Toddler and Preschool Activities Using Fall Leaves
Fall is here!
When providing your child with developmentally appropriate activities, utilizing the natural materials around you is a great way to foster a love of nature and keep costs down. Fall leaves you find in your neighborhood are a great material with a variety of different uses. Here are some fun ideas for using fall leaves to engage in toddler and preschool activities with your little one.
The most fun part of these activities is going out and collecting the materials with your child. Explore your neighborhood, a park or local nature area. Provide your child with a basket or bag to collect their materials and see what you can find!
Fall Leaf Sensory Bin
The variety of colors and crisp crackle of fall leaves can offer a great sensory experience for your little one. Expand on this sensory experience for your child by collecting a variety of fall leaves and putting them in a tray or bin. Next, add some other fall materials you can find such as acorns, pinecones, pine needles, pebbles etc. Allow your toddler or preschool aged child explore the materials any way they choose! You might need to help peak their interest by demonstrating ways to interact with the materials like crinkling the leaves or making a face with the materials. Lastly, adding a preferred toy such as vehicles to drive over the leaves or little animals to build a house for may help engage your child as well.
- Benefits: tactile, visual and auditory stimulation; creativity
Crayon Leaf Rubbings
Preschoolers and older children may enjoy using crayons and leaves they’ve gathered to create leaf rubbings. Start with some sheets of printer paper, a collection of different shaped leaves (choose ones that won’t crumble too easily) and crayons with the wrappers peeled off. Next, place a leaf under the paper, then use the long edge of the crayon to rub the paper on top of it. Watch as the shape of the leaf appears on the paper. Experiment with different shapes of leaves, or coloring in the rubbings once they’re complete. Encourage your child to explore what their picture looks like if they apply varying levels of pressure with the crayon.
- Benefits: Bilateral hand use, practice controlling pressure when utilizing a tool
Leaf Garland
Creating a seasonal garland for your home by gathering a collection of fall leaves is a perfect toddler and preschool activity. Provide your child with string and tape, and allow them to practice getting small pieces of tape, to attach the leaf stems along the string. An alternative method is allowing your child to use a hole punch to thread the string through. For a longer lasting art project, try laminating the leaves with contact paper, then having your child cut them out before stringing them up.
- Benefits: fine motor skills
Outdoor Leaf Play
The classic activity of making a pile and jumping in leaves is another fun way for your child to go outside, move their body and experience nature. You can begin by working with your child to rake or gather the leaves into a large pile. This is a perfect opportunity for heavy work. Then support your child in the ways they can play with them. Try jumping in them, hiding in them, making a cave etc.
- Benefits: Heavy work to support self regulation, gross motor skills
Wishing you and your little one lots of fun while engaging in these activities!
