Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Oh… you sweet, sweet days of autumn!
We love you so!
Laura and her hubby just returned from a week
on the North Shore of Lake Superior!
The leaves were just beginning to turn near the shoreline
and the crisp air was so welcomed!
If you have never been to this Minnesota wonder, especially during the fall,
we highly recommend doing so!
You will not be disappointed!
The time away is so good for the soul, isn’t it?
We continue this week with another fall adventure
you and your Littles can enjoy together!
While this activity takes a bit more prep,
we’ve got tips and suggestions for adjusting it at the end of the post.
We’ve also included a fun way to provide an autumn sensory experience
for your infant Littles!.
We know that being outdoors is so important in the development of children!
Not only does it provide health benefits
but it also creates a greater appreciation of nature and the wonders we find there!.
Sometimes our Littles balk at “taking a walk”
so it is up to us as Grands to spice our outdoor walk up a bit
by helping them learn to observe the world around them!
Here’s our suggestions to help Littles do just that!
🍁 Start by taking a walk around your neighborhood by yourself and look for signs of fall. Take pictures of these.. When you get home, print them out - all on one page, as shown, for Littles, kindergarten and older.
For younger Littles, ages 2, 3 and 4, cut the pictures apart. If you'd like, you can even mount each on construction paper.
🍁 Show the photos to your Littles and let them know that, together, you are going on a mission in your neighborhood to find Items that Mr. Autumn Equinox has left behind.. Older Littles (kindergarten plus) will enjoy clipping the page of pictures onto a clipboard and marking off the items as they spy them with a marker.
For 2- 4 year olds, you can hand them one individual picture at a time and let them know to look for it since it will be coming up soon, at the next house or two! Once that item is found, give your Little a new photo to look for!
🍁 Stop along the way and encourage your Littles to study the card and landscape and point out each item when found.. This especially provides more success for younger Littles as it narrows their world to something they can focus on more easily.
Celebrate your success when you get back home!
Hot chocolate, apple slices with peanut butter or caramel
or a small piece of Halloween candy will have you and your Littles both saying -
🍁 Mission accomplished!! 🍁
You could even continue with your fun by making our apple pizzas together
or having our scarecrow applesauce cups ready to enjoy when you get home!
We’d love to hear what fall things you find on your fall walk!
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post
or email us directly at ourgrandlives@gmail.com.
Earlier in this post we shared that you’d find some options to consider
If the activity preparations described above seem overwhelming
OR if you are simply looking for an impromptu activity to do together…
Here they are!
🍂 Hand draw simple pictures of the items for your Littles to look for.
🍂 An option that requires no prep would be to use your words to describe what your Littles should be hunting for. Simply put your hand over your eyes and say, “The next item I am thinking of is tall, has a head and arms, and is white.. What do you see?”
🍂 Print a list of words for older Littles. Suggestions might include warmish sun, dancing leaves, or crisp air. The concentration on your Littles’ faces will delight you as they joyfully search for their next item..
Now that is a fall mission to remember!
After all, you know how much we love...
creating memories that the heart holds forever!
If you have infant Littles in your life,
here is an idea from a walk Laurie took with Little D last fall
when she was about 14 months old!
Little D and I took a walk last week on a beautiful fall day here in Minnesota.
As we walked, I pointed out fall changes along the way.
I handed her leaves, pine cones, acorns, and then tucked them under the stroller
after she had a chance to explore them.
A Grand Tip!
If you live in an area that does not have typical fall signs,
pick up any outdoor items you find along the way!
When we got home, I put the collected items on a small tray.
After her nap, Little D crawled over to explore them again.
She was even happy to show her discoveries to her parents
when they arrived to pick her up!
Did you happen to see our recent Instagram story,
highlighting a fun fall art activity to do with your Littles?
All you need is
clear contact paper, a black permanent marker, colored tissue squares and your Little!
Be sure to come back next Tuesday, when we’ll be sharing
Get ready for lots of ideas to celebrate Halloween!
See you soon!
SPECIAL THANKS TO
ge•ner•ic Link Up Party #4 from Gma'sPhoto
Thank you for featuring this post on your site!
❤ We love our blogging community! ❤
❤️ We are delighted to join these link up parties and blog hops this week:
You guys are so fun! This is a great idea, you guys come up with the best activities. I love virtually coming along with you.
Thanks bunches for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friends.
What lovely activities to do with little ones. I love this season for crafts and scavenger hunts.
Thanks so much for sharing with #MMBC. Hope to see you next week! :)
This is absolutely clever! So much fun.
Thank you for linking up at Gma’sPhoto ge•ner•ic Linkup Party #3
https://gmasphoto.website/welcome-to-gmasphoto-generic-linkup-party-3/
Take care and best wishes
What fun ideas to do with Littles! Mine are Bigs now, but I love how you have come up with such great ideas to help young 'uns look at and engage in the areas around them!