More Outdoor Play for Fall

Try these ideas for your own special green hour.  Make a Tiny Town- Who needs Legos or Polly Pockets? Children can build their own tiny play towns with the bounty of materials nature provides in fall. Twigs can be lashed together with grass to create walls of a house, fort or castle. Pine cones make wonderful people or trees. Acorn caps make fine bowls for elves and bark a lovely dining table. Elf houses are best built in a quiet spot near the base of a tree so they remain undisturbed. Children can return to the spot and add to their creations and perhaps create a complete tiny town! 
Go On a Seed Safari- Seeds of all shapes and sizes are abundant in fall. Take your family on a seed safari at Wehr, along a bike trail, or any other spot that has “gone wild”. See if you can find a seed that squirrels plant (nuts of all kinds), a seed that flies (like milkweed or dandelions), a seed that explodes (Jewelweed), seeds that stick (Burdocks and Sticktights) and seeds that take airplane rides (Wild Grapes and other fruits fly with the help of birds!). Have the children wear a old pair of adult sized socks over their shoes and legs, or tuck a long sock into the back of their pants. If possible, let them walk through a meadow or the edge of a trail where the plants are thick. At the end of your walk, carefully remove the socks and look at all the seeds you have collected. Take along a magnifier and look at the seeds up close. Did you know that Velcro© was inspired by the tiny hooks found on a burr? Seeds can hold amazing secrets! When you return from your walk read A Seed is Sleepy by Diana Holt Aston to learn more about your discoveries.
Give Thanks for Nature- October’s ostentatious beauty will give way to the subdued colors of November and December. Your family becomes preoccupied by the holiday season and it is easier to neglect the natural world as we buzz about with hectic schedules. This year, make a point to include nature in your holiday traditions. Gather pinecones and have the kids make them into Thanksgiving turkeys with some construction paper feathers and a pom-pom or an acorn glued on for the head. They make wonderful decorations for your festive table. Remember to include the natural world in your list of things you are thankful for. Clean air and water, healthy meals and laughing.