There’s a nip in the air and the leaves are falling! So wrap up, get outside and enjoy the season!. Here are five fab and totally free ideas to keep pre-schoolers busy this season!
- Play the autumn memory game – It’s a favourite in our house. Firstly, you’ll need to go collecting, as many different shaped leaves, firs, acorns, conkers berries, twigs whatever you can. Bring them home, lay them out them out on a table. Everybody gets a minute to remember what’s there, then cover everything, then when everyone’s eyes are closed shut tight - remove one or two things and then, whoever spots the missing object wins!
- Make autumn art – Pintrest is stuffed full of ideas on what you might make with autumn leaves. Our favourite is leaf self-portraits where we find the mouth and eye-shaped leaves! You’ll probably spend more time searching out the most flattering nose than create the masterpiece, but never the less, lots of fun for all involved!
- Make a hedgehog house – Now we can’t promise a hedgehog will actually move in, but we think if he’s’ passing he won’t be able to resist a cosy little nest created by your little ones. Have a look at britishhedgehogs.org.uk/leaflets/L5-Hedgehog-Homes.pdf
- Catch a wish! My granddad used to tell me the reason the leaves turned yellow and ‘fell’ was that they had drunk up all the sunshine and magic and got too heavy for the trees. So catch a bit of magic....stand under a huge tree –on a slightly blustery day (ideally not gale force for health and safety reason!) and when the branches sway and the leaves fall to see who can catch the most leaves!
- Make a broom – this is great Halloween prop but also a useful little sweeping brush for little ones to help around the garden. Grab a stick, approx 1 metre, a cable tie or good quality string and as many twigs as you can find – about 30cm long. Hold the stick in one hand and the twigs in the other. Add the twigs to the broom and turn, building up your broom until its about 2xms in diameter. Secure with a cable tie or really tightly knotted string and you’re ready to fly!