Fall is always a wonderful time to explore the outdoors with kids. Check out this great list of 5 Free Fall Things to do With Kids in your Own Backyard.
Does the Autumn air call to you each year? Begging you to come outside and play all day? Take advantage of the cooler weather and the changing colors by getting in some great activities outdoors with your children. The best part is you can use these 5 free fall things to do with kids in your own backyard as a kick start for other fall activities.
- Bark rubbings. I bet you already have all the supplies you need for this one. You will need a crayon, a sheet of paper, and a tree. See? Simple. Go outside to your favorite tree, taking your paper and crayon with you. Hold the sheet of paper against the bark. With the side of the crayon rub the paper so that color is transferred. The pattern of the bark will come through onto the paper. You can also do this with leaves by placing single leaves on a flat surface and covering them with paper.
- Family Campfire. Gather some rocks and create a fire ring in your yard if you don’t already have one. Wait for darkness to start creeping into your backyard and then light a cozy campfire. For extra fun the whole family can wear their pajamas and while you roast marshmallows and tell stories.
- Leaf Identification. Take a quick trip to your local library and check out a book about local plants. Use the books to identify trees and other plants on your property. If you’re feeling especially academic take along a notebook and teach your little naturalists how write observations about what they see. This activity is fun and educational.
- Jump Rope. Find a long piece of thick rope and tie one end to a pole or thin tree. You can sit in a chair and turn rope while your kiddos take turns jumping or running through the moving rope. It’s easy for you and wears out your children. For added challenge play “Running Through School” where players line up outside of the spinning rope. For Kindergarten each player (on their turn) must run through the moving rope without being touched. To pass 1st Grade each player (on their turn) must run into the rope, jump once, and run out without being touched. Players continue moving up grades by jumping the correct number of times and the first player to pass twelfth grade wins.
- Leaf Pile. This is kind of a cliché autumn activity but hear me out. Before you and your kids make the most epic leaf pile ever you can teach them about acts of service. Gather rakes, wheelbarrows and big black trash bags and then set out into your neighborhood to volunteer to rake leaves for others. Once you’ve raked a few yards take all the leaves back to your own yard and you’ll have a leaf pile or monstrous proportions.
All these activities are a blast to do with your kids, best of all they’re free. Looking for more fall fun? check out these DIY Fall Wreath Tutorials to make your home Autumn Ready 🙂
Comments & Reviews
Fall is such a wonderful time of year. I can remember making huge piles of leaves and then jumping in them. Thank you for sharing these great suggestions. God Bless
Cute ideas! We’ll have to try these out in the crisp, Fall weather – hopefully it will help make the end of Summer less depressing!
Awesome ideas and anything that gets them out in the fresh air has to be great too 🙂
We do leaf rubbing instead of bark rubbing, and the rest we do every year!
I’ve never heard of Bark rubbings..I have to do this with our grand daughter..this would be beautiful framed 🙂
We have been doing these things for years.
We built a fire pit area this summer. So campfire with smores are on the to-do list almost every week.
Great ideas! Thanks!
I remember collecting leaves with my sons then making place mats by putting them between sheets of wax paper & crayon shavings where you iron them to melt them together.