You can feel it in the air, can’t you? The heatwave is over, it’s cooler in the mornings and evenings, and the trees sharing the news… Autumn is here! Which makes it the perfect time to gather together some of our favourite autumn activities for preschoolers.
RELATED: 7 Autumn Activities for Toddlers
1. Start an Autumn Leaf Collection
What a better way to explore the start of the season than with a nature walk to collect beautiful autumn leaves. Colourful autumn leaves provide a fabulous springboard for all sorts of learning. Try;
- Sorting leaves according to colour, size or shape. Count how many leaves you have in each group. Talk about which group has the most and least leaves.
- Find matching pairs of leaves
- Develop descriptive vocabulary by talking about how the leaves look, feel, sound and smell
- Try asking your child to tell you (or draw for you) how they think the colour got into the leaf!
2. Observational Drawings
Study your leaves closely with a magnifying glass, noticing their shapes, the veins and stems.
Invite your child to have a go at drawing their own autumn leaves with a lead pencil. Add watercolour paints for colour.
3. Leaf Rubbings
Make leaf rubbings by using crayons to colour over leaves placed under drawing paper. Remember to put the leaves vein-side-up for best results. Unwrap the paper and use the side of the crayon for best results.
Adding watercolour paints makes your leaf rubbings really pop – see some fabulous examples in our Crayon Resist Leaf Rubbings post.
4. Leaf Prints
Make prints by rolling paint directly onto leaves with a small roller and then turning them over to print onto paper.
5. Make Maple Pumpkin Playdough
Click through to our recipe for this fabulously scented, homemade pumpkin playdough recipe.
6. Sing an autumn action song or finger play
Check out our collection of seasonal songs, rhymes and fingerplays.
7. Bake Apple Slice
Preschoolers love to help in the kitchen and this deliciously simple apple slice recipe is great for involving them in the measuring, pouring and mixing (you will have to prepare the apples first though!)
So there you have it – seven autumn activities for you and your children to enjoy this season. And while you’re out there enjoying the cooler days, don’t forget to embrace your own inner child – get out among the leaves with your kids – scrunch them, jump in them and throw them high in the air!
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Lauren Hunt is an Early Childhood Teacher who currently works part time teaching children in their first year of school. She is also mum to a two year old daughter. Lauren is passionate about play-based, hands-on learning and is certainly kept busy by her energetic toddler!
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