Every year fall brings the same changes, and even though we know what will happen, it’s still exciting. The leaves turn bright colors, the wind swirls them in the air, the birds cry as they fly south, many outside plants dry and turn brown, and the days get shorter and shorter. But it’s all wonderful.
A walk in the neighborhood will show seasonal changes and if you have lived in the same area for a few years, kids will notice the cycle of these changes. It can be a feast for the senses.
On our fall walk we saw some fall-colored leaves on the trees. Some had already fallen.
We touched some seed pods. They looked kind of like blackberries, but the branches weren’t prickly and pokey.
We smelled some fall flowers but they didn’t have any pretty smell. They were almost the same color as some of the leaves.
We heard some birds in the sky as they flew south for the winter.
When we got home, we ate some applesauce cookies from applesauce we made ourselves. One batch sure disappeared fast. Guess we’ll need to make some more.
(The video below has some of the same things!)
A simple activity like this is easy to forget, but it creates a background that’s a combination of change and sameness. Encouraging a connection to nature is critical for children who will need to create balance in their own lives in not very many more years. No matter the weather where you live, can you and your child go for a walk in the fall?