20 Fall Nature Activities & Outdoor Play
With a drastic shift in weather, it is a wonderful time to enjoy more mild temperatures outdoors with your toddlers and preschoolers. There is so much open-ended play, lots of beautiful colors and changes happening, and a variety of activities to do even during chilly and rainy days. We could all use some time collecting natural resources and exploring what our world has to offer. Check out all the great activities to do outside and natural-made crafts and toys below. Some of them are truly extraordinary!
Natural Toys & Games
- Make an Acorn Tea Set like this one from Red Ted Art and have a tea party outside on a nice day. Maybe even invite the squirrels. 😉
- Adventure in a Box has a BEAUTIFUL idea on how to turn branches and wood into really lovely nature blocks. This would be a great addition to an outdoor play space.
- Create a Weaving Loom and make a beautiful fall art piece like this one from The Chaos and the Clutter.
- Fall Leave Math Activity from Your Modern Family.
- Create a Fall Nature Tray and even check out some books to go with the activity from KC Edventures.
- How to Make Nature Blocks from Stir the Wonder
Crafts Using Items Found in Nature
- Kid-Made Fall Nature Wreath from Fun at Home with Kids with leaves, pine cones, and other materials found outside.
- Make a Fall Collage like Happy Hooligans with colorful flowers and leaves found in autumn.
- The Craft Train has some ADORABLE Bush Critters to make from leaves, pine cones, and more.
- I am IN LOVE with this Owl Craft made of Bark from Fireflies and Mudpies!
- Mum in the Mad House has a cute little Pine Cone Owl.
- Fall Wreath with Leaves from Happy and Blessed Home
Outdoor Play and Activity Ideas
- Plant a fall garden, and even micro garden with your little ones.
- Go Seed Hunting like they did at One Time Through and collect items to be examined under a maginifying glass and to be discussed as a mini-science activity. And then you can even turn them into some Seed Art!
- Encourage Open-Ended Play with items found outside like from The Educators’ Spin On It. Ask them questions and have them be creative with what they find!
- Fall Fun Nature Hunt and Printable from The Chirping Moms
- Collect Bugs and Explore Nature in Tot School.
- Beat Nature Deficit Disorder with these 30 fun ways from One Time Through to get outdoors in the fall and enjoy and learn about what nature has to offer.
- 17 Ways to Enjoy Fall & its Foliage from KC Edventures
- 10 Rainy Day Play Activities that have ideas for both indoor and outdoor fun while it’s so wet outside!
More Fall Activities from the wonderful Kid Blogger Network Bloggers:
Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 6 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!
I really enjoyed reading some of these , love the craft ideas and I enjoy going out in the woods and finding things that the little ones can use in making something, thanks for gathering and sharing 🙂 @tisonlyme143
I’ve never heard of seed hunting before, but it sounds like a lot of fun. My brother is letting me watch his kids for a week so he and my sister-in-law can go on a quick trip alone, and I am trying to find some fun things to do with them. I’ll definitely have to write down a bunch of these ideas and see if we can make those work. I’m sure the kids would absolutely love it!