Autumn is upon us and it's a wonderful time for family bonding through fun activities that embrace the crisp, cool air, outdoor play, and engaging therapeutic exercises. These activities will help maintain the skills your child is developing during the school year while encouraging new skill development in a fun and seasonal way!
To ensure your child maintains their progress during the school year and continues to develop new skills, it's important to provide activities that help them stay engaged and continue learning.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Handwriting / Letter Formation
- Use a stick to write letters in the dirt or mud
- Create leaf rubbings with paper and crayons, then trace over the outlines
- Write letters in a shallow tray of birdseed or colorful rice
- Draw letters on pumpkins with washable markers
- Use pinecones to form letters on the ground
- Trace letters on foggy windows or mirrors with a finger
- Collect different shaped leaves and use them to form letters
- Write letters on the sidewalk with water and a paintbrush
- Make letters with yarn on a felt board
Hand Strengthening
- Rake leaves into a pile and have your child squeeze them into bags
- Use tweezers to pick up small acorns or seeds and sort them
- Squeeze and mold playdoh with fall-themed cookie cutters
- Twist and untwist the caps of small jars filled with autumn spices
- Crush dry leaves in their hands to make leaf confetti
- Use a manual apple peeler to help peel apples for pie
- Open and close clothespins to hang fall-themed decorations
- Press cookie cutters into pumpkin or squash flesh
- Mash potatoes or other root vegetables for a fall meal
Fine Motor Coordination / Precision
- String cranberries or popcorn to make garlands
- Create patterns with fall-colored beads on pipe cleaners
- Use an eye dropper to mix watercolors on coffee filters to create autumn leaves
- Design a corn maze on paper and guide a small toy through it
- Decorate pinecones with glue and small beads or sequins
- Make a scarecrow with buttons and small fabric pieces
- Play a game of picking up small items with tongs and placing them in containers
- Use small stamps to create fall-themed artwork
- Weave a mini basket with strips of paper
Cutting Skills
- Cut out leaf shapes from colored paper
- Create a fall collage using pictures from old magazines
- Cut yarn or string to make a fall-themed dream catcher
- Cut out shapes to make a paper pumpkin patch
- Practice cutting along lines to create a fringed edge on a piece of construction paper
- Use scissors to trim herbs or small plants for a fall meal
- Cut shapes from felt to make a felt board story
- Create paper plate masks with autumn themes and cut out the eye holes
- Make a banner with cut-out letters that spell out a fall greeting
Bilateral Coordination
- Jump in and out of leaf piles
- Play catch with a soft ball or bean bag while wearing mittens
- Roll a pumpkin back and forth between two people
- Create an obstacle course with hay bales and corn stalks
- Walk a balance beam made from a fallen log
- Play hopscotch with autumn-themed markers like pinecones
- Help mix and knead dough for homemade bread
- Use a hand-cranked apple press to make cider
- Ride a bike through a leaf-strewn path
These autumn-friendly activities are perfect for keeping your child engaged and developing new skills while enjoying the beautiful fall season.
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Fall-tastic Fine Motor Activities: Bringing Autumn Joy into Your Home