Crisp cool mornings, bright blue sunny skies, juicy red apples, changing leaves…..fall is a great time to explore the outdoors! If your meeting place allows, take your Cloverbuds on a nature hike. Or encourage them to explore their backyards or take a nature walk with their family. Take a look around – what do you see? Many plants are reaching the end of their life cycle and it’s exciting to look for seed pods, berries, nuts, pinecones, etc. Look for cocoons, spider webs, insects, and empty bird nests. Remind your Cloverbuds not to eat anything they find. Also remind them that when we are hiking in a public park we only take pictures. Leave everything there for the next family to enjoy.
Talk with your Cloverbuds about the changing seasons. How are the seasons different? What is their favorite season? What is their favorite thing about each season? How does the weather change each season? What are some activities that they enjoy doing during the fall?
Here are some fun fall activities to share with your Cloverbuds.
Leaf rubbings are easy to do and fun to make. Have your Cloverbuds collect a variety of fallen leaves from trees in their
own yards. Help the Cloverbuds to identify the leaves they find by using a leaf identification book from your local library. Talk to your Cloverbuds about the different kinds of leaves and the trees that each leaf comes from. Why are leaves important? Why do some trees lose their leaves in the fall and others don’t? Give each child a piece of paper and some crayons and have them make leaf rubbings. Place a leaf on the table with the veins up. Put the paper over the leaf and gently color over the leaf with the side of the crayon. It may be helpful to tape the paper to the table. Have your Cloverbuds use different leaves and colors to make their picture.
Pumpkins are found in abundance this time of year. Use the insides of a pumpkin to make a sensory bag. For each bag you w
ill need a one pumpkin, one, one-gallon plastic freezer bag, the “guts” of a pumpkin, and a few small items to put in the bag with the pumpkin guts. Small items such as plastic spiders, googly eyes, small fall themed erasers, etc., work well for this activity. If you decide to have each Cloverbud carve their own pumpkin to retrieve the guts, be sure to have plenty of adult help. Have an adult cut the pumpkin open and then ask the Cloverbuds to scoop out the guts. Place the pumpkin guts and small items in the plastic bag and be sure it is tightly sealed. Lay the bag on the table and have the Cloverbud squish the bag and look for the items inside.
Making a fall tree using the Cloverbud’s hand print as a guide creates a special keepsake for parents, grandparents, or other special person in your Cloverbud’s life. For this activity you will need construction paper (white for the picture, any color to make the hand print), paint in fall colors (red, orange, yellow), paper plates or foil pans (to put the paint in), and sponge paint wands. 
Trace the Cloverbud’s hand and forearm on construction paper, then cut it out. Use poster putty to secure the “tree” (Cloverbud’s hand print) to white construction paper. Once the hand print is in place, ask the Cloverbud to sponge paint all around it with fall colors. Encourage your Cloverbud to leave little or no white around the edges of the “tree”. Gently remove the paper hand print and any remaining poster putty. Be sure to have your Cloverbud wear an old shirt or an apron to protect their clothing from the paint.
Some great fall books to read with your Cloverbuds are Apple Picking Day by Candice Ransom; Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak; Leaf Man by Lois Ehert; or Hello Fall! by Deborah Diesen.
So, go out and explore the outdoors, Enjoy the crisp, fresh air, the ever changing colors, and the glory of nature that is fall!