Fall Fun

Raking the leaves that have fallen from the trees may seems like an unwanted task but with your children in tow make it into a fun, family moment.

Wear warm, clothes that can get a little dirty and head outside into the crisp autumn air. Find a rake, and if you have a couple smaller rakes take those along for the kids to use. See how nicely the yard looks as you form a pile of leaves; then play games in the leaves. Jump on them. Hide in them. Throw them into the air over the pile. Take pictures. Collect a few favorite leaves for later.

Peals of laughter will fill the air and you will have created a wonderful memory and wiled away the early morning or afternoon hours. Chances are when you come into the house you will all be ready for a cup of hot chocolate and cookies before you begin your crafts.

Craft:

• Take the special leaves you brought in and place them between two pieces of thin, white paper.
• Choose various colors of crayons and color with them at angles over the leaves to create a colorful, leave pattern.
• Use scissors and cut out the patterns.
• Take a hole punch and create a hole in the paper.
• String yarn through the pretty, colorful leaf and hang from the ceiling or window.
• You can make a string of colorful leaves.

Craft:

• Print off the pictures of the fun morning that you took and create a collage out of construction paper.
• Enjoy choosing pictures together and designing the shapes to surround each one.
• Then add captions on colorful, pieces of construction paper that you cut out and paste onto the collage.
• You can even make your own paste with a bit of white flour and adding just enough water to make it sticky and the consistency of paste.

Hang your collage on the wall or give to a grandparent.

Craft:

• Take a plain white towel, or cloth and set it outside on the grass. (Someplace you don’t mind having a little paint.)
• Put the leaves you gathered earlier onto it in a decorative fashion and spray with nontoxic spray paint.
• Once it dries you can shake off the leaves and you will have a nicely decorated towel to be given as a gift to a grandparent or to decorate a child’s room.

Resources

http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/entertainment/fall-activities