Autumn fun
After
a bit of a dismal summer the temptation to hibernate until spring is very
tempting but impossible when you have youngsters! In fact this time of year is
one of the best to go and out explore and spend the days investigating the
countryside.Last year I showed you some things to do in winter so please now enjoy things to do in the autumn.
1: Picnic
Regardless
of where you go or what you do take an autumnal picnic with you! It sounds
bizarre I know but personally I think an autumn picnic beats a summer one hands
down! For a start no wasps!! So fill up some flask with hot soup, pack some crusty
rolls and juice and off you go! If you don’t have a rug there are plenty of
benches or fallen trees at this time of year to cop a perch and watch the
animals scurry around while you sip your hot soup
2: Kick up the
leaves!
Or
at the very least go and explore a local wood! The woodlands trust has some
amazing prints off you can use from a treasure hunting pack to conkers through
to a spooky pack. Take a lot at some of these here http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk
3: Make an autumn
wreath
Start
your skills now ready for winter and cheer up your front door at the same time.
Get
some nice stiff card and cut in a circle shape. Then on a walk through the woods
collect as many bright and colour leaves as possible and also collect some
acorns and fir cones.
When
you get back allow the leaves to dry (with this weather bound to be slightly damp)
While the leaves are drying you can if you want a sparkly wreath get some gold
spray and spray the edges of the fir cones gold. These will look pretty
dramatic as they open and close depending on the weather so your wreath will
look different every day.
Once
everything is dry start gluing! We tend to use a glue gun but there’s some
amazingly strong glues out there you can use instead and get gluing!
4: Leaf rubbing
Collect
fall leaves of all shapes and sizes as you explore the countryside. On a piece
of plain white paper, position leaves vein side up in a pattern that you find
pleasing. Lay another sheet of plain white paper over the top of the leaves.
Select the crayons that you would like to use to create your rubbing and peel
off the paper wrappers. Turn a crayon on its side and gently rub over the top
sheet of paper. The leaf images will magically appear on the paper! Experiment
with different crayon colours and leaf. Great fun! Why not cut them out later
and thread on string for some Autumn bunting?
5: Pick your own
and make a crumble
Ingredients
4oz/100g SR Flour
2oz/50g Margarine
1oz/25g Granulated Sugar
2 Medium cooking apples
Caster sugar to sweeten the fruit
Small foil dishes/or medium sized Pyrex bowl will do.
2oz/50g Margarine
1oz/25g Granulated Sugar
2 Medium cooking apples
Caster sugar to sweeten the fruit
Small foil dishes/or medium sized Pyrex bowl will do.
If you are able to pick some
blackberries with the children they can be added to the apple for a more tasty
and colourful filling.
(other fruit can be used such as peaches, raspberries)
(other fruit can be used such as peaches, raspberries)
Method
To make the crumble, rub the margarine
into the flour, the children will enjoy taking turns in doing this. Add the
granulated sugar and stir until it is well mixed and then set to one side.
Prepare the apples by peeling and
cutting them into small pieces, letting the children help where appropriate. If
using blackberries or raspberries, wash thoroughly before adding to the apples.
Fill each foil case ¾ full with the apple
and blackberries and then sprinkle with a heaped teaspoonful of caster sugar.
Cover the fruit with the crumble mix and press down gently.
Cook at 180°C for 20 minutes or until
crumble is golden brown.
Care should be taken
when taking the dishes out of the oven as the fruit juice may bubble at the
edges and become very hot.
6: Pumpkin Pie Play
dough
Materials
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon,
ginger, all spices) should be able to buy in shops
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
Food colouring (we used 6 drops of red
and 15 drops of yellow)
Instructions
Combine the dry ingredients in a non-stick
saucepan. Add the oil, water, and food colouring and whisk until smooth.
Stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, cook the mixture over medium heat
until it forms a ball, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Turn the dough onto a counter, let it
cool slightly, then knead the dough until it has a smooth texture, about 1
minute. The dough will keep up to a week in a sandwich bag.
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