Autumn is just around the corner! It’s important to strike a balance between fun and nutrition during this sugary-sweet season. Are you looking for activity ideas that your children can do? Look no further, we have got you covered with some autumnal activity ideas that are not only enjoyable but also promote healthy habits for your little monsters. Let’s dive in!

These activities are ideal for children aged 1-5 years. Remember not to leave your child unattended while doing any of these activities.

Cooking

Witches Brew: Mysterious Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 onion (diced)

2 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 leek (sliced)

200g potato (sliced)

1 low salt vegetable stock cube

200g spinach

pinch black pepper

2 tablespoons natural yoghurt

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic, onion, leek and potato. Cover and allow to soften for 5 minutes. 
2. Add stock and black pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Ensure leeks and potato are thoroughly cooked. 
3. Add spinach and cook for a couple of minutes until wilted. 
4. Puree the mixture using a blender until smooth. 
5. To serve, pour the soup into bowls and garnish with natural yogurt. 

Hedgehog Bread Rolls

Ingredients:

200g self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

50g vegetable spread/margarine

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 small handful cheese (grated)

1 small box of raisins

125ml water

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan/ Gas Mark 6. 
2. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then rub the margarine into the flour using your fingertips (until it resembles breadcrumbs). 
3. Stir in the herbs and cheese. Make a well in the centre and add a little bit of water. Mix together. Continue to add small amounts of water and mix until you have a soft, but not sticky, dough. 
4. Lightly flour a surface and break the dough up into balls. Now make it hedgehog shaped by pulling one side out a little and squeezing it gently into a nose. 
5. Use kitchen scissors to carefully snip into the dough and make the spikes on the hedgehog’s back. Press in 2 raisins to create eyes. 
6. Cook in the oven for 15-20 mins. 
7. Check the bread is ready by tapping the bottom and listening for a hollow sound.  

Activities

Autumn Sink or Float

Who doesn’t like a guessing game? In this activity, your little one can predict whether the object will sink or float in the water.

You will need:

a large jar

pencil and paper (optional)

different natural objects you can find on a walk

Some ideas of what to find in the park:

• chestnuts
• acorn
• apple
• leaf
• berries
• pinecone
• stick
• feather

How to play:

1. Fill a large jar 2/3 of the way with water 
2. Ask your little one which objects they think will float and sink
3. Drop the objects into the water one at a time and see if they float or sink
4. Compare your guesses to the results 

Autumn Rice

We have put a seasonal spin on our rainbow rice, using Autumn themed colours instead!

You will need:

1 large bag of rice

resealable plastic bags

food colouring

How to make it:

1. Divide the rice between the sealable bags 
2. Add a few drops of each colour you are using into each bag of rice (orange, green and red are some colour ideas).
3. Seal the bag and shake to distribute the colour.   
4. Spread the rice out on a tray to dry – it should be dry within a few hours.
5. When the rice is dry, it is ready to play with! 

How to Play:

1. Pour the rice into a large tub/ container or a shallow dish. 
2. Arrange the rice in an autumn pattern.  
3. Add different toys into the tub such as “seasonal plastic animals (spiders, bats etc.), orange/ black pipe cleaners and googly eyes. 
4. You can also add some autumn themed cookie cutters and other accessories you already have at home. 
5. Let your children’s imagination decide what they would like to do with the autumn rice! 

Another idea is to draw or print out shapes/ items that related to autumn and try and recreate them with the rice like the photo shown above.  

Pumpkin Gloop

You will need:

2 cups of cornflour

1 cup of water

orange food colouring

How to make it:

1. Place the cornflour into a large container and place a few drops of colouring into the centre.  Have the water ready for your child to pour into the container. 
2. Mix the water into the cornflour and colouring.  It will take some time to mix together but encourage your child to play with the gloop before it is mixed.

Tip: For children more sensitive to textures, you could try putting the mix in a sealable freezer bag first. This will help them to get familiar with the texture first. 

Autumn can be healthy and enjoyable at the same time. With these spooky and fun ideas, you can create lasting memories while introducing healthy habits that will benefit them beyond the autumn season. For those that are celebrating, wishing you a lovely Autumn and all the colourful changes that the season brings! 🍂🎃🕷