AUTUMN
 When I think about Autumn, I think about harvest. For me fall is a rich season with all the bounty of food and flavor; winter squash, pumpkin and apples.
It is still warm and nice and the trees are beautiful with their change of color.
It is perfect weather for hikes and family outings to farms to bring home what this season has to offer.
I love to walk with my daughter and pick up leaves and watch the squirls running around gathering for the winter.
When it is raining, it is still nice. The temperature is still warm enough to enjoy the rain and we love go out with our raingear and rubber boots. Jumping in puddles is so much fun! The weather is just an opportunity to use the elements for learning AND fun.
[photo: tired pumkin pickers]
Activities
Ball games
Always have a ball with you and play with your children. Kick a ball or throw it to them and play with them. When I grew up my father would always play with us in our backyard with a ball. He would even do it with children in the street as well. Introduce the ball to them at an early age, and they will learn how to excel to more organized sports later in life. But it is important not kill their joy, they might not understand structured games at an early age.
Make it fun!
Bike cycling
Go for a ride with the family in your neighborhood or in your local park. Now, smaller children as young as two years old can experience riding a bike, thanks to wooden bikes. Maia loves her wooden bike that looks just like a big bicycle, but without peddals. She learns ballance and when it is time to go to a bigger bike there will be no need for training wheels. We will meet some of our neibourhood kids in the beltline and they will ride together. It is amazing how well they master it and how far they will go without getting tired. My daughter loves it!
 Camping and hiking
To go camping when the leaves are changing is is a wonderful experience for the whole family. There are numerous camping opportunities in Canada. Bring good food and and tent. And good clothes with you. Also plan to make to make some food on an open fire, where you are permited to do so. Another option is to check out backcountry hiking to cabins and huts who are only accessible by foot.
There are obvious logistical conciderations when hiking with little ones, but the rewards far exceed the challanges.
[photo: fall raspberries in season]
Find Backcountry cabins, huts and lodges: http://www.canadatrails.ca/lodging/
Parks in Canada http://www.pc.gc.ca/index_e.asp
Find a camp site: http://www.camping-canada.com/camp_search_e.asp
Bird watching
Take your children to a local pond, a park, your backyard, you even organize a trip out to the forest. Buy a book about the birds in your area and learn the names of the local birds in your community so you can teach them to your child. When you are on field trips like this, show your child how to go quietly and slowly though the forest. Take pictures of the birds and when you come home look up any new birds in your field guide. Where do they live, which trees do they prefer.
You can also talk about migration and why certain birds fly away in the fall and return in the spring. It is important to make this session fun for kids, let them explore and discover nature at their speed.
Bug Discovery
Small children love bugs. It is amazing how a caterpillar, Itch worm or even a little ant can fascinate them for hours. Let children discover insects themselve. Because kids are closer to the ground than an adults, they will problem discover them before you. You can help them with turning over rocks, tree-branches and discover what is living there. You can teach your child about the different types of insects and the function they have in nature.
Apple orchard
Go to an apple farm and pick apples with you family. When you get home make apple pie, apple butter, preserve them, make dolls out of them or apple stamps. Dry them for eating but you also can use them for Christmas decoration.
See our picnic section for recipies
Rowanberry
Rowanberries are edible, but they are quite sour and need a little sugar to make jelly. They also can be used to make decorations. Collect and freeze them and you can put them out in the winter in the birdfeeder to attact and feed the birds.
Activities in your local park or your backyard
 Leaves
A pile of colorful leaves on the ground is the stuff dreams are made of. There is so much you can do with leaves, both as material for arts and crafts, but also as an activity for kids. Help the children and gather and rake leaves and put them in big piles (make sure it is free for sticks). When you have a big pile of leaves the kids can jump in them. Another thing to do is to throw the leaves in the air, and the kids will try to catch them.
If you are with some parents you can also bring a strong blanket and the kids can take turns being tossed in the air. Fill the blanket with leaves and the kids will go wild.
[photo: leaves in the park are such fun]
Leaves as a craft
When you go for a hike pick up pretty leaves on your way. Bring them home and you have a lot of choices of what you can do.
Use the leaves as stamps and use different watercolors to make leaf prints on paper. This can be used for a cards or to make a decortive paper tablecloth.
Preserve your leaves for the future. Press them first and use contact tape and you can use these for cards, bookmarks and scrapbooks. Glue a bunch of leaves to a ribbon and you have a streamer of leaves to decorate for Halloween.
Picking stones
After hiking in the forest or by the beach you probably have noticed children's obsession with stones. Make this part of the journey, they can collect stones and you can take them home and make some art. Make a troll! Use stick, rocks, and moss or dry grass to glue on faces and arms to your little forest creature.
When rainy
Rainy day? You can go inside but why would you. It is fun to be outside when it is raining and you feel you are part of the natural elements. Children love it too. Just wear the right clothes and you are set.
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Activities
Ball games
Bike cycling
Camping and hiking
Bird watching
Bug Discovery
Apple orchard
Rowanberry
Activies to in your local park or your backyard
Leaves
Leaves as a craft
Picking stones
When rainy
Halloween
Halloween Ideas HERE
Halloween songs HERE
ACTIVE KIDS CLUB HALLOWEEN
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