Crisp air. Crunchy leaves underfoot. The spectacle of trees of green turning to reds, oranges and yellows. Autumn is such a distinct season and brings with it so many sensory experiences for little ones to enjoy, with learning opportunities around every corner!
Here, we explore engaging autumn activities for babies and toddlers, from jumping in muddy puddles to running through leaves and making seasonal collages.
Go for an autumnal stroll
Sensory experiences are the first way in which our children learn about the world – and whether you have a baby, toddler or older child, getting them out and about in the fresh, crisp air is sure to delight their developing senses. If your little one is walking, encourage them to take BABY born for a stroll using the BABY born Stroller with Bag. That way, they can excitedly show their doll everything that piques their own interest, helping them to develop their self-expression and reinforcing their sense of identity as they revel in the wonders of autumn! So many colours, textures and sounds!
Play with leaves
Activities for toddlers with autumn leaves involve vibrant colours, crisp textures and satisfying crunchy sounds… what’s not to love?! Try challenging your little one to run through fallen leaves as fast as they can, or have a competition to see who can make the biggest leaf pile in one minute. You could also suggest a seasonal twist on a classic game of hide-and-seek by hiding BABY born among the leaves for your little one to find – her dinky size means she can hide in the smallest spaces, adding an extra challenge that children will love. Just make sure she’s bundled up in the BABY born Deluxe Cold Day Set first!
Jump in muddy puddles
Whatever the weather, exploring outside is always a ton of fun – and autumn activities with toddlers don’t get more joyous than jumping in puddles! Seasonal showers around this time of year provide the perfect opportunity for making a splash with BABY born, who’s suitable for getting wet. Encourage your little one to dress BABY born in her Deluxe Rain Set before donning their own raincoat, so that you can all splash around in puddles together, and even enjoy getting muddy! Ready, steady… jump! For extra inspiration, our outdoors activity sheet has all kinds of inspiring suggestions.
Collect natural treasures
While cosying up indoors has its own array of plus points, being outdoors removes constraints and encourages physical exploration, exertion and the development of gross motor skills – especially with the added challenge of collecting autumnal treasures. When out and about, little ones are bound to spot interesting things that are just begging to be picked up and examined, such as leaves and pinecones, helping to perfect their pincer grip and other fine motor skills. Once they’ve collected plenty of seasonal loot, little ones can get creative with a seasonal collage! An easy one to start with involves layering leaves in yellow, orange and red before placing some twigs at the base to replicate a bonfire – it’s sure to get little ones excited for Bonfire Night.
To create memories your little one will cherish for years to come, discover our creative outdoor play ideas.