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Autumn is known for the changing of the leaves, harvest time, Thanksgiving and Halloween. October offers a chance to learn about the beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow. Enjoy a delicious meal surrounded by family and friends. Adorn the house with seasonal decorations.
Here are a few socially distant ways to make learning fun through everyday play and kids activities.
Leaf Collecting Toddler Activity
Head out to the local nature park and take a leisurely stroll amongst the trees to look for fallen leaves. Point out the different colors and shapes of the leaves, and mention the names of the trees they come from. This is a great chance to teach, bond, and enjoy the outdoors.
Choose a few dry, flat leaves to take home. Put them between two sheets of waxed paper, and pile some heavy books on top to press the leaves. Allow them to press for at least 24 hours. Use the leaves to create some autumn art, or save them in a scrapbook.
Mini Harvest
Seek out a local apple orchard and go exploring! Browse the aisles upon aisles of fresh, ripe apples. Explain how an apple grows. Look at the different sizes and colors of the varying types. Sample some of the apples and point out the differences in taste and texture. Be sure to buy some to take home for further exploration to create a special food day.
At home, cut an apple in half and point out the different parts. Indicate which parts can be eaten and which can not. Finally, make a delicious desert, like apple crisp. Allow toddlers to observe, but be sure to leave the cutting, slicing and baking to the adults.
Pumpkin Picking
Have toddlers choose the perfect pumpkin at a local grocery store or market. It would also be fun to pick out some interesting gourds. Once toddlers have studied the different shapes and colors, the gourds can be placed in a bowl and used as a seasonal center piece.
The carving of the pumpkin should always be done by an adult, but toddlers can help chose the pattern or picture to be carved. They can also help scoop the insides of the pumpkin out, and separate some seeds to use for crafts or toast later. Let toddlers squeeze and squish the insides in their hands, and even taste them if they want to.
Seasonal Artwork and October Crafts Ideas
Draw a tree trunk on a piece of plain or construction paper and let toddlers paint on some leaves. Use non-toxic child’s paint in red, yellow, and orange. Let the artwork dry, and then display it on the refrigerator for everyone to see.
Facial tissue ghosts are a fun and inexpensive craft that toddlers will love to make, with a little help from an adult. Facial tissue, cotton balls, string or ribbon and a marker are required. Follow these simple steps:
- Place a cotton ball in the center of a facial tissue.
- Pick up the facial tissue by the underside of the middle, so it falls down around the cotton ball.
- Tie a piece of string around the facial tissue at the base of the cotton ball. Make sure the string is long enough to hang the ghost by when it’s finished.
- Draw a face on the ghost and hang it up.
Autumn Magic
Autumn is a wonderful time for toddlers to experiment, explore, learn and have fun. Be sure to make the most of the season with these learning activities and take every opportunity to teach toddlers about the wonders of fall.
