10 Things to do Outdoors with your Littles this Autumn

This time of year is always fun. Yes it gets a bit cold and rainy, but we also get some glorious days of sunshine and crisp air. The colours are incredible and there are always so many things to discover, just around the corner from your house!

So here are 10 activities I love to do with my children every year, with some suggestions on where to go locally to do them. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do – and feel free to share any additional ideas in the comments below!

1. Go conker hunting

This is probably one of the first things we do every year. There is a beautiful spot just down the road from us, but there is certainly a similar location near your house – all you need really is one horse chestnut tree and that will provide plenty of conkers!

2. Go on an autumn leaf hunt

Collect the colourful leaves in your neighbourhood, or go to Hartsholme Country Park, where there are so many different varieties of trees and leaf colours to choose from. You can download an easy leaf hunt list here if you like.

3. Feed the squirrels

Again, Hartsholme is our go-to location for squirrel feeding, but I am certain there are a number of other places I don’t know about! We always come armed with peanuts (aka monkey nuts), and often leave with an empty bag!

4. Visit a maize maze

Uncle Henry’s I think has the most famous, but Kelham Hall does one most years. Or if getting out to a maze isn’t really a thing, go visit the corn fields on a walk in the countryside. There are plenty out there this year!

5. Pick some apples

Again, Kelham Hall is great for this – you will need to bring a ladder with you as a lot of their trees are high. They even advertise on their facebook page asking people to come pick their apples! Another place we go to see some apples is Hanworth Country Park. Though I wouldn’t bring a bucket there!

6. Go to the pumpkin patch

Possibly the activity the girls most look forward to every year! We tend to visit the patch at Doddington Hall & Gardens, but have recently discovered there is a new one in Coleby on the A15 between Lincoln and Sleaford. It is fun to have a wander, grab a wheelbarrow (hello wheelbarrow rides!) and choose the perfect pumpkins to carve, paint, or just decorate your home.

7. Roast Marshmallows

Who needs a bonfire on bonfire night? All you need is a fire pit, a couple roasting skewers and some warm blankets to snuggle up in in the comfort of your own garden. This is something we are looking forward to trying for the first time this year, as we sadly have never had a fire pit before, but I have every intention of buying one!

8. Collect Acorns

Ok I know this one is a lot like conkers, but it happens a bit later on in the season, and we love to go to the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa to collect them. There are some trees full there! It is also nice to take advantage and have a walk through the landscaped garden, then maybe grab a hot chocolate as a reward!

9. Jump into leaf piles

Hold out on raking the leaves up from your trees when they fall, once you have a good layer rake them into a pile, then let the kids loose before putting them in the brown bin. You will probably have to rake them up a few times to remake the pile, but nothing beats leaf filled smiling faces. It might be fun to join them too!

10. Watch the sunset and the stars

The early nights mean that children are able to enjoy watching the sun set before bed time and before they are too cranky – sometimes they can even see the starts. You can find a free downloadable star wheel here, that can help identify the constellations in the sky. If you are lucky enough to own a telescope, then you can really take a closer look at the Harvest or Hunters moon when they come up.

I hope you have enjoyed this list and it gives you some ideas. Most of these activities can be done with social distancing, which is sadly something we always need to keep in mind these days!