September to November
Autumn ideas.
Crunchy leaves, shiny conkers and pockets full of treasure. Autumn hands you free materials.
Look out for
- Conkers, acorns and pine cones
- Leaves turning red, orange and gold
- Mushrooms (look, never touch)
- Helicopter seeds spinning down
Especially for autumn
77 ideas that shine in autumn.
Plus 141 more that work any time of year.
Autumn colour crowns
Decorate a paper band with carefully selected leaves for a seasonal celebration.
Autumn sensory tub
Fill a tub with autumn treasures for scooping, pouring and exploring.
Coffee filter leaves
Scribble on coffee filters, spray with water and watch the magic.
Conker roll painting
Let conkers do the painting as they roll through blobs of colour.
Hedgehog hideaway
Pile up leaves and sticks in a quiet corner so wildlife can snuggle in for winter.
Leaf cookie cutters
Use cookie cutters to press little shapes out of soft leaves.
Leafy animal impressions
Use leaves as props to turn into animals and guess each other's.
Leafy garlands
Thread fallen leaves onto string to make a garland for your window or door.
Leafy wellies
Decorate your wellies with wet leaves and see which ones stay on.
Mini witch's brooms
Make a little broomstick from a stick and a bundle of twigs.
Plant a spring surprise
Tuck bulbs into the soil and wait for a colourful surprise.
Pumpkin scoop and explore
Explore what's inside a pumpkin with hands, spoons and noses.
Wishing leaves
Whisper or draw a wish on a fallen leaf, then set it free.
Woodland patterns
Arrange big fallen leaves into circles, trails or repeating colours, without needing a perfect pattern.
Wool web wonders
Wind wool between sticks to make a web, then hang little leaf "bugs" in it.
Clay tea-light holders
Shape a clay holder and press in leaves and seeds.
Cosy nest makers
Make a little nest using only your finger and thumb, just like a beak.
Goodnight sun
Wrap up warm and watch the sky change colour as the sun goes down.
Grass dolls
Bundle and tie long grass into a simple doll, like an old harvest corn dolly.
Leaf shadow puppets
Make leaf characters and bring them to life in the shadows.
Leafy jar lanterns
Cover a jar with leaves and light it up with a battery tealight.
Moon and star spotting
Wrap up, look up and spot the moon and the first twinkly stars.
Pick-your-own adventure
Visit a pick-your-own farm for strawberries, apples or pumpkins.
Pine cone bird café
Make a tasty pine cone feeder and see who visits.
Pine cone weather forecaster
Let a pine cone tell you the weather.
Washing-up bowl pond
Turn an old washing-up bowl into a home for wildlife.
Wildflower seed balls
Roll muddy seed balls, then throw them where you'd like flowers to grow.
Garden camp-out
Pop up a tent or den in the garden for stories and snacks.
Grow your name
Sow cress or grass seeds in the shape of your first letter.
Hidden leaf patterns
Let nature leave its mark with simple paper and chunky crayons.
Leaf bashing prints
Tap fresh leaves and petals until their colours print onto fabric.
Leaf bubbles
Put a fresh leaf in water in the sun and watch tiny bubbles appear.
Leaf paint brushes
Use big, safe leaves as playful mark-makers and see what happens when you dab and sweep.
Leaf pressing
Press leaves and petals in a heavy book, then peek a week later.
Leafy fairy wings
Decorate cardboard wings with leaves and petals, then take off round the garden.
Little bug hotel
Fill a plant pot with cosy hidey-holes and see who checks in.
Mermaid's purse hunt
Hunt along the strandline for egg cases left by sharks and rays.
Nettle and dock spotters
Learn to spot stinging nettles, and find their dock leaf neighbours.
Painted leaf prints
Print with leaves to see their veins and shapes.
Sand mermaid tails
Cover legs with sand and shape a shimmering mermaid tail.
Sandcastle kingdom
Build sandcastles and decorate them with seaside treasures.
Seaside sand pictures
Draw in wet sand with a stick and decorate with shells.
Seaweed explorers
Explore all the different seaweeds washed up on the beach.
Take it apart
Gently take apart a flower, pine cone or seed head to find all its parts.
The great snail race
A gentle race for the slowest racers in the garden.
Tree shake surprise
Give a branch a gentle shake over a white sheet and see who drops in.
Water drop leaves
Drip water onto different leaves and watch what happens.
Wattle and daub wall
Weave sticks into a little wall, then cover it in squishy mud.
Woodland café
Open a pretend outdoor café with big leaves, empty pots and lots of imagination.
