Autumn Outdoor Activities For Kids
Image Credit: LisaLiza
This autumn can be a spectacular season, with bright yellows and oranges decorating our parks and countryside throughout September and October. The trees are putting on a rather special colour show, so why not take the kids outdoors to appreciate it?
RHS Wisley curator Colin Crosbie explained back in September :“the wet weather over the summer helped trees produce large volumes of leaves and rather than shed them. Autumn colours will also be boosted by increased sugar levels in trees as a result of the recent lovely warm sunny days we have been enjoying.”
While the weather has become drearier, the leaves are certainly making up for it. Wrap up in coats, scarves and wellies and take a trip to your local park or green space. Circumvent any whinges by getting the kids to look out for the following autumnal features (remember there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing!)
Find 5 Different Species of Tree
Autumn is a great time to look for different tree species, as the varied leaf colours make it easier to distinguish between different kinds of trees. Look out for orange and yellow dappled maples, dark red wild cherries, burnt orange horse chestnuts and pale yellow tinged poplars.
Image Credit: Michael Gaida
Discover Autumnal Animals
October is great time to look out for British wildlife as smaller animals harvest nuts and berries that fall from trees at this time of year. Squirrels are particularly fond of acorns so look out for them around oak trees.
Birds are quite partial to walnuts and if you’re lucky you will be able to see them picking nuts which still cling to higher branches, before dropping them to the ground to crack the shells. If you live close to woodland, now is also a good time to spot larger creatures like deer, as the sparse foliage will make it harder for them to hide.
Gather Nuts and Seeds
Kids will love finding nuts, seeds and berries on the ground, particularly when they can keep them and practice counting them.
Make use of their bucket and spade now summer’s over; let them pick up acorns, pine cones, conkers, which you can home for use in craft projects. Spray painted gold or silver, all of these items make fantastic Christmas decorations.
Collect Different Shaped Leaves
Image Credit: Peter Aschoff
Teach your little ones, how to identify different trees by collecting different shaped leaves and asking them to match them up. Leaves can also be great for tracing around and colourings in, or for making rubbings with crayons. Taking part in crafty projects like this will be all the more fun when they’ve collected the leaves themselves.