Fall is officially here and with this season comes pumpkins, leaves, apples and cooler

temperatures. Here at Before5, we love to see kids playing and exploring their surroundings

outside. Outside play promotes healthy brain development such as learning through discovery

of plants, trees and insects, improves social development by meeting new friends at the park,

sharpens critical thinking skills from problem solving individually or with a group of friends, and

helps lower the risk of mental illness by exposing kids to vitamin D from the sun and encourages

physical activity. 

Encouraging outdoor play can be as simple as opening your front door. If you don’t have space

to explore outside where you live, go to your local park. Look for sticks and rocks to build with.

Point out the difference between a flower and a weed. Talk about the difference between trees

and bushes. Listen to the birds chirping. Watch the squirrels chase each other. Collect acorns

and pinecones. Meet new friends to play with. Give your children space to develop social skills

as they interact with their new friends.

Here are a few learning activities you can do with your kids:

 Collect all types of leaves and glue them in a circle on a paper plate to make a “leaf”

wreath

 Read books about pumpkins, apples, and autumn weather, outside on a blanket

 Include your kids in outdoor chores such as raking leaves, picking up sticks, and planting

bulbs for spring

 Complete a fall scavenger hunt. You can make your own list of things to hunt depending

where you live. Ex: Yellow leaf, bug, mushroom, pinecone, puddle, acorn, animal track,

feather

 Go bird watching- you can count birds as they fly by and ask your kids to look for certain

color of birds