FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Connecting Children to the Wonders of Autumn

Photo by michael podger on Unsplash

As a former teacher, I know the importance of connecting children to the outdoors, especially now when so much time is spent in a state of disconnect while in front of phone and computer screens. Here on the East Coast the leaves are changing and temperatures are dropping. It may be tempting to hideaway indoors, but everyone needs the outdoors. Autumn fun can be had with activities like apple picking and corn mazes, but there are lots of things you can do around your neighborhood to enjoy the fall sunshine, too.

For young children

• Go on a nature walk and collect autumn objects like fallen leaves. After pressing them flat in a heavy book for a week or two, children can create leaf collages
• Go on a sound walk. While walking with your young child stop and listen to the sounds you hear. Try to come up with fun onomatopoeia: a word that mimics the way something sounds. At home, have your child draw a picture representing your walk. Older children can even write out the sounds they heard.
• Observe which animals are still out. Then at home download a book about animal hibernation or get one from the local library.
• Walk around your garden and talk about all the insects we can’t see hiding under fallen leaves…