Well, mornings are starting to feel very autumnal now aren't they? Although it's sad to say goodbye to summer, it's also quite nice to welcome autumn. I always find the wonderful colours and smells of autumn are kind of comforting. And there are so many fantastic learning opportunities for young children at this time of year - so much change is happening all around us.
Children absolutely LOVE collecting interesting fallen leaves - here are my top 10 activities you can do with these leaves.
Top 10 Autumn Leaf Activities
Make classroom or home decorations by painting leaves in autumn colours and sprinkling them with red or gold glitter.
Make leaf rubbings using autumnal coloured crayons.
Laminate favourite leaves and stick them on the window for a fun suncatcher.
Leaf printing
Practise scissor skills by filling a tray with a variety of leaves and a pair of scissors. Children love just chatting and cutting!
Sort leaves by colour, size or shape.
Make a leaf hedgehog. (you can download a free hedgehog template further down)
Laminate 3 small leaves placed vertically to make a bookmark.
Make a leaf crown.
Find as many different shaped and coloured leaves as you can and stick them on a cardboard ring to make a leaf wreath.
To celebrate the arrival of autumn I am also adding a FREE My Leaf activity sheet. Children can choose their favourite leaf, draw it or stick it on the sheet. Colour the blank colour splats with the leaf colours, describe where they found the leaf and why they think their leaf is special.
You might also like to check out this Autumn product, ideal for science centres and continuous provision.
Download your FREE My Leaf activity sheet here
Download your FREE hedgehog template here