Fall is here and parents might be wondering what outdoor activities they can do this season. Some things to do include checking out the changing color of the leaves and enjoying the last of the harvest together. Don’t forget the umbrella!
Collecting Fall Leaves
Go for a walk in a park and collect leaves, pinecones, acorns and horse chestnuts. Kids love to find natural treasures. Kids can help out their friends the squirrels, tell them they are making a “squirrel buffet surprise” and pile up as many acorns as they can find by a certain tree. Kids also enjoy cracking open the the spiky green shell of horse chestnuts to find the glossy nuts inside. Parents can also get their children to search for the biggest and smallest pine cones.
Encourage kids to find as many different-colored leaves as possible. See if they can make a “rainbow” of leaves by showing the graduation of color from green to yellow to orange to red to brown. Families can also use the leaves to make shapes like circles, triangles and hearts.
Another fun and secretly educational activity to do with the leaves and pinecones is to get kids to spell their names using the leaves. Bring a camera along for the leaf adventure, it’s nice to make a circle or heart of leaves and then get the kids to stand inside the shape to take their photo.
Visit an Apple Farm
Apples are in season in the fall. See if there is nearby apple farm to visit. For those who live in the city it might mean a car ride out to the country, but that in itself can be a fun and educational experience. Kids get to see how the land changes as they go from city to farmland. Usually there are apple farms in rural areas that are set up for visitors and offer playgrounds, hay rides and even mini petting zoos. The Apple Barn just outside of Vancouver, BC is a good example.
Find a Pumpkin Patch
Why buy a pumpkin from the store when the family can go straight to the patch? Kids will have fun roaming around the patch and picking the perfect pumpkin, or two or three. Pick out some big ones to be jack-o-lanterns for Halloween and some smaller ones to be decorations around the house.
Enjoy a Rainy Day
When it starts to rain, get the kids all kitted up in their raingear and grab the umbrellas. Then go outside and enjoy the pitter-patter of the rain. For those who are more daring, try puddle jumping. Then come inside for some soup or hot chocolate to warm up together.
Fall is a great time to get outdoors with the children. Enjoy collecting leaves, visit an apple farm, find a pumpkin patch and go for a walk on a rainy day.
Article found at:
http://holistic-parenting.suite101.com/article.cfm/fun_fall_outdoor_activities_for_kids
