Do you love autumn? I think it is a great season for having seasonal fun with kids both indoors and outdoors. These are my favourite October activities for kids. This post is part of my series of posts on Seasonal activities for kids.
I love all the autumn colours, the opportunities for playing and crafting with nature such as conkers and pine cones and the weather is still perfect for spending time outdoors.
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Who doesn’t love a crisp autumnal day in the woods? Of course, there is also Halloween to look forward to this month which inspires me to create simple (none scary) activities for young children. Bonfire night may be technically in November but since it is so early in November, you will no doubt find us doing firework-inspired activities later in the month. Below are some of my posts that are most relevant for October.
Find my favourite Autumn activities for kids here.
October in the garden
October can be another busy month in the garden. You might have pumpkins that are ready to harvest and there is so much fun you can have with pumpkins and children. You might even have some apples to harvest too.
Other jobs will include clearing away weeds and plants that have finished producing this year and planting green manure in any empty beds.
If you also grow flowers then you can start planting * flowering bulbs for the spring. My favourites are tulips, daffodils and iris.
It might even be time to start planning what you will grow next year. What worked well for you this year? what would you like to try growing next year?
Now is also a great time to think about ways you can encourage wildlife into your garden. Find some ideas here – Encouraging wildlife to your garden.
Making one of these Bird feeders for children is a great place to start. I wonder which one you will choose. I’ve rounded up lots of my favourite ideas.
Find loads more ideas for gardening jobs for October here.
October outdoor activities
October is another great month for getting outside with kids. This might be as simple as going on a family walk (and I have a post with loads of ideas for things to do on a walk with kids) collecting conkers or even a trip to the park or woods.
Don’t forget to download my autumn scavenger hunt printable by joining my email list below. Find out more here – autumn scavenger hunt printable.
If you need more ideas, find 100 things to do outside with kids here.
Do you pick your own pumpkin from a farm? If you’re based in the North West then I’ve put together a post on the best places to go pumpkin picking in the North West.
October on the bookshelves
I love reading seasonal books with my children. I share my favourite autumn books for kids in this post.
I’ve further broken it down into the best Autumn books for toddlers here and if your children are slightly older they might enjoy the recommendations in this post – Autumn picture books.
I have another post on gorgeous none scary Halloween books for kids. I’ve even got book guides for each specific age group:
- Halloween books for toddlers
- For preschoolers, find the best Halloween picture books for kids here
- If you are at the first chapter book stage, I have the best Halloween books for 6 year olds here
New books to enjoy this month
I’ve got a bumper selection of new children’s books to share with you this month. All these books were sent to us by the publishers for review.
Top row, left to right –
Time to move south, Clare Welsh and Jenny Lovlie. This is a beautiful picture book about one bird’s journey south for the winter and all the creatures they interact with. * Buy here.
Birds of a feather, Fairgrieve and Read. This is another stunning book from Nosy Crow and National Trust. It’s a large board book because it includes 10 beautiful European birds that you can build from the press-out pieces. At the back of the book is a smaller paperback book which includes a double-page spread about each bird with illustrations and facts. * Buy here.
Here is a picture of inside the book
Second row, left to right –
Peekaboo pumpkin, Camilla Reid. This is a gorgeous board book for toddlers filled with colourful, cute illustrations and interactive elements on every page. * Buy here.
Always Clementine, Carlie Sorosiak. This is a lovely chapter book, written as a series of letters from a mouse. Clementine has escaped from the lab where she was bred. This is a heartwarming story of honesty, bravery and trust. * Buy here.
October ideas for creating and playing
There are lots of opportunities for crafting and play in autumn. I’ve got some posts this month coming up filled with inspiration for you.
My most recent one is on Autumn leaves activities for toddlers. It’s filled with ideas for things to do with leaves that toddlers and older children will enjoy. Think crafts and sensory play.
This month is super fun for activities. Not only can you set up lots of autumn-themed play but there’s Halloween too. Find my favourite ideas for Halloween sensory play here.
I think Trick-or-treat is highly unlikely to go ahead this year but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some Halloween fun at home. Find my favourite Halloween Activities for children here.
My kids particularly love this Halloween sensory bin.
Find my autumn activities for preschool here.
Are your kids obsessed with collecting fallen leaves? If so you’ll love my post on autumn process art.
Find 20+ easy and fun Autumn art projects for toddlers here.
You might also like to save some leaves, conkers and acorns to use in this simple autumn preschool maths activity.
Finally, click here to find more autumn activities for toddlers.
Get your 10 free autumn pictures to colour for children here. Perfect autumn fun.
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