Autumn has arrived! The weather is cooler and the leaves on the trees have begun to change colors. With the change in seasons, also comes a change in activities to explore with your child. Children learn about their world by exploring with their senses-hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, and smelling. Fall offers many new opportunities to engage your child’s senses. By joining your child in these experiences, you can maximize their enjoyment and learning. Here are some fall activities to get you started:

Take a Nature Walk Grab a basket or bag and have your child pick up items along the way such as leaves of different sizes and colors, acorns, and twigs.

Create a Collage Display the items from your walk by gluing onto paper or pressing onto sticky contact paper. As you work together, have your child count the number of items found and describe how the items look and feel.

Experiment with Fall Colors Offer your child red, yellow, and orange paints and allow them to paint with their fingers, a paintbrush, or items found on your nature walk. This is a fun way to experiment with mixing colors and to develop your child’s fine motor skills. Additionally, ask your child to tell you about their creation to support their language and thinking skills.

Try New Flavors Stores are stocked with new pumpkin and apple-flavored foods and drinks. Enjoy a snack with your child and discuss how it tastes and whether or not you like it.

Cooking Fall is a great time to involve your child in cooking and trying new foods. For some yummy pumpkin recipes, visit Frog Mom by clicking here. For delicious apple recipes, visit Mommy's Bundle by clicking here.

Arts and Crafts Children love to create and fall offers many fun and educational activities to choose from. Visit our Pinterest page for ideas by clicking here. Try making fluffy pumpkin slime with your older children by clicking here. For fun and safe ideas for infants and young children, click here.

Visit Your Library Take a trip to your local library and have your child explore the many seasonal books available. Reading is a wonderful way to spend time together while introducing your child to new ideas and words.

Halloween Activities If your family enjoys celebrating Halloween, you can find 14 ideas on how to celebrate safely during the pandemic by clicking here.

By spending time with your child and exploring all that the fall season has to offer, you are creating a positive relationship with your child while contributing to their sense of importance. Have a FALLTASTIC time!

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