The weather may be getting colder, but that doesn’t mean you and your toddler can’t have heaps of fun this fall. In fact, it’s potentially the best time of the year to get out and explore the wondrous marvels of nature.
If you need a little inspiration, below you’ll discover some of the top things to do with your toddler this fall. There’s a range of indoor and outdoor fall-based activities featured on the list. So, whatever the weather, there’s something you and your little one can enjoy.
1. Leaves And Pinecone Fun
Sometimes it’s the simple things which keep toddler’s entertained. Autumn is a magical season and it’s best known for its colorful, falling leaves. Toddlers LOVE leaves! So, what better way to enjoy the season than heading out with your toddler and taking part in leave-based activities?
It could be something as simple as jumping in piles of leaves. Don’t see any piles? Create one yourself! You’ll be amazed just how much your little one enjoys this simple activity. They could spend literally hours jumping in and out of a leaf pile.
You could also collect leaves and use them for craft activities at home. Or, simply see how many different types of leaves you can both collect and then use it as an education activity. You can teach your toddler more about the different leaves and also help them to identify the different colors. You could also expand this activity to include the collection of pinecones – something else you’ll find in abundance during the fall.
2. Create A Pinecone Bird Feeder
Following on from the tip above, you could use the pinecones you collect to make a pinecone bird feeder. Not only does this give you and your toddler a great indoor activity to complete together, but it also provides hours of entertainment after it’s been made. Your little one will enjoy watching the different birds come to feed on something they’ve made.
It’s worth noting the pinecones should be quite large in order for this idea to work. As well as pinecones, you’ll also need either suet or peanut butter, thumb tacks, popsicle sticks, birdseed, a mixing bowl, scissors and natural string. You can find full instructions here.
3. Play Dress Up
Dress Up is a very popular toddler activity and it can be done all year round. If you want to make it appropriate to fall, get creative and dress up as fall based items. If dressing up as a pumpkin or pinecone doesn’t sound very appealing, you could always just use fall colors as your theme instead. This is another fantastic idea for those colder, wetter days where you’re stuck indoors.
4. The Autumn Color Game
One fall inspired game which has become really popular over the years is the color game. You basically give your toddler a color and their job is to see how many things they can spot of the same color while out on a walk.
You could head to your local park, or even just play the game in your backyard. Your toddler will have plenty of fun using their detective skills to identify the color they’ve been given. Of course, it also helps with their color association skills so it’s educational yet fun.
To make this activity even more exciting for your little one, you can also give them a toddler-friendly digital camera and get them to take pictures of the things which match the color they’re looking out for. Then, you can both enjoy looking at the pictures when you get home.
5. Head To An Apple Orchard
If you’re lucky enough to live near an apple orchard, it’s a great place to take your toddler during the fall. Not only will they get to see the beautiful apple trees, but they can also have plenty of fun running through the orchard, as well as picking apples.
You could even use the apples you collect to create a delicious apple pie or crumble when you get home. This idea can also be turned into an annual tradition, making memories which your little one will take with them throughout their adulthood.
6. Create A Fall Wreath
While wreaths are typically associated with Christmas time, they can also make a beautiful decoration during the fall. Your toddler will really enjoy helping you to create a fall inspired wreath. You could even set up a wreath-making station to make the activity even more exciting.
The equipment you’ll need isn’t expensive so it’s a good activity to do for those on a budget. You’ll need paper plates, tissue paper, sequins, fall inspired stickers, fabric leaves, pom poms, fall colored paper, buttons, white glue and a ribbon. It sounds like a lot, but you can pick everything up really cheap from a craft store or even online.
You can check out how to make a fall wreath here.
7. Create A Pumpkin Scented Sensory Bin
In previous blogs, we’ve discussed how important sensory play is for toddler development. It’s also something they absolutely adore. So, creating an autumn sensory activity is the perfect way to enjoy the new season with your little one.
There’s a lot of sensory activities you can create for your toddler in fall, but this pumpkin scented sensory bin is by far one of the best. You don’t need a lot of materials for this activity either which is a major advantage for those looking for budget-friendly ideas. All you need is pumpkin spice, white rice, hand sanitizer, a plastic container, and some liquid food coloring. You can see how to create the sensory bin here.
Once complete, your toddler will love the scent and feel of the rice. You could also give them a little plastic scoop so they can scoop the rice up and place it into a separate container.
8. Bobbing Apples (The Toddler Friendly Way)
Bobbing for apples is a classic fall game, but the original version isn’t exactly toddler friendly. So, you can tweak it a little so that the apples are grabbed with tongs, rather than the mouth.
Using tongs to select the apples won’t be easy for your toddler but they’ll love the challenge! They’ll also feel a great sense of pride when they do manage to grab one (likely with a little help from you!).
Once they’ve grabbed an apple, why not cut it into pieces and give them to your toddler as a healthy snack?
9. Autumn Inspired Coloring
Most toddler love to color so why not invest in a fall inspired coloring book? Alternatively, you could print off coloring sheets from the internet. You’ll find hundreds of free fall pictures to print out. So, even if you don’t have a lot of cash, this is one activity you can afford to do.
10. Head Off On A Nature Walk
During the fall, lots of new, fascinating creatures start to appear. Why not head out to your local park or woods and see how many critters you and your toddler can spot?
You could do a little research before you go to see what kinds of critters you’re likely to come across in your local area. That way, when your toddler does spot an interesting creature, you can tell them all about it.
Conclusion
Overall, fall can be a fabulous time for you and your toddler. The activities above will help you bond with your little terror, while also providing a fun, educating experience.
Do you have any fall ideas you’d like to share? Let us know below!
The weather where I come from is quiet different from yours, but I think I can match autum with a similar season (dry season) here because it reminds me of point 1. I enjoyed playing around a lot of fallen dry leaves when I was a kid, sometimes with my mum and occasionally my dad.
Playing dress up as a kid wasn’t my favourite, i suck when it comes to mixing colours, I still do. Overall, I think you nailed the post. These are great tips on how to have a fun filled autumn time as a family.
There are a lot of simple thing you can really do with your kid on different climates. I just couldn’t imagine how very simple things make you kid smile and enjoy while learning. Weather might be different in our country but I can use some of those tips which I can apply. Kids love playing and doing something indoor or outdoor whatever the weather is it’s for the parent to be creative and their approach for the day to be really fun, educational and exciting not only for the kid but both parents and children.
It is amazing how parents can enjoy the season of fall with their kids. I missed those sessions while growing for both my dad and mom are always on the go to meet up with business activities, but I must say that it is really interesting 10 ways this season can favour the kids and their parents. Thank you for the tips.
I have a 4-year-old daughter and I’m always looking for ways to have fun during each season. Thankfully this fall has been particularly warm so we were able to explore outside comfortably. We also decorated our house in spirit of halloween. We are also going to go apple picking and pumpkin decorating. I love the leaves and pinecone idea! My daughter has been so amazed with them ever since I explained the season is called “fall” because of the leaves falling off trees.
I am definitely saving this “Playlist” for when my son gets a little older to do a lot of these activities. They all seem fun, and I’m already excited about it. Its so many awesome things to experience with kids. I am down with having as much fun with him as possible, before I cry about him getting older.
I’m not a parent but I am a devoted Aunt who is deeply in my nieces and nephews lives. THEY LOVED FALL ACTIVITIES! An easy fall activity is honestly just raking the leaves. Not only do you clean up the yard, you find beautiful pine cones and leaves along the way. Plus its fun jumping in the piles of leaves.
The fall is gone and winter is here. This fall, my baby was too small to enjoy the fall. However, next year, when fall arrives my baby will be a toddler and he will learn how to appreciate the weather and nature. Thanks for these useful tips.
Babies are so fun when they are lively, and one of the things that get them in such mood and disposition is playful activities. I’m so impressed with so many ways in which parents and even siblings would partake in and have a good fun time with their toddlers.
I love playing dress up game well, I still have some sweet memories of my childhood days with my little ones, it was a nice experience.