As the leaves start to change and the air gets a bit crisper, it's the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the fall season with your little ones. Here are 5 fun fall activities for toddlers that will have them bobbing for apples and searching for the perfect pumpkin!
1) Apple Bobbing
Materials Needed:
- Large bucket of water
- Apples
- Ladles, tongs, anything to scoop up apples!
- Towel or bowl (optional)
Directions:
- Encourage your kid to help fill up a bucket of water and toss in the apples.
- Show them how to ladle or scoop up the apples and gently place them on a towel or in a bowl.
- Now let them try to do it independently!
*Bonus* If you and your child are comfortable, try doing the traditional apple bobbing of putting your face in the water to bite one of the apples! Little ones might need to use their hands to bring an apple to their face!
Developmental Skills
- Fine and Gross motor skills: Scooping and transferring helps control their hand movements.
- Sensory Exploration: Playing with water offers sensory experience.
- Concentration and Patience: Toddlers must carefully scoop up the apples.
2) Paper bag Pumpkins
Materials Needed:
- Paper bags
- Orange, Black, and green markers or paint
- Paint brush (optional)
- Newspaper Stuffing
- Pipe cleaner or string
Directions:
- Stuff a paper bag with newspaper (or other filling material).
- Tie the top of it with a pipe cleaner or string.
- Encourage your toddler to paint or color the bag orange and green (for the stem).
- After the bag and paint has dried, draw a fun face on the bag!
Developmental Skills
- Creativity and Imagination.
- Fine Motor Skills: Stuffing the bag, coloring it, twisting the top, markers.
3) Egg Carton Leaf Hunt
Materials Needed:
- Empty egg carton
- Markers or Paint
Directions:
- Take an empty egg carton and color the spaces with multiple Fall themed colors (orange, yellow, green, brown, etc.)
- Take your child on a walk around the block or hiking through some trees and encourage them to seek out items that match the colors in the egg carton.
Developmental Skills
- Exploration and Curiosity: searching for leaves, flowers, etc. stimulates curiosity for the world around them.
- Cognitive Development: Toddlers are encourage to observe, compare colors, classify objects to the right egg carton section.
4) Bird Feeders
Materials Needed:
- Pinecones
- Peanut butter
- Bird seed
- Bowl or Plate (for birdseed)
- Strings
Directions:
- Assist your child in smashing peanut butter around a pinecone (you can use a spoon, stick, finger, etc.)
- Once the pinecone is fully covered, fill up a bowl or plate with birdseed.
- Show them how to sprinkle seeds over the peanut butter, or simply rolling it around in the seeds.
- After the pinecone is fully decorated, tie a string around the top and find a spot outside to hang it up!
*Bonus* watching the birds, squirrels, or deer eat at the pinecone is a bonus activity!
Developmental Skills
- Fine Motors: Spreading the peanut butter, sprinkling the seeds, helps their hand dexterity.
- Sensory Exploration: Sticky peanut butter, rough pinecone, smooth seeds.
- Nature Connection: Concept of wildlife and nature (birds eat seeds).
5) Apple Cookies
Materials Needed:
- Apples
- Peanut butter
- Chocolate chip
- Coconut shavings
- Crushed nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.)
- Honey
Directions:
- Slice the apples into circular pieces.
- Spread peanut butter on the tops of the slices.
- Have your toddler sprinkle chocolate chips, crushed nuts, coconut shavings, all over the top.
- Drizzle some honey.
- Enjoy a tasty (& healthy) snack!
Developmental Skills
- Fine motor skills: Spreading peanut butter, placing their “decorations” on top of the cookie
- Hand Eye Coordination: Placing the toppings need small, precise movements from their little hands.
- Sensory experience: Handling apples, different tastes, various textures, sticky peanut butter, etc.