With the arrival of fall, there are many activities that are offered and tempting to join, but sometimes the sheer number of activities available might become overwhelming. In this post, I’ve decided to make a list of three simple and fun activities we can engage in with our little ones in the fall season.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
For many, nothing screams fall activity quite like a visit at the pumpkin patch. Though I must say it’s a very Anglo-Saxon tradition. Here in Belgium, we’ve recently had some places that celebrate everything-pumpkin pop up, but I don’t feel like it has quite grown into what it is overseas. The past two years we’ve attended an event that is quite minimalist, which makes it perfect to attend with little ones.
What was particular here, is that the pumpkin-picking is done by volunteers the previous weekend and all pumpkins are stored in large crates by variety. Each variety is labelled, with information pertaining to their taste and suggestions of preparations they could be used in.
Visitors can use a wheelbarrow and pick out their favourite pumpkins (toddlers love to help fill and push the wheelbarrow!). We could also visit a handful of stands selling pumpkin jams and preserves, pumpkin-filled pralines (chocolates), decorative items and stickers. They were also selling light pumpkin snacks, including pumpkin soup, quiche, pumpkin fries and even pumpkin beer!
While these were fun, I would say the absolute highlight for Arthur at this event (besides choosing pumpkins and pushing the wheelbarrow) were the tractor tours. When we first arrived he observed other children going on rides with their families, and he wasn’t convinced he wanted to go on it himself. After going for one ride, he couldn’t get enough! He loved it!
All this to say that, for a toddler (who’s turning 2.5 years old soon), choosing pumpkins, having healthy and nourishing pumpkin soup and fries, going for tractor rides and helping mummy and daddy push a wheelbarrow… just absolutely made his day. We didn’t need extra frills or complicated activities. It was simple and fun: perfect for a relaxed family outing.
Raking Leaves & Treasure Hunt
You don’t have to go that far in order to have a fun fall activity for your little one, if you have a garden or even a terrace. If you know anything about toddlers, you’ll know they love to help out, and that includes sweeping, raking leaves, picking them up, etc.
If you happen to live somewhere without a backyard or terrace you can get creative and ask a friend or family member to drop by, or you could even have them do the activity on the front sidewalk on your street!
If none of the options above are possible, you can go for a walk to the nearest park or woods and go on a little treasure hunt. Children love to find and collect leaves of various shapes, colours, and sizes, or acorns, horsechestnuts, feathers, etc.
This is a great activity for toddlers because they are outdoors, they take part in a purposeful activity that help them work on their coordination and gross motor skills.
Pumpkin Carving
Although your toddler might not do the actual carving out of the pumpkin, they can help emptying it of its seeds, choose the pattern or design and then place the (fake) candle inside.
You may also extend the activity by cleaning the seeds, either to dry and store in order to plant later, or to prepare them as a snack.
This activity helps toddlers develop motor skills, decision-making skills, take part in a family activity, it creates a family bonding moment, and if this is something you do every year it, helps to establish family traditions in which they already participate.
As I mentioned above, this list is only meant to narrow down the large number of autumnal events down to a handful of simple, easy-going, and enjoyable of activities for you and your toddler. I hope some of these inspired you.
Which activities are you planning for this season? What activities are part of your family traditions in autumn? Feel free to share!
