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This Saturday, September 22nd, is the Autumn Equinox - better known as "the first day of Fall!" 

Fall is a wonderful season to explore the outdoors.  Kids can learn about nature through the skills of observation and discovery during this season.

Fall Fun: Get Outside

 Exploring corn mazes, choosing pumpkins, apple-picking and so much more to enjoy in the Fall.  Make sure to read out 17 Great Outdoor Fall Activities for inspirational ideas!

Nature Activities

Give kids the chance to look around to see the changes that happen in fall.  There are a number of things that take place in nature -- trees turning colors, animals preparing for winter, and even some great plants growing (think pumpkins, mums and fall veggies).

One of the great observation activities for kids this season is migration activity.  Find some of the more popular animals that migrate and follow their activity. 

Geese are very easy to spot - they will often be flying in a v-shaped formation and heading south.  Many gaggles of geese (yes, a group of geese is called a 'gaggle' ;) will make stops along their migration route to eat and rest.

Monarch butterflies are also great migrators.  They are on their way to warmer climates in Mexico and southern California.  If you are visiting a park or lake with milkweed, keep your eyes peeled for butterflies. 

Hummingbirds also head south, so if you live in the southern states, you may see more of these cute little birds.  If you want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, take the time to put out a feeder this fall. 

And if you're lucky enough to live near the Pacific Ocean, you might get a glimpse of grey whales as they head from the oceans near Alaska to warmer southern waters.

It's also fun to watch some of the animal activity for those preparing to hibernate.  Watch squirrels as they scamper the yard for food to store away.  You might also spot a cardinal gathering items to make his/her nest warmer for the cold months ahead.

Kids Books:  Explore Autumn

Make sure that kids know there are two names for this time of the year: both fall and autumn.  Books can be such a great way to introduce new ideas!

Here are a few of our favorite books about the fall season.

One of annual reads is Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic.  We love the illustrations in this book as they represent all the beautiful and comfy things about fall.  Each page features a fall item that begins with a letter in the alphabet.  The text is written in acrostic poems -- using each letter of the word to make a poem

Make Your Own Acrostic

Have your kids choose one of their favorite fall items and make an acrostic poem.  For example:

ACORN

Autumn

snaCk

fOr

squirRel

Nests

A is for Autumn is a photographic read of all the wonders of the season!  Kids will enjoy seeing all the things that excite them about fall.

Go on a Photo Scavenger Hunt

Grab a camera and head out for your own ABC photo shoot!  Ask the kids to find an item for each letter in the alphabet and take a photo.  You can print the photos and make your own ABC book at home.

The Berenstain Bears' Almanac was one of my favorite books when I was a kid - I loved to read through and see all the different things that changed each season!  You'll most likely only be able to find it at your local library, but it's worth the hunt!  Kids will really enjoy the pictures and text, and it introduces a number of great vocabulary words for the various seasons of the year.

For a fun look at autumn, read Fall Mixed Up!  This is a humorous look at all the activities of fall in a jumbled up way -- "Warm apple syrup, Baked maple seeds.." is just one example of how the author chooses to 'mix-up' the season.  Kids will have a great time correcting you as you read the funny words!

For Crafting & Food Fun

And for all the parents who LOVE the autumn season like I do, you'll thoroughly enjoy this new e-book that's being released this Fall!  The Artful Year:  Autumn has some wonderful crafts, art projects and great recipes (apple hand-pies & pumpkin-oat scones - YUM!). 

Jean suggests projects that both engage kids and foster a love of the season - you'll find crafts, book lists, recipes and more!  The book also includes fun ideas for Halloween & Thanksgiving too.

Click here for more about The Artful Year: Autumn.

Did you miss last week's Theme Week: Apple Activities?  We'll share a new theme each week to help kids and families explore & discover!

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