Fall Family Fun

It’s a great time of year to enjoy cooler temperatures, crunchy leaves, fun fall activities and crafts. From apple-picking expeditions to rustling leaf piles that beg to be jumped into, there's no shortage of delightful activities in Iowa to ignite the imaginations of children during this time of year. Whether they're exploring the wonders of nature, crafting seasonal treasures, or making pumpkin-spiced treats, autumn offers an array of opportunities for children to embrace the changing seasons with joy and wonder. Get your children prepared for fun this fall with our collection.

• Bring the season inside your home. Explore your neighborhood together to hunt for leaves in varying shapes and colors. Then make your own fall leaf tree or create a fall leaf suncatcher.
• While you’re on an outdoor nature walk, collect leaves to make these easy DIY fall leaf cards. You and your children can use them to send a sweet thank you note to a neighbor or a loved one.
• Talk about gratitude with your family this season! It’s easy to create this thankful turkey and it helps children to think about all of the things they are grateful for. You can even start with just a few feathers and add more throughout the holiday season.
• Looking for some table decorations for your Thanksgiving meal? Use index cards and a paper towel roll to make leaf art napkin rings this Thanksgiving.
• Join us for three nights of Family Movie Night every weekend with PBS KIDS programming. The fun begins each night at 7 p.m. on Iowa PBS KIDS .2 or streaming through the PBS KIDS Video App.
• While carving pumpkins this year, did you notice anything different? Or did your pumpkins seem the same? Check out this Wander & Wonder episode and conduct your own pumpkin study.
• Take your reading outdoors. Bring a few fall-themed books to your favorite community park for a seasonal storytime with your children this autumn. PBS KIDS has a great book list to get you started.
• Introduce your child to math terms like half and whole with this playful, homemade leaf matching game.
• What did the Pilgrims and Native Americans eat at the first Thanksgiving? Learn more from Abby Brown in this Wander & Wonder episode.
• Here's an activity that is part scavenger hunt and part color theory that will help your child to explore nature’s colors. What color leaves will you and your family find on a nature walk in your community? Red, yellow, orange, brown or green? Use them to make this fall leaf color wheel.
• Use this journal to help your children document their observations and thoughts while adventuring outdoors.
• Explore the beautiful colors of fall leaves with chromatography. We’ll show you how in this Wander & Wonder episode.