It is so important for little ones to get outside every day, come rain or shine, to see the wonders of nature and to feel connected to the world around them.
As the weather turns crisp and the sunny days are not guaranteed, it can be difficult to motivate your family to get outside.
So, pack a jacket, add that extra woolly layer and venture out into your local parks and woodland areas to see the spectacle nature is providing and the learning opportunities to discover with your child during this changing season.
Scavenger Hunt
With the leaves turning orange and wildlife bustling in their preparations for winter there is so much to see and do outside this autumn! So, where to start? Why not get involved with the our scavenger hunt?
Below is our scavenger hunt check list here and take your little one on a hunt throughout your local area to find:
- Orange leaf
- Red leaf
- Yellow leaf
- Green leaf
- Bark
- Pinecone
- Acorn
- Winged seed
- Stick
- Conker
- Feather
- Tree
- White Cloud
- Red berry
- Snail
- Cobweb
Explore the different objects and encourage your child to compare the weights, sizes and textures. You may find that your little one enjoys collecting one object more than others, such as tree rubbings when looking at the tree bark patterns. So, make sure to bring a variety of colored crayons to create tree collages of rubbings from different trees to see how the bark creates a multitude of patterns. Or if your child particularly liked hunting for pinecones, discovering their spiky shell and the shiny brown seed inside, take time to find as many as you can. Point out what the tree looks like to see if they can identify any more and compare the different shapes and sizes the pinecones grow in.
Take nature home with you to continue the fun with autumnal crafts!
Keep your paint brushes in the draw. All you need is to provide your little one with paint, paper and their scavenger hunt collection to create their autumnal masterpiece. Help to develop your child’s fine motor skills and grip by rolling the pinecone, acorn and conquer through the paint and across the page to see the different patterns they create. Your child can choose to print with their leaves and winged seed, or you can attach the leaves to the twig to provide a natural paint brush!
Bring nature to you by creating your very own bird feeder
It can be difficult to venture to a park or woodland regularly. However, you can bring nature to you by creating your own bird feeder to encourage wildlife to visit you throughout autumn and winter when food is a little harder to find.
Of course, you can visit your local garden center but at our preschool we love to use recyclable materials whenever possible. So, all you need to create your own bird feeder with your child is toilet roll tubes, peanut butter, bird feed and a piece of ribbon.
Once ready, hang in a visible area in your garden and keep an eye out to see the different birds that come to visit you.
At our Preschool we have exceptional outdoor spaces and fully encourage little ones to spend time outside, want to see for yourself?