Nature is always beautiful, but I find autumn absolutely captivating. I love the way the fallen leaves blanket the ground in an array of beautiful colors. Through a child’s eyes, it must be simply magical. That’s why exploring nature with young children is so much fun and very important. There are many opportunities to learn new things in the fall!

Here are a few fun ways to explore the beauty and wonder of autumn nature with your preschoolers.

1. Nature scavenger hunts are an exciting way to get kids outside and active while teaching them about local foliage and animals. There are plenty of online printables to choose from, or you could easily create your own. A few items to have your child look for on a nature walk are: pinecones, acorns, squirrels, birds, red leaves, spider webs, pumpkins, feathers, twigs, flowers, tree bark, and orange leaves. Your child can carry the scavenger hunt paper with a little bag for collecting some of the items they find, although I wouldn’t recommend trying to stuff a squirrel in there. Ha!

2. A nature journal with a collection bag is another fun idea that helps spark interest and creativity! Stack several sheets of paper together and fold them in half to create a booklet. Punch a hole into the top and bottom of the booklet and use some string or a twig with rubber bands to bind the booklet together. Place their journal along with some crayons, colored pencils, and stickers into a small canvas tote. They can take their nature tote with them to the park, on hikes, or anytime they’re outside playing. Show your child how to do bark and leaf rubbings in their journal, and encourage them to draw animals or insects they see. They can collect acorns, rocks, and other items in their bag, and when they come inside, you can learn together about the items they recorded and found!