Back to school isn’t always a popular time of year for kids, but hearing the crunch as they stomp through piles of leaves and watching the trees change color can be a nice distraction (depending on where you live). If you’re looking for some ways to get your kids outside and involved in the autumn weather, we’ve made a list of activities kids can enjoy that include the gorgeous autumn leaf colors without simply raking up an old school pile in the backyard. (Although that’s fun, too!)
1. Preserve and hang leaves in a mobile or as sun catchers:
A big part about the leaves changing colors is the fact that they turn, fall, and then get forgotten until next autumn. If your kids love the colorful fall leaves and come home proudly displaying their favorites, learn how to preserve these leaves so they can hang as decoration year round. Learn how to preserve them with glycerin or wax paper from blogger Buggy and Buddy or take a leaf out of Artful Parent’s post and make an easy and gorgeous autumn sun catcher.
2. Go on a leaf-themed scavenger hunt:
Combine outdoor adventure with a little bit of counting,
matching, and adding for a more educational twist.
Use these free leaf printables and scavenger
suggestions from KC Edventures and send your kids
out to find a variety of leaves and then have them
count up their findings.
3. Make paintings using real leaves:
Looking for a craft more on the artistic end of things? Have your kids collect leaves from outside and decide where they want them to go on the page. Next tape the leaves down and give them some fall colored paints, then let their imaginations take the reins. The product will be gorgeous outlines of the leaves, no matter what age or skill level your child might be. Find some detailed suggestions for this fun and easy craft from the Minne-Mama blogspot.
4. Create a science project out of it and teach why the leaves change
Whether you have a kid who loves science, or just curious little ones in general, this at home science experiment is a great way to explore why and how it is that the leaves turn from green to orange every year. All you need for this experiment are some leaves, coffee filters, rubbing alcohol, and jars. Learn how to watch this transition from your own home with this easy tutorial found on the blog, 123homeschool 4 me.
5. Make a gorgeous clay leaf bowl using real leaves as a template
This easy clay leaf bowl can be made either from air dry clay or in a kiln if you happen to have access to one. It’s a great project for older kids who want to take a little more control with their crafts and also may want something they can keep and use more permanently than a painting or sun catcher. This step-by-step how-to from Emma Owl will walk you through the process of using real leaves as templates for these cute clay bowls. If you have a wide range of ages in your household, this is an easy one to set older children up with, while the younger ones can do outlines or scavenger hunts.
Find more ideas for-leaf inspired crafts on our Pinterest page including leaf sewing activities for motor skill development, how to make autumn leaves out of paper plates, and lots of great printable coloring and labeling pages to learn about different types of leaves.
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