Romp n' Roll Pittsburgh Blog
Fall is here! The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling, and pumpkins are everywhere. From arts and crafts to sensory play, fall is the best time to engage kids in fun learning activities. Here are a few fall activities that will encourage your little ones to play, brainstorm, improve their motor skills and more!
Fall Yarn Wrapping
There's just something cozy about yarn, isn't there? This fall yarn wrapping activity is an excellent craft for toddlers, preschoolers or elementary kids as the weather starts to cool off.
What You Need:
- Yarn
- Cereal Box or Thin Cardboard
- Scissors
- Pen
- Tape
What to Do:
Grab some yarn in fall colors. Begin by drawing some fall shapes on the back of a cereal box or thin cardboard. Think leaves, acorns, apples, pumpkins. Cut out each shape. Then cut little notches all away around it. Cutting notches will give the yarn something to grab onto, especially around the curvier spots. Secure the yarn on the back of the shape with tape and wrap away! This activity provides exemplary motor support and is also an excellent sensory experience. The softness of the yarn running through your fingers will feel great.
Scented Apple Sensory Bin
The cooling weather brings with it thoughts of apples and pumpkins. And a scented chickpea "apple" sensory bin is exactly what your preschoolers need this fall. Chickpeas are a fantastic sensory bin filler because of their weight. They are heavier than rice or oats, meaning they offer much more tactile input to sensory-seeking kids. The great thing about chickpeas is that they look like little apples. Your kids will spend hours playing with these. And don't worry if your little one makes a little mess. He'll get to work his fine motor skills while cleaning up!
What you need:
- Dry garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- Large zipper seal bag
- Apple spice
- Bowls & trays
- Little measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Kid-friendly tweezers
- Liquid water coloring or food dye (red, yellow & green)
What to Do:
Add about 5-8 squirts of liquid watercolors or food coloring for each color in a bag. Then let the kids shake and mix the contents until the chickpeas are well coated. The fantastic thing about dry chickpeas is that they dry within minutes. Now that you've dyed your chickpeas, it's time to add apple spice and stir everything up! Pour the chickpea "apples" into a bin, bucket or tray. Place the container onto a tray along with measuring cups, spoons, and kid-friendly tweezers. With this activity, your little ones will engage most of their senses - sight, hearing, smell and touch. They may also use quite a bit of math when counting, sorting by color and measuring their teeny tiny deliciously-smelling apples.
Fall Slime
There is so much science behind making slime. What better way to engage your child in science than by making slime? Not only will this learning activity enhance sensory play in young children, but it will also help them understand how different ingredients and activations can create slime. This activity is excellent for older children to build problem-solving skills by figuring out the correct slime consistency.
What you need:
- Glue
- Baking soda
- Contact lens solution
- Food coloring
What to Do:
In a bowl, add one cup of glue and one teaspoon of baking soda and mix. Before choosing colors, ask the little ones which colors remind them of fall and work together to replicate them in your slime. Next, pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of contact solution and 3-5 drops of food coloring, then stir until all ingredients are combined. Once all ingredients are combined, remove the mixture from the bowl and knead for about 5 minutes, and voila, you've got homemade fall slime!
Looking for more great fall learning activities? Visit the nearest Romp n' Roll near you!