October is flying by, and we all know that many will skip right over Thanksgiving and go straight to the Christmas festivities once Halloween is over. Personally, I like to take my time enjoying fall up until Thanksgiving. I’m all for little mess, low-pressure fun, so if you want to fit in some fall festivities before the season is over, here are five easy fall activities to do with your toddler.
Store-bought Cookie Decorating
I know, I know…seems silly even to put it on the list. I picked up a DIY cookie decorating kit; I set the kids up with a cookie, a few spoonfuls of frosting, and a pile of sprinkles on a paper plate. They were so pleased! Straight to the fun stuff, I dont have a huge mess in my kitchen, and my kids dont care if the cookies are homemade or store-bought! You can find them at Kroger/Vons, target, and Walmart. Little tip – if cookies are hard, stick a piece of bread in the box of cookies overnight, and it will help soften them up.
Leaf Rubbing Art
Have your child collect a variety of leaves. Place the leaves under a white sheet of paper (you can tape them to keep them in place), take a crayon, and color over the leaves. The imprint of the leaves will begin to show.
Fall Tree Paint Painting
Take a pom pom and dip it in yellow, red, and orange paint (you dont need a lot.) Dab the pompom across the paper into the shape of a treetop. Add the trunk of the tree with a brown crayon or marker.
Fall Farm Sensory Bin
I used colored rice, but you can fill it with popcorn kernel, dried beans, dried pumpkin seeds. I used what I had around the house – farm animals, leaf cookie cutters, scoopers, fake corn, and a wooden pumpkin. You could put pumpkins, apples, leaves, acorns – fall-related items around your home (dollar tree and dollar spot are great for cheap sensory bin fillers.) I usually let my kids play with their sensory bins, but if you’re looking for an extension activity, you can encourage storytelling, counting, sorting, or play “I Spy.”
Fall Paper Leaf Wreath
Trace or draw and cut out leaf shapes on red, yellow, and orange paper. For the wreath base, cut out a brown paper circle, fold it in half and cut out the center. Glue and layer the paper leaves all around the ring; you can even incorporate real leaves into the wreath. Attach a string and have your child hang it on their door!
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