The changing seasons are always exciting & with autumn here, I love seeing the nature starting to change around us & it brings so many opportunities to play too.
One of the best ways for toddlers to learn is by giving them opportunities to explore the world around us, they are naturally curious so exposing them to the nature around us has such amazing benefits. In particular with Autumn themed nature they are learning about different colours & textures & how the world changes.
Here are my Top 5 Autumn themed nature play activities for toddlers:
- Sensory Tray
Take a bag or a bucket & head out for a walk – collect up lots of Autumnal items along the way. Some ideas are:
- Leaves – at different stages (green & soft. yellow/orange or brown & crispy
- Acorns
- Conkers
- Pinecones
- Twigs
- Apples
Place them in a large tray or tub & explore the textures & colours. You can talk about how they look & feel, plus you could use other toys/utensils in the tray to play with such as small toy animals or find & sort the items into other containers.
- Leaf Art
Collect lots of leaves which are different colours & shapes. making sure they are clean & dry. Then use your leave to get crafty.
You will need:
- Paper
- Glue
- Paintbrushes
- Lots of leaves
You can make some lovely Autumn pictures such as trees & hedgehogs by glueing the leaves to a printed picture – I even have a free download you can print & use. A little tip is to glue the area of the page with PVA glue & encourage your toddler to press the leaves down.
or you can, paint your leaves & press them down & tap them onto plain paper to make prints of the leaves.
- Leaf Collect
Such a fun activity, go into the garden or walk to the park & find all of the fallen leaves. Scoop & throw them, jump & roll in them plus collect them up to take home.
- Conker Pickup
Have fun picking up the conkers using a small pair of tongs (ice tongs work well).
Place your conkers in a tray, pick them up with the tongs & transfer across to another bowl.
- Autumn Painting
You will need:
- Paint
- Pinecones
- Leaves
- Paper
- Tray
- Paint Brushes or Sponges
So there’s my Top 5 Autumn themed activities with nature, what will you try first?
I love to see what you get up to at home, if you enjoy It’s Playtime Tots activities please feel free to join my supportive community on Facebook & share your photo’s & ideas with other mummies.
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