Autumn is a fantastic opportunity to spark your child’s creativity and encourage them to explore the world around them — both indoors and outdoors!
Looking for some inspiration? We’ve compiled a list of autumnal activities your whole family can enjoy this half-term. And best of all, they all sneak in a little learning!
1. Create a reading den
Getting lost in a good story is the perfect way to inspire your child’s creativity. To create your very own reading den, drape a large sheet or blanket over the back of a sofa, mattress or chair. Then, fill the space with pillows and a cuddly toy or two (or even fairy lights if you’re feeling creative!) and get ready to bring your reading to life.
You could use the space to read to younger children just before bedtime for the ultimate half-term treat.
Or, the next time it rains, why not encourage more confident readers to head to the den and cosy up with an exciting adventure?
2. Make your own bird feeder
Create your own bird cakes by mixing together one cup of birdseed and half a pack of lard. Shape the mixture into small spheres around a piece of string.
Once you’ve created your cakes, hang them outside in a place where they can easily be seen from indoors. Then, encourage your child to create a tally chart of the different species they spot throughout the half-term.
At the end of the holiday, reflect on their chart by asking some maths questions about their findings. For example:
- How many birds did you spot overall?
- Which species of bird visited us the most?
- As a proportion, how many robins visited out of the total number of birds?
3. Go on an autumnal adventure
Ready to brave the cold? On your next family walk, ask your child to collect as many autumnal-themed items they can find, such as conkers, leaves and pinecones.
When you get home, layout your collection on a table (you may want to use a plastic sheet to avoid any dirt migrating to your sofa!). Ask your child to sort the items into piles according to different criteria, such as colour, texture and shape.
Once they’ve finished, ask them questions about their groupings, such as:
- How many more yellow items are there than orange items?
- How many items are spherical-shaped?
- Out of the 12 items, what proportion of them are shiny?
4. Start a journal
Encourage your child to write a paragraph or two about what they’ve been up to each day throughout the half-term. To liven up their writing, you could ask them to include doodles of what they’ve seen and any physical mementoes they find, such as leaves.
Writing about their experiences is a great way to inspire their creative writing and to practise key skills such as handwriting and spelling. Plus, it’ll become a great reminder of their autumnal adventures in years to come!
5. Bake some tasty treats
Baking isn’t just a delicious activity for fans of The Great British Bake Off — it’s also a great way to help your child visualise measurements, fractions and proportions!
Take an autumnal recipe of your choice (our favourite here at Doodle is apple crumble!) and look at it with your child, discussing the weights and measurements required. Then, if you’re feeling brave, encourage your budding baker to do the weighing for you!
As you work, ask your child questions about what they’re doing, such as:
- We need 350g of flour; how much would we need if we were going to make ⅓ of the amount?
- Can you divide the dough into quarters?
- We’re going to make 12 cakes; how many will we each receive if we share them equally between us?
Want to free up some of your time this half-term?
Transform your child’s learning into an educational adventure with Doodle!
Filled with interactive exercises, educational games and virtual rewards, our personalised learning apps keep maths and English fresh and rewarding, helping to keep your child motivated during the holidays.
Best of all, Doodle encourages independent learning, helping to free up some of your time. And with its offline capabilities, it’s ideal for busy schedules!
Why not download the apps to begin your learning journey today?
