Summer already seems like a distant memory, and as the weather turns cooler and the days get shorter it can make it harder to keep children of all ages occupied and entertained. So getting outdoors as often as possible can make everyone feel a little less trapped and frustrated.
Fresh air, even if the sun isn’t shining, can really help everyone feel more positive and make a big difference to your wellbeing, so getting out for a walk, even if it’s just around your neighbourhood after school, is a great habit to get into. If you only have a short amount of time, just take in all the different sights, sounds and smells on your journey and ask your child to point out things they want to take a closer look at when you have the time for a longer walk.
However long your walk is, there’s nothing like a big leaf pile to signal that autumn has arrived, so when you fund one, jump in it together! If your child is in a buggy or wheelchair, take them through the leaves, while you kick them or scoop them to throw them in the air. Afterwards, let them look at the different shapes, colours, and textures in the pile, and hear the crunch of the dried leaves. You can even take your favourites home to stick them on to drawings or paint them and print onto paper or canvas.
If you have a park, woodland, or nature reserve near you that has an environment you can easily navigate, then go for a wander to see what you can discover that’s interesting such as pinecones, conkers, interesting leaves, pretty plants, flowers or berries and feathers.
As well as looking around you at head height, don’t forget to look up to see what’s up in the trees and passing clouds, as well as down at ground level at the different types of plants, stones, and bugs to be found.
When you find something interesting, snap a photo, then if you end up with some particularly good ones you can have them printed out and framed to decorate your walls, capturing moments as memories for years to come. If you don’t want them on your walls, stick them into a journal for autumn 2024 and add in all your special memories of the season as a lovely keepsake. You can also start a sensory treasure box of different things you find on your autumn walks – smooth pebbles, ridged, pinecones, different shaped leaves.
While you are out you might also be able to do a few activities such as feeding the ducks, leave out some bird feeds for our feathered friends or find a café for your own sweet treat!
To discover more about activities you can try with your children on your autumn walks see information from the Woodland Trust and Twinkl while you can find information about wheelchair accessible walks in the UK at the Outdoor Guide and The National Trust.
