20+ Fascinating Autumn Activities for Preschoolers

Autumn presents a wealth of opportunities for you and your child to connect, learn, and make lasting impressions because of its special appeal. 

This season invites you to set out on a journey of learning and exploration with your young children, whether it be warm indoor activities or outdoor adventures amid the stunning leaves. 🤗

To keep my son interested in learning while having fun this autumn, I engaged in several activities. These activities improved my bond with my son.👪

I’ve provided a variety of autumn-themed activities that will pique your child’s curiosity and capture their imagination. 👇

Amazing Autumn Activities for Preschoolers

Begin collecting autumn leaves and twigs.

What better way to encourage your children to appreciate nature than to let them collect autumn leaves? I’ve personally taken my son on a nature walk, and believe me when I say that this can spark your child’s interest in exploring the natural world. 🍁🍂

Children can cut out the center of a paper plate and paint it brown. They can create their very own autumn bouquets by gluing leaves and twigs to plates after the paint has dried.🤗💐

Arrange autumn leaves on an album, then glue them on. 

Asking your child to gather the leaves, glue them to an album, and create a collection is a good option. He can also use them to create imaginative shapes and pattern-making by arranging them in different ways. 🍁

I used to ask my son to paste the leaves and mention the dates. This can help them to compare the leaves they collect on different days.🍁🍂🍃

Make an autumn mandala.

Making a mandala is another creative way to use the collected leaves. Encourage your children to gather other items besides leaves, such as twigs, acorns, and other comparable objects. 🌿🌾

They can begin by circling the focal point with the collected materials. Allow them to be creative, and make adjustments to the positioning and the hues as they wish to do.🎨

To further inspire them, I would advise taking photos of what they have produced.📸

Sort and group autumn leaves.

This, in my opinion, is one of the most intriguing ways to involve your kids. Asking them to arrange the leaves according to color is basically what you do. Additionally, they could arrange them based on shape.🍁

Discuss which group has the most leaves after that. You could ask them to look for identical leaves as well.🌸

Asking them to describe the leaves they have gathered.

Having them express how the leaf feels, or looks can help them expand their vocabulary. You might as well ask them to make stories where the leaf is the focal point. 🤔

They can give names to their leaf characters.

In doing so, they strengthen their speaking skills and develop their imagination.😌

Fact Time 🧠

Children frequently use play dough as an art and sensory tool.🎨🖌️

I think including them can help them give a tactile and sensory experience to your child during playtime.

Make autumn spice play dough.

Playdough flavored with autumn spices is a wonderful sensory activity that captures the tastes and hues of autumn. To make it, combine the flour, salt, cream of tartar, ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl and stir in the water. 

Once it is prepared, your kid may explore the texture, mold it into autumnal decorations like leaves or pumpkins, and enjoy the enticing aroma of the spices. 😌

Create pumpkin faces out of play dough.

Making pumpkin faces doesn’t have to wait until Halloween. I participated in this activity with my son, and I can vouch that we had a blast.🎃

So all you do is carve faces into the shape of pumpkins made from the dough and decorate them. You get a chance to prepare for the upcoming Halloween season, and it is very easy.🎃👻

Create play dough shapes.

You can purchase pre-made play dough or make cookie dough at home for this play. I’d advise making cookie dough for this activity. 😎

So all you need are cookie cutters to get started. The more shapes there are, the better.

Have your child cut out various shapes for you to bake. They will enjoy themselves while doing this and will later enjoy the freshly baked cookies.🍪

Play with Sycamore helicopters.

The winged seeds of the sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) and some other species of maple trees are referred to as sycamore helicopters, maple helicopters, or samaras. 🚁

Children find them to be delightful. They enjoy watching them fall from the tree as they spin and float through the air. 

I found my son frequently collecting them as natural treasures and launching them into the air like helicopters.😄

Build an autumn tree.

As I previously stated, gathering autumnal leaves can be an activity. Making a play dough tree branch would be a lot of fun. 🎋🌴

The leaves could simply be arranged on the branch to create a tree rather than having to be sorted on an album, as you might have done.

To make a more colorful autumn tree, your child can use different leaves instead of placing identical ones. 🍁

Color-mixing activities using play dough.

Children should be given play dough in a variety of colors, and you should encourage them to combine the colors to make new hues.

They can experiment with mixing primary colors to create secondary colors, which will help them learn about color mixing and improve their color perception. 💙

Try looking for toadstools.

In the autumn, looking for toadstools, also referred to as mushrooms, can be a fun and informative activity for you. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that identifying mushrooms can be difficult and even dangerous because some of them are poisonous. 🍄

Therefore, I would say that it is preferable to simply go observe mushrooms. Once you’ve located the mushroom, take a photo of it instead of picking it.😐

Salt painting.

Perhaps the simplest yet most imaginative activity you can think of for your kid is this. All you need to do is use glue and salt to create patterns. I would recommend creating patterns inspired by autumn, such as those of a leaf or a pumpkin. 🎨

Then have them add watercolors to the patterns to complete them. My son enjoyed watching the salt take in the colors.😎

Set up story sessions.

Kids frequently come up with new ideas. Create opportunities for them to express their ideas. 💡

You could read the kid’s autumn-themed books like Steve Metzger’s “We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt” or Lois Ehlert’s “Leaf Man” to them. Talk to them about the various components of nature during this time, the changing seasons, the autumn foliage, and so on.📚📖

You could also ask them to create and share their own stories.🗣️

Food for the Brain 🧠

Story sessions help kids think, reason, and connect the dots, which fosters cognitive development. It is beneficial to introduce kids to a variety of words, sentence types, and storytelling techniques.😊

Go on a nature walk.

The significance of being close to one’s roots is made clear to the kids by this.🚶🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️

Go on a nature walk with the kids to explore and observe the changes that the environment goes through in the autumn. 😇

Encourage them to notice pine cones, acorns, fallen leaves, and other interesting objects they come across on their journey. 🌰🍁

They can also play with the fallen leaves.

Fact Time🕰️

Children can explore and make sense of their surroundings through sensory activities that engage all five senses. This fosters the development of their cognitive abilities, such as decision-making, critical thinking, and problem-solving. 😏😌

Make a lantern from fall leaves.

Your kids will enjoy making autumn leaf lanterns because it’s an awesome craft project that captures the beauty of the season.🏮

So clean a jar first, and then work with your child to glue the leaves you collected on your nature walk onto the jar. Place a fairy light inside the jar while keeping it upside-down after the glue has dried. 🍁🍂

Light your autumn leaf lantern in a cozy area.

Create an autumn leaf snow globe.

This is a very distinctive craft that combines the charm of a snow globe with the beauty of autumnal leaves.❄️🌬️

To make the snow, combine a little bit of glitter or fake snow with a few drops of glycerin in a small bowl. This snow will be a hit with your kid.❄️⛄

Enjoy the entrancing scene after adding the leaves and snow to the jar.

Prepare a pumpkin seed sensory bag.

You can either purchase pre-made pumpkin bags for this purpose or make your own at home. To avoid a mess and hassle, however, I would advise purchasing one from the market.🎃

The gel and foam shapes inside can be squeezed, manipulated, and shaped by your child to produce various textures and patterns. Additionally, they can press their fingers against the foam shapes to make patterns and imprints. 👐🙌

During this sensory experience, encourage open-ended play and let kids use their imaginations. 🤔💭

Make rubbings of leaves.

You can use the gathered leaves for this. The leaves only need to be placed on a flat surface. Give the kids crayons with the paper already peeled off and instruct them to cover the leaves with the paper.

To reveal the texture and shape of the leaves, instruct them to gently rub the crayons over the paper. 🖍️🍁🍂

This is a fantastic way to involve your children. 😎

Arrange for an apple sensory activity.

Apples come in a variety of types in the autumn. Utilize this fact and encourage your children to explore. 🍎🍏

I think this is a fantastic way to entertain your children. Give children a tray with a variety of apples to taste.

They can feel, smell, and taste the apples, noting the variety of flavors and textures. Additionally, you can include activities like apple slicing and have them help you make a simple snack that they will enjoy. 🍮

Try apple bobbing.

During fall get-togethers or Halloween celebrations, apple bobbing can be a fun activity for kids that makes them laugh and smile.

In basic terms, you put apples in a container of water and let them float. The children are instructed to keep their hands behind their backs while attempting to catch an apple solely with their mouths.🍎🍏

I had a great time participating in this activity with my son and his friends. 

Hammering pumpkins.

This is a great way for your kids to burn off some energy. Let the kid decide what kind of pattern or design they want to put on the pumpkin.🔨⚒️

Place the thumbtacks or nails on the pumpkin along the lines of the chosen design, leaving the tops open for hammering.

Encourage the child to use the rubber mallet or a child-safe hammer to gently hammer the nails or thumbtacks into the pumpkin. 🤓

Make a sensory bin.

I tried it with my son, and I can assure you that it is the easiest yet most effective way to stimulate your child’s senses. 😁

Simply pack a sizable container with components like dried leaves, pinecones, acorns, small gourds, and corn kernels to make an autumn-themed sensory bin. Allow kids to explore textures with their hands, sort things, and play imaginatively. 👐

Plan a harvest party.

It’s enjoyable for kids to learn about the seasons this way. You can host a small harvest feast and invite young children to bring fall-themed treats like apple slices, carrot sticks, or pumpkin muffins. 🎈

The youngsters may exchange the food items among themselves to make it even more dynamic.😇

Talk about the various fruits and vegetables that are harvested in the autumn and emphasize the value of a balanced diet. 🍎

Time for Fact 🕰️

Children have the chance to interact, converse, and work together with their peers through group activities. 😌

They acquire crucial social skills that are necessary for healthy relationships and effective teamwork, such as taking turns, sharing, listening to others, and resolving conflicts. Group activities foster a sense of community and the capacity for productive collaboration.👦

Organize an outdoor tea party.

Setting up this activity is pleasant. Don’t forget to use an autumnal theme when decorating the outside.☕🍵

Cobwebs and other similar decorations can be added to add a Halloween-themed touch.😱👹

You could also hide some treats for the kids to discover and eat. Include their preferred hot chocolate and cookies to make it even more entertaining for the kids. They will have a good time, I guarantee.😉😌

Make a hedgehog house.

Making hedgehog houses in the autumn is a great way to give hedgehogs a warm and secure place to live. That presents a chance to educate kids about wildlife conservation and the significance of preserving native animal habitats. 😇🤠

So, help your child construct the home by placing natural objects all around a plastic storage container or wooden crate.  

Encourage your child to respect the hedgehog’s natural behavior and watch from a distance. 🤗

Plan sensory collages.

To do this, give kids a big piece of paper and a variety of textured items, like dried leaves, cotton balls, fabric scraps, and sand. This will result in an autumn sensory collage. 🍁

Encourage them to experiment with the various textures and arrange the supplies on paper to produce a piece of art that is inspired by autumn. You can ask the children to imprint these items on the paper. 🎨

Make scarecrow craft.

You could inspire your child to make their scarecrows out of craft sticks or paper bags. They can use colored paper, yarn, markers, and other materials to decorate the scarecrows. They can learn more about the idea of the autumn harvest through this activity. 🤗😁

I believe that by engaging your child in this activity, you can teach them the value of scarecrows in crop protection. 😌

Carve pumpkin faces.

A common activity is pumpkin face carving. 🎃

I advise having your children scoop out the pumpkin flesh rather than doing it yourself. For kids, this is a messy but enjoyable task.😁😃😄

Ask the kids to draw the face they want to carve on the pumpkin with a marker or a pen. They are free to make it scary, absurd, or any other way they choose. Let them express their creativity however, they want to. While carving, always exercise caution. ⚠️

Collect pine cones.

Encourage your kid to gather pine cones while out in nature with you. Pine cones are essential to capturing the spirit of autumn. 🌰

They could simply put it on display in their home or engage in other activities related to the pine cone. The cones can be painted by your child, who can then use them to make paper impressions. This makes for an entertaining art project. 🖍️🎨🖌️

Create small figurines out of acorns.

My son enjoys playing with the figures, and I think they’re adorable.🌰

So, all you have to do is give the acorns faces and eyes. Playdough or cardboard cutouts can be used to create the body. 

Make hands and legs out of twigs. You may also choose to add additional accessories.🌿

Additionally, ask your child to create stories that feature the characters from these acorn figures.

Make a bird feeder.

Encourage your child to have empathy for animals. I can say that the best method for doing this is to make a bird feeder. 🐤🐦

You can purchase a bird feeder from the market to make it a little less complicated. 😄

Watch the birds gather around it from your window after filling it with seeds and bird mixes. Your child will enjoy himself and begin to take care of the birds.🤗😌

Make pumpkin slime.

Especially during the autumn season, making pumpkin slime with kids can be a fun and sensory activity. I enjoyed this activity with my son a lot.🤗🤗🤗

Combine 1 cup of clear or white glue, 1 cup of liquid starch, orange food coloring, optional pumpkin spice, and 1 cup of clear or white glue. Stir until the mixture resembles slime. 

Glitter may be added after kneading. Use an airtight container for storage. Keep an eye on kids so that they do not eat the slime.🎃

Make crafts out of paper plates.

Paper plates are readily available throughout the year. They are a well-liked and adaptable craft activity for kids, and they are simple to modify for projects with an autumnal theme. 🍽️

I encouraged my son to use paper plates to create a variety of objects, including a sunflower, owl, scarecrow, and even a pumpkin. 🌻🦉

These are merely a few suggestions to get you going. Feel free to use your imagination and adapt the crafts to fit the interests and creativity of your child.🤗

Stamping activities.

Activities that involve stamping are a great way to get kids involved in imaginative and practical projects. I’ll be honest: I do agree that it can get messy at times, but your child enjoys doing them.

To leave impressions on the paper, you can use fruits, vegetables, or even leaves. Even my son and I left handprints on the paper.✋🤚

Keep in mind to use kid-friendly, non-toxic, and washable paints or inks.

Fun Fact 🌻

In addition to being enjoyable, stamping activities aid in the growth of children’s fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and artistic expression.

Build dens.

Assist your kids in gathering fallen twigs, branches, leaves, and other foliage. As a base or anchors for their den, they can also use large rocks or sticks. 🤠

Then, in your backyard or a separate secure location, they can construct their den.

Together with his friends, my son built the den and later added blankets and pillows.🛏️

After they finish building, you can give them some hot chocolate to make it even more enjoyable.

Go pumpkin picking.

You can take your child to a pumpkin patch. Your child might thoroughly enjoy this activity.🎃

I recommend searching local pumpkin patches for ones that offer family-friendly activities. For an enhanced experience, some patches may offer additional attractions like hayrides, corn mazes, petting zoos, or face painting.

Visit a corn maze.

For you and your child, exploring a corn maze in the autumn can be enjoyable and memorable. It presents a singular chance to investigate an engaging outdoor activity. 🌽🌽

Locate a corn maze that is suitable for your child’s age in your neighborhood. 

For your trip, don’t forget to pack some necessities like water bottles, snacks, and a small first aid kit. Work together with your child to navigate the maze’s turns and twists once you’re inside.

Fact Time🤗

Your child’s ability to solve problems is strengthened by this activity.

Build conker spiderwebs.

Conker crafts can be a creative and enjoyable activity for kids. 🕸️🕷️

This is my favorite of the many crafts I made with my son. 

To glue the conkers together, tell your children to arrange them in a circle. After the glue has dried, your child can use yarn or string to weave a spider web pattern in between the conkers. 

To finish the craft, they can add a plastic spider.🕷️

Make Conker jewelry or keychain.

Conkers can be strung together to make a keychain or an original piece of jewelry. Using a small drill or a sharp object, assist your child in drilling holes in the conkers (adult guidance is required). 🗝️

Then, to make a necklace or keychain, feed a string or thin wire through the holes. For more style, you can add beads or other decorative items.😚😘

Go stargazing.

Autumn stargazing with children can be a magical and educational experience. 🌌

Plan your stargazing excursion for a clear night without excessive light pollution. Choose a time when the sky is most likely to be clear by checking the weather forecast. 🌌🌉

Bring a blanket or camping chair to make it easier to sit or lie down. To make the experience even more fun for the kids, you might want to pack some snacks and hot beverages. ⭐🌟🌠✨🌃

Take a stroll at night with a torch.

Taking children on a torch-lit night walk can be a fun adventure they won’t soon forget. 🔦

Bring extra batteries or backup lights, as well as flashlights or torches for each participant. Play games to make the walk more entertaining. Try organizing a scavenger hunt where kids use their torches to search for particular items. 

During the walk, encourage your kids to use their other senses in addition to sight. Keep an ear out for nocturnal sounds like insects chirping or leaves rustling.🐛

Conclusion

Autumn is an excellent season to spend some quality time with your children. You can use these ideas as inspiration, and then let us know in the comments which one you thought was the best. Have fun!😎🤓