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Fall brings with it some of the most beautiful weather in all the year. The air is crisp and the leaves have turned vibrant shades of red and gold. It’s the perfect time to get outside with the kids and explore all the season has to offer. Here are some fun fall ideas your children are sure to enjoy:
· Gathering autumn leaves: Take a nature walk and see how many different leaf colors, shapes, and sizes you can find. Bring along a basket or brown paper bag for your child to collect leaves, twigs, acorns, and other “treasures”. Be sure to avoid poison ivy and poison oak, as they have some of the more colorful leaves.
· Apple picking: Find a local orchard and experience the fun of picking your own apples. Upon returning home, everyone can make homemade applesauce, baked apples, and other delicious apple recipes.
· Make a scarecrow: This is a fun way to spend an afternoon with the family. Gather old clothing, like jeans and a flannel shirt, and stuff them to make the body of your scarecrow. You can use hay, leaves, or crumbled newspaper for stuffing, although it looks best when you have a least a small amount of hay to stick out from around the neck, hands, and feet. Use either a real or plastic jack-o-lantern for the scarecrow’s head, and finish with a hat. Be creative – scarecrows can be displayed in a wide variety of poses, from sitting down to standing on their heads!
When you return indoors, there are a number of enjoyable activities to keep the kids occupied and to make use of the items collected from your nature walk. The following projects are fun and easy:
· Make a leaf placemat: Have your child glue several different leaves on a light-colored piece of construction paper. Help her to apply transparent Contact paper onto first the leaf side and then the backside of the construction paper. Trim excess contact paper from the ends, and seal all the way around the outer edges with colored tape.
· Create A Tree: Have your child draw a tree trunk and empty branches. Then, have him take the leaves collected on your walk and glue them to the branches, making a colorful tree.
· Leaf rubbings: Kids love this easy craft! Have your child choose a leaf (avoid very dry leaves, which crumble too easily) and have her place a piece of white paper over it. Take the crayon and rub back and forth over the leaf, and soon the impression of the leaf will appear on the paper.
These are just a sampling of the fun activities awaiting you and your children this season. Check your community newspaper for local fall events, and visit your local craft store or library for more fall project ideas.
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