Most of my life I've been a die-hard summer lover; no school, sunburns, bubbles and sidewalk chalk have always been my idea of heaven.
Lately, however, my appreciation for autumn and all things harvest has deepened. Something about crunchy leaves and cloudless cornflower-blue skies has caught my attention. I even learned the Hebrew word for the season-stav!!
To celebrate my newfound wonder for the season, here are my three new favorite Autumn Activities. Enjoy!!
Lollipop Ghosties-
Easiest craft ever!! Makes awesome Halloween party favors, cheap decorations (especially on the top of cupcakes), good practice for fine motor skills and multi-sensory. Fun for everyone, adaptable for a lot of different ability levels and ages and made with common household items. Here's how you make one:
You Need: Lollipops. I like Tootsie Pops best, and definitely recommend spherical lollipops as opposed to flat ones.
Tissues: Kleenex is my favorite because its nice and thick, but any kind of box tissue works.
Clear Tape
Markers
Lay one tissue out flat. Pick it up in the middle and put in down on the top of the lollipop, with the middle on top. Wrap a piece of tape tightly around the stem right below the candy part, and fluff out the bottom to make it look like a ghost. Use your marker to draw a scary, or happy, face and you have a lollipop ghostie!!
The best part is, once you're done with it as a ghost, it still remains a delicious sugary treat!
Pumpkin Seeds-
This is less of a craft and more of a sensory activity, but I have to say my ALL-TIME favorite sensory feeling is a big bowl full of fresh clean pumpkin seeds. They're flat, and smooth, and can be squeezed and shook and every way you touch them they're just wonderful!
To make it into a game, hide something small in a bowl of pumpkin seeds. I like to use a penny, or a kidney bean.
I use this game to help reinforce visual stimulation and pincher skills by coloring a seed with a marker and throwing it in. It's harder than you'd think to fish it out.
If you add a little water the fun goes to a whole new level! A few seeds will stick to your skin but other than that its clean and easy and entertaining for a long time.
I also tried throwing a few seeds in my toaster oven for a few minutes-not long enough to roast them, just long enough to make them warm. They hold heat very well and feel great. You can also stick them in the fridge to chill which feels neat too. For a lot of sensory stimulation, mix warm and cold seeds together in the same bowl. It's a good time!!
Fall Leaves-
I love the look of fall leaves. I like to collect special or pretty ones and iron them (low heat) in between two sheets of waxed paper. Make sure you put a towel in between the iron and the waxed paper otherwise your iron will be a mess. You can also laminate them in a machine for a more lasting effect.
There is SO much you can do with leaves once they are preserved like this. I like to hang them in a window so they flutter in the breeze. Attach clear fishing line to the back and the window pane using transparent tape, and you're done. These are super light so they don't need any complicated hanging system. They look great around the outside of a picture frame or door wreath. I once used them for invitations to a fall get-together; I just printed the information on a clear label and stuck it right on! Everyone loved it, and it was so quick and easy.
I also really like to tape my kid's school pictures to the middle of them. Since they're flat they fit beautifully in scrapbooks. I have a book with pictures of past clients from schools and centers and programs all over the country-maple and oak leaves from PA, aspen leaves from CO, and Pinon leaves from New Mexico.
You can also use them to teach basic cognitive concepts like colors and shapes, and if you leave some space between the edges of the leaf and the edge of the wax paper or laminate you can use it to develop scissor skills as well.
Happy Autumn Everyone!!! We hope its a great one!
