"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
The autumnal season often suddenly appears out of nowhere, or so it seems. This year in particular we have enjoyed a long, hot (sometimes too hot!) summer, and now autumn is upon us, with the evenings drawing in, the sun taking a little longer to rise, and a general feeling of a slight chill, and many more rainy days.
The change of seasons always brings joy to young children, and autumn is no exception. In our own Dorset and Hampshire nurseries we find that they discover the glorious sights and sounds of the new season with great enthusiasm. For parents, autumn brings wonderful opportunities to give children new experiences - and best of all this can be without the need to spend lots of money. We can accept the gifts that nature brings, and take our time to connect to nature and all it has to offer.
The charm of autumn also brings challenges, of course. The shorter days can make it feel harder to get done the things we need to achieve, and we perhaps feel slower, less motivated and more tired. For children, the excitement of the run up to Christmas starts remarkably early, and the longest term of the year can leave them feeling tired, and at times more emotional and fractious than earlier in the year. This is all perhaps a reminder to us that if at all possible, this is the time of year to allow ourselves to find a slower pace and hunker down to cosy times when we can.
Here are a few Autumn activity ideas for inspiration - they are activities that can be added onto the end of the working day, or can easily fill a weekend as well!
Have a fire outdoors - maybe even cook dinner or hot chocolate over the fire
Put on waterproofs and wellies and go for a splashy walk in the puddles
Collect autumn leaves for making a collage picture
Go pumpkin picking, make pumpkin soup and read the story “Pumpkin Soup”!
Visit a local farmers market to see what fruit and vegetables are in season
Take inspiration from forest school and use leaves, sticks, pine cones and conkers to make natural art in the outdoors (sticks make a great picture frame to fill!)
Have a family games afternoon indoors on a cosy afternoon
Make fruit pies from fruit collected such as apples or blackberries - check out local social media sites as people often have an abundance of apples they are happy to share if you go and pick them
Go for a exciting walk in the dark with torches
Learn a new indoor skill such as knitting, sewing, modelling with clay, or completing a more complex jigsaw puzzle
Autumn is a wonderfully sensorial time of year. It is filled with different smells, sights and sounds thanks to bonfires, the crunching of leaves, the splash of puddles and the stunning colours of the autumnal trees. It is a time to slow the pace, embrace the darker mornings and evenings, and find our way to connecting to the seasons, and grounding ourselves as we journey towards winter.
This blog was brought to you by the team of early childhood experts at Kids Love Nature. We have four outstanding kindergartens across Dorset and Hampshire which focus on connecting children to nature.