All about things to do outside in Autumn Play and Learn at Home

Most of these activities require very little space, and are designed to get children thinking about the outdoors and the world around them. Here are some ideas for you to to talk about and things for you to do outside in Autumn You need to read through this and gather together the things you need.

Leaf rubbing and collage

What you need

A variety of leaves, a big piece of paper, wax crayons, glue.

What to do

Look at the leaves that have been collected and sort them by colour, shape, size, texture. Help to take a selection of leaves for rubbing. Lay them out vein side up and place a piece of paper on top. Holding down the paper and the leaf underneath, little children can rub the side of a wax crayon over the leaf so that the leaf veins show through.

Help cut out the leaf rubbings and create either 1. a large tree on a big piece of

paper or 2. a collage of leaves or 3. glue them onto a hedgehog or squirrel template.

When collecting leaves be wary of large piles of leaves that look as though they have been on the ground for a long time. Animal droppings or broken glass could be in the pile and several forms of wildlife may have made their home there so it is best to look for leaves that have recently dropped from the tree.

Splash!

What you need

A rainy day and puddles! Watering cans or buckets and access to more water, Wellington boots and waterproofs,Towels and spare clothes may be necessary. Matchsticks with the heads removed. Soap flakes.

What to do

Splash, jump and run through the puddles. Make paper boats or float matchsticks (with the heads removed) on the surface. Add soap flakes to the puddles for even more fun! Try not to waste water. Rain water can be collected over the course of a week in a water butt or in buckets left outside and then used to create or expand puddles.

Making Masks

What you need

Card, paper, materials for mask making, feathers, sequins, paints, glue, etc. Elastic. Scissors. Some shape templates to choose from

What to do

We all know about masks these days! These can be just for the eyes, just for the nose and mouth or full face ones. Make or choose a mask shape.  Cut out the eyes and mouth (most younger children will require help with this).

Decorate the mask, perhaps looking at pattern, colour or texture or maybe making the mask look like an animal or a pumpkin.

Fix elastic to the back of the completed mask.

Some children find wearing a mask or seeing others in masks unnerving so be aware. You can choose Face painting instead

Choose a theme! Halloween or perhaps pumpkin or scarecrow faces. Only recognised face paints should be used, do not use make-up or any other kind of paint. Ensure that there is a children’s sensitive skin lotion and cotton wool pads available for quick removal of the face paints if necessary. www.facepaintingdesigns.co.uk is a fantastic website with a wealth of information about face painting and some very simple to follow step-by-step designs.

Ribbon streamers

What you need

Several lengths of different coloured ribbon, Straws, Garden cane, String

What to do

Choose and cut the ribbon to length (approx. 50cm). Attach one end of each ribbon along the length of the straw.Thread string through the straw and tie so that it forms a triangle with the straw. Attach the end of the string to a garden cane. Place the cane in the ground in a windy spot. (The streamers can also be tied to tree branches.) Kite flying is great to do after this

Tiny Scarecrows

What you need

Some old dolls clothes; a shirt, jacket, trousers and a hat, if possible. A wire coat hanger or wire from a DIY/ craft store. Wire cutters/ pliers. Strong tape such as duck tape. Shredded paper. Old socks or stockings for the head. Flowerpots and sand.

What to do

Bend the wire coat hanger or wire into a cross shape. Cut off the hook and cover the end with strong tape for safety. Stuff the end of a sock or stocking with shredded paper and tie a knot to form the head. Place the clothes and head onto the wire cross. Stuff the clothes with shredded paper. Decorate the face. Glue or tape on a hat. Stand the scarecrows in flowerpots filled with sand.