[Last update: Nov 2024]
Temperatures are dropping, days are getting shorter, and all around us nature is changing into a beautiful play of red, orange, and yellow. This season offers a great opportunity to get out into nature with your kids and get creative. Here are the 9 best fall activities for kids that you should definitely put on your fall bucket list!
1. Playing outside in the forest
Autumn is a great time to be outdoors, even if it is a bit chilly. Go to a nearby forest or park and dress warmly. Let children collect leaves, balance on tree trunks, and play hide and seek between the trees. An active afternoon outside will give them plenty of energy and let them experience nature up close.
2. Autumn walk and mushroom hunt
Autumn brings new colours and scents to the forest, and it is teeming with mushrooms! Take a treasure hunt map with pictures of different types of mushrooms and make it an adventure to spot them together. Also collect chestnuts, acorns and leaves along the way to craft with later.
3. Visit to the petting zoo
There is also a lot to see at the petting zoo in the fall. Birds migrate, other animals prepare for the winter, and sometimes you can admire young animals. Children learn in a fun way how animals adapt to the cold season and what they need to get through the fall and winter.
4. Making bird cakes for the garden
Help the birds by making bird food cakes! Melt some fat and mix it with bird seed. Pour the mixture into fun molds, such as cupcake molds or cookie molds, and let it harden. You can then hang these cakes in the garden. It’s a simple activity that’s not only fun to make, but also great for helping birds!
5. Crafting with chestnuts, acorns and leaves
After a walk in the woods, it's time to get creative with the finds of the day. Make dolls, animals, and decorations from chestnuts and acorns, and use twigs or leaves for extra details. Think of making small animals, chains or even mobiles to hang in the house. This way, the collected natural finds get a second life!
6. Painting with autumn leaves and pine cones
Autumn leaves and pine cones make great natural paintbrushes. Let children dip the leaves or pine cones in paint and then stamp them onto paper for beautiful, organic patterns. Also fun: paint the pine cones in autumn colours and use them as decoration in your home. For a pet-friendly home, you can bake the pine cones briefly in the oven to remove insects.
7. Hollow out and decorate pumpkins
Pumpkins are indispensable in the fall. In addition to the well-known hollowing out for Halloween, there are many more possibilities! Decorate pumpkins with paint or markers, or make a thematic table decoration. For older children, it is also fun to carve out their own creation under supervision.
8. Baking with autumn flavours
Autumn is the perfect season to bake together with typical autumn flavours such as apple, cinnamon, pumpkin and nuts. Get started together with apple pie, pumpkin muffins or cinnamon rolls. Children love to help with baking and of course also to enjoy the end result. This not only fills the belly, but also the house with delicious smells.
9. Searching for animal tracks
In autumn, the paths are often damp, making animal tracks clearly visible. Go together to look for animal footprints in the forest or in the park. Bring binoculars and a detective book and try to figure out together which animal the tracks belong to. This activity is exciting and a great way to learn more about nature together with your children.
