Learning Through Autumn: Fun Activities for Education

I have to admit that autumn is my favorite season. The days are becoming shorter and the nights lasting longer. The sun is warm but not hot during the day and there is a slight chill in the air at night. The leaves are turning beautiful colors and everything around me seems more peaceful.

I have found that as fall arrives I am much more eager to get outside and explore with my kids. This is something they beg me to do during the hotter months of summer but I am reluctant to do because of the heat and bugs. I probably love autumn most because I spend more time doing these fun things with my children. They love it too.

I thought it would be nice to make a list of things you can do together to enjoy the crisp autumn days. The activities are both fun and educational. We’ve discussed in previous posts that lessons can come in a variety of ways. We can spend time together, have a lesson and have fun all at the same time! Taking school in a different direction is always fun to do. Perhaps this list will inspire you to try something new with your children.

• Bake a loaf of bread. While doing so talk about harvest time perhaps discussing how different harvesting is now compared to 100 years ago.
• Make leaf prints. With leaves falling from the trees now is a great time to grab a few to make leaf prints. Simply place your leaves under a piece of paper and rub the topside with a crayon. Talk about the beautiful colors and why leaves fall from the trees.
• Watch for birds flying south. Can you name what kinds they are? Why do they fly south and when will they return?
• Go on a creature walk. Look for creatures that are getting ready for winter. Caterpillars, squirrels and ladybugs are great ones to observe. When you get back home draw pictures of what you observed.
• If you are lucky enough to live near an apple orchard pick some apples. Afterward make some homemade applesauce or cider together. Maybe you can discuss the man who made it his life’s mission to plant apple trees across the country (hint: he wore a pot on his head, carried his Bible with him everywhere and walked barefoot wherever he went!)
• Make a bird feeder. You can do this in a variety of ways but making sure your bird friends are taken care of throughout the winter is a great thing to do! Hang your feeder near a window so you can watch to see what kinds of birds (or other critters) stop by to eat. Look up what kinds of birds they are and keep a journal.
• Start a compost heap. Fallen leaves make a great base for a compost pile. Add to it your food scraps (but not meat scraps!) and in no time you’ll have a heap of rich soil. This is a great way to help the environment. Talk about what is happening to the leaves and scraps. Where do they go? What do they become?
• Jump in a leaf pile! There’s no better way to celebrate autumn than to rake up the leaves in a pile and then jump in! I bet you won’t be able to stop giggling! Perhaps there’s no greater lesson to learn than to stop what we are doing and enjoy the precious moments we have with our children.

What are some of the things you do to enjoy autumn with your children?

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When not jumping in piles of leaves with her kids, Michelle can be found writing about her family over at Pass The Flu Bug Please.

photo by Angie ~ Many Little Blessings

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