who are 12-14. You can adjust it accordingly depending on the age of the children but the premise is the same. In partners, one is blindfolded and the other leads their partner to a tree. While blindfolded they explore the tree using their other senses. Touch, smell, etc. Once they feel that they have explored the tree thoroughly then the partner takes them back to where they started, removes the blindfold. The blindfolded partner then goes and sees if they can find their tree. With younger children use a small area with only a few trees to choose from with older you can use a larger area to make it more challlenging.

Fall Festivals

On the Jumping Pillow at the Calgary Corn Maze

Many communities Fall Festival celebrations, from pumpkin patches to hayrides, corn mazes and barbeques. We have a variety here in Calgary, from the Calgary Corn Maze, where they have a petting zoo, jumping pillow and corn cannons; to events at Heritage Park such as the Harvest Sale and Railway Days. Check out your local community events to find something that speaks to you.

Other Crafts and Activities

Twig Fairy

There are so many materials in the natural environment, especially in the Fall, to create all kinds of wonderful crafts and activities. When gathering materials for crafts please encourage the children to take things from the ground (whether it be leaves, pine cones, etc.) and not from the live trees and plants as this could damage or kill them. There are great crafts such as twig fairies, autumn looms (to display all the natural treasures they find), word searches and coloring pages. Just Google ‘Fall Activities and Crafts’ and all kinds of great websites will come up. Some of my favorite sites are Enchanted Learning and Family Fun.

Fall is a beautiful season, so get out and explore it, let the kids fill a bag of goodies (natural items) and then come home and see what you can do with them. Encourage the kids to create their own crafts and games from what they have found. It is a wonderful time to be creative and use their imagination and they’ll be learning about the natural world and all she has to offer at the same time!

 

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Rainy Day Activities

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Playing at the lake in Oliver, BC

We have been blessed this year with a very beautiful summer. Many warm, sunny days filled with clear blue skies and days at the lake. Fortunately we have not had many rainy days at all, which has been great for those of us who want to play outside, but probably not so good for the farmers.

When we do have the odd rainy day and as the weather cools as we move into fall, it can be challenging to keep the kids entertained and prevent the inevitable ‘cabin fever’ that sets in from being inside for too long. I have found that having a ‘backpocket’ full of activities for the kids is a great way to keep them busy and you happy.

Here are some activities that I have enjoyed as a child and have used with my own kids to keep us all sane on those rainy days. Of course there are the typical things like watching movies and playing video games, but I always find that it is great to have some creative ideas and activities to engage their minds and imagination, as I feel that being in front of the tv all day is not always the best.

Build a fort

My favorite indoor activity has always been to make a fort. My sisters and I would get chairs and blankets and set things up so that we could then get inside and play all day. We would spend hours setting it up and enjoying it. My kids tend to use the couch cushions and pillows, in addition to blankets to set up their forts. Yes my couch comes apart for a while but the deal is at the end of the day they put it all back together, and everybody’s happy. They have had hours of fun and I have had hours of stress free activity.

Matthew in his couch fort

Kids can also use cardboard boxes to build a fort, this is something that they could leave up for awhile and use if it was in a space that worked for everyone. They can experiment with all shapes and sizes, decorate it with crayons or markers.

The important thing with forts is to let the kids be creative. Let them build it and knock it down a few times, let them use their imaginations. Regardless of what they create ensure it is safe to play in and is under adult supervision.

Play Board Games

Candyland

Also another favorite when I was growing up. We had all kinds of board games, from Monopoly to Pay Day and would often spend all day playing them. We would often set up Monopoly and have a tournament. The game would last all day and Mum never had to worry about what we were up to. There are lots of board games out there for all ages, like Candyland, Yahtzee, Connect Four, etc. that once you get the kids set up they can play on their own or join in.

Create a Play

Have the kids write their own play, assign parts and do a performance. Kids will be very occupied creating the stage, costumes, props as well as practicing the play itself. They can then present to friends and family at the end of the day.

Play Hide and Seek

Who says this is just an outdoor game? Set clear guidelines and boundaries about where they can and can not hide, then let the games begin. You can add a variation by changing the game to Sardines, where only one person hides and then everyone else has to find them. The catch is when you find the person who is hiding you have to then hide with them in that space. This can get very tricky if the space is a little small.

Have a Puppet Show

If you already have puppets, grab them; otherwise, the kids can make their own. They can use brown paper lunch bags and decorate them with markers, glitter, construction paper, etc. You could also use old mitts or sew little hand puppets for them to decorate. I know you are saying “Yes I am going to whip out the sewing machine and make a few puppets for them while they are waiting”. Perhaps have some ready beforehand and just put them away ‘for a rainy day’. They can also make a puppet theatre to do their show in using a cardboard box, blankets or a combination of both. Other great ‘theatres’ could be the island in the kitchen if you have one, or simply standing behind the couch.

Go outside and Play in the Rain!

Yes if all else fails, put on their rainboots, raincoats and send them outside in the backyard. One rainy afternoon we had all 3 kids going crazy by 4 o’clock. They were running around the house screaming and I was ready to scream myself. With an hour to go til dinner, I dressed them and sent them all outside. They had a great time, they ran around the deck, splashed in puddles and just plain enjoyed themselves. The stress level in the house went down, everyone was happier and I was able to make dinner in peace while still watching the kids.

The important thing is to keep on eye on them and make sure they are not getting cold, that they stay close to the house in case they need to come inside if they are. Otherwise let them play and jump in puddles. Challenge them to make as small a splash as possible, then a big one. You can also take out buckets and shovels and they can fill them up and scoop water out. My daughter loves transfering water from one bucket to another, filling it up and then dumping it. She can do that for an hour straight without getting bored or distracted. Who says that just because it’s wet outside that you can’t go out? The fresh air does everyone good and keep us all sane!

Play-Doh Fun Factory

This is just a sampling of ideas of what you could do, there are many other things that kids love that you could do with them on a rainy day, like playing with Play-Doh, various crafts, even some baking. You just have to do a little planning and have some materials on hand, so when it does rain you know what you can do. Believe me, it is worth the time spent planning to have a smooth and stress free rainy day!

 

 

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