The dog days are over; it’s time to enrich our kids and family with lots of new experiences and knowledge. Don’t let the chilly and rainy weather keep you from fun activities and learning through playing – neither inside, nor outside.
At the Forest Tale Daycare we pay special attention to make new experiences for the kids every day that help them learn and improve without even noticing it. We have thematic months that resonate to the actual season, weather or special days. We aim to achieve complexity and at the same time the remarkably important parts of the development get also in the focus. For instance by improving children’s visual skills their fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination will develop, but it also helps their cognitive development and vocabulary with songs and says.
This month we get to know the autumn weather, the importance of layered clothing and the ongoing changes in the nature. The tales, says and songs we teach the kids are primarily about the features of the autumn season. We will make nice colorful trees that help improve children’s color and shape knowledge and also their aesthetic sensibility. We will talk about the differences between summer and autumn clothing; we will also play games centered on this topic.
PLAY OUTDOOR AND AT HOME IN AUTUMN
We find autumn a perfect season for children’s discoveries of the hidden treasures of nature. ‘There is no bad weather just inaccurate clothing’ – says a Finnish saying that confirms the approach of the worth of going outside into the nature with the kids to play. We can make our forest walk more magical with putting a little mirror under our chin. Walking this way will make us see the world from a whole new point of view. We can observe the contrast of the trees and the sky, the falling of the leaves. In case the weather turns rainy, there is no need to panic; we can let the kids discover the joy of jumping in puddles. You can tell little poems and sayings in the meantime.
We can throw pebble stones in the puddle; we can listen to the differences of the effect of smaller and bigger stones. We can stir the mud with twigs or fill up ditches. These new stimuli have a positive impact on concentration, the sensory and motor development, fine motor skills and movement skills. At the same time these activities help them to be persistent, reduce stress, get rid of tension, and motivate them to be more creative and let their imagination fly.
We can play rain game starting with snapping fingers then rubbing palms that turns into intensifying clapping and finishes with stamping with the legs.
During a quiet walk we can focus on the surrounding noises of nature and then we can share our experiences of what we have heard and which sounds we have recognized. We can collect colorful fallen leaves, crops and we can create a beautiful mandala together with the participation of the whole family.
If we decide to stay in the warm room anyway, we can still take care of the animals living in the nature by building bird feeders. Sharing the little works we can find a job to do for every age-group.
We can prepare small fruit animals out of autumn fruits which can be so good looking that even the kids who are not willing to eat fruits can give them a try. There are various options of occupying our kids using autumn crops and leaves. We can make a matrix game out of carton paper that helps practicing colors, shapes or numbers. We can focus on the differences while we make pairs. We can practice seriality by putting different crops, weather phenomenon or clothes in order. We have several options if we let our imagination fly.
We mustn’t forget that the afternoon naps and sleeping play a particularly important part of children’s development and have a positive effect on their nervous system.
BOOKS AND RHYMES
This booklist for kids is filled with autumn books for preschoolers and children of all ages. Reading books about autumn is an easy way to help children learn about it and all of the beautiful colors, sights, and sounds that this magical season has to offer. Good bye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak, Autumn by Gerda Muller, Jipp and Jannake by Annie M.G. Snitt or Leaf Man by Luis Ehlert.
Beside tales we also emphasize the importance of rhymes and poems. We also recommend (especially for the kids from 0-3) to accompany the says with some movements and rhythms.
One is orange,
Two are brown,
Three look yellow
On the ground.
Three are green,
Two bright red,
One just fell
Upon my head!
Crunching crinkling
autumn leaves
Spiralling, swirling
in the breeze.
—-
Come said the leaves to the
Wind one day,
Come over the meadows and
We will play,
Put on your dress,
Scarlet and Gold,
For summer is gone and
The days are cold.
Kids over 3 years can find out their own movements to the rhymes, they can mime and inspire each other depending on their associations and thoughts.
Red leaves falling
Red leaves falling
On the ground
On the ground
Autumn-time is coming
Autumn-time is coming
All around
All around
Orange leaves falling
Orange leaves falling
On the ground
On the ground
Autumn-time is coming
Autumn-time is coming
All around
All around
Brown leaves scattered
Brown leaves scattered
On the ground
On the ground
Autumn-time is now here
Autumn-time is now here
All around
All around.
—
Five little leaves so bright and gay,
Were dancing in a tree one day.
The wind came blowing through the town,
One little leaf came tumbling down.
(repeat with 4, 3, 2..)
Rhyme 2:
Five little leaves up in a tree.
One little leaf said, “Look at me!”
The leaf let go and down he fell.
“EEEEEEEEE!”
Ouch! He didn’t feel so well.
(Repeat with four, three,…)
Rhyme 3:
Five little leaves on the tree next door,
One fell off and then there were four,
Four little leaves all over the tree,
A bird pulled off one and then there were three,
Three little leaves where the wind blew,
One fell off and then there were two,
Two little leaves sitting in the sun,
A bug ate a leaf and now there is one,
One little leaf in the tree all alone
The wind blew and blew and now there are none.”
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