Autumn workshop

2–4 · 4–6 years

Tear pieces of autumn-coloured paper and fill a large leaf outline together.

Watch the video · In The Playroom · TikTok ↗

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Match each pastry circle with one apple ring to make four small autumn tarts.

Watch the video · Allerhande · YouTube ↗

2–4 · 4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Weigh the ingredients and make leaf-shaped biscuits. A toddler can help cut out the shapes.

Watch the video · Allerhande · YouTube ↗

0–1 · 1–2 years

Slowly draw a raindrop while your child watches. A toddler can follow with a finger or thick crayon.

Inspiration: GroeiGids · Je baby helpen met leren praten

2–4 · 4–6 years

Draw two pumpkin faces. What changes when you turn the mouth upside down? Let your child choose a name or word.

Inspiration: Angelina · Inspiratiepin

4–6 · 6–8 years

Design a paper lantern with two leaf windows. First draw how you think the light will shine through them.

Watch the video · In The Playroom · TikTok ↗

Inspiration: Alltag mit Minis · Inspiratiepin

2–4 · 4–6 · 6–8 years

Make a rainstorm with your hands and feet. Take turns signalling drizzle, a downpour or silence.

Inspiration: De Relaxte Ouders · Inspiratiepin

Art & making · Writing & drawing

Owl with a leaf pocket

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Make a woodland owl from separate shapes. Its pocket holds a drawing of an autumn find or a short written note.

Inspiration: karina · Inspiratiepin

Preview · Owl with a leaf pocket

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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4–6 · 6–8 years

Make a postcard from a woodland animal. Draw the sender and dictate or write what happened in the woods.

Inspiration: Juf Anke · Thema herfst

Writing & drawing · Language & stories

Eleven words in the rain

6–8 · 8–12 years

Draw a moment in an autumn shower and turn it into an eleven-word poem. Choose a word you can hear.

Inspiration: Scouting Nederland · Seizoenselfjes

Preview · Eleven words in the rain

6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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For parents · Outdoor play

Where is the branch swaying?

0–1 · 1–2 years

Hold your baby or sit beside the pram and watch one branch. Wait for the wind to stir the leaves. Follow your baby’s gaze and softly say “back” and “forth”. When your baby looks away, finish the game.

Inspiration: Natuurmonumenten · Windwaaiers

Preview · One leaf in the wind

0–1 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Outdoor play · For childcare professionals

The wind copies us

1–2 · 2–4 years

Watch a tree together. Sway your arms when the branches move and stop when the wind drops. Then let your child be the wind: wait for them to move before you do. Practise watching and taking turns.

Inspiration: Natuurmonumenten · Windwaaiers

Preview · Follow the windblown leaf

1–2 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Art & making · Indoors

Which leaf is hiding?

2–4 · 4–6 years

Hold a large autumn leaf on a sheet of paper. Let your toddler dab around it with a sponge and washable children’s paint. Lift the leaf together. Can your child point to where the stalk was?

Inspiration: Gezonde Kinderopvang · Dagritmekaart groen

Preview · Which two go together?

2–4 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Language & stories · Indoors

The leaf that disappeared

2–4 · 4–6 years

Draw a yellow leaf, a red boot and a rain cloud on three cards. Name them together. Your child closes their eyes while you turn one card face down. What disappeared? Let your child point or tell you, then swap roles.

Inspiration: IVN · Herfstlespakket

Preview · What disappeared?

2–4 · 4–6 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Maths & patterns · Indoors

Spots under the leaf

4–6 · 6–8 years

Draw seven spots on a paper mushroom. Ask your partner to close their eyes and cover some spots with a leaf. Four are still visible. How many are hidden? Lift the leaf to count, then make another sum.

Inspiration: IVN · Herfstlespakket

Preview · Seven spots on a mushroom cap

4–6 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Nature & experiments · Outdoor play

Where will the maple seed land?

8–12 years

Mark a starting point with chalk. Drop the same maple seed three times from shoulder height. Measure how far it lands from the start each time. Repeat somewhere windier. What differences do you see between the two sets?

Inspiration: Natuurmonumenten · Esdoornzaadjes zoeken

Preview · How far does the seed fly?

8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Outdoor play · Art & making

A circle of woodland treasures

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Place a pine cone in the middle. Make a ring of leaves and acorns around it. Repeat two colours. Where does the next leaf belong?

Outdoor play · Language & stories

The gnome shows the way

4–6 · 6–8 years

Follow a gnome trail together. Name each gnome you find and imagine what it has seen. At the end, tell the story of your walk.

Outdoor play · Nature & experiments

Who walked this way?

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Look for two consecutive prints in soft ground. Use a stick to draw their shapes alongside them. Which way was the animal going? Point out your clue.

Preview · Two routes through the woods

6–8 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Outdoor play · Art & making

A feeding tray for birds

6–8 · 8–12 years

Arrange four strips of wood around a small board. An adult nails them in place while you choose the next strip. Put the tray outside and tally the birds that visit from a distance.

Outdoor play · Maths & patterns

Pine cone target toss

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Draw three rings in the sand. The outer ring scores one point, the middle two and the centre three. Take turns tossing three pine cones. Add up your score together.

Outdoor play · Nature & experiments

Barefoot through autumn

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Lay out three patches of grass, sand and smooth pebbles. Check for sharp pieces. Walk slowly over each patch and find a word for what it feels like.

Outdoor play

Footprints on the dune

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Choose a sandy slope where play is allowed. Climb up in small steps. Look at your prints on the way back. Where did your feet sink deepest?

Outdoor play · Nature & experiments

A one-tree expedition

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

On a nature walk, choose one tree to explore. On or around its trunk, find something soft, something patterned and something moving. Give clues so your partner can find one of them.

Outdoor play

Switch trees!

6–8 · 8–12 years

Play with at least four people. One is the tagger. Choose a tree for every runner. At a tree you are safe. On the signal, switch trees. The runner tagged on the way becomes the new tagger.

Outdoor play

One hiding place for everyone

6–8 · 8–12 years

Agree on a small play area. One person hides while the others count. If you find them, quietly join them. The last seeker eventually discovers the whole group.

Outdoor play · Language & stories

Outdoor letter hunt

4–6 · 6–8 years

Pick a letter such as B. Look for bark, a branch or something else beginning with that sound. For the next round, use the first letter of something your partner found.

Outdoor play · Nature & experiments

Butterfly watch on the heath

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

On a mild sunny day, pick a spot by a heathland path. Watch quietly for two minutes. If a butterfly appears, follow it with your eyes. None today? Record that too and compare with another spot.

Outdoor play

Leaf detectives

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Find three fallen leaves. Choose two that look alike. Can your partner guess why you put them together?

Preview · Leaf detectives

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Preview · My leaf study

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Shine a torch on a leaf. Predict how the shadow will change as the leaf gets closer to the light.

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Gather leaves with different edges, paper, wax crayons and pencils. Use a pale surface to see the veins clearly.

Worksheets

Colour the differences

4–6 · 6–8 years

Trace the edge with your finger and colour each leaf using the key.

Preview · Colour the differences

4–6 · 6–8 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Worksheets

My leaf study

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Draw two finds and show how they are alike and different.

Preview · My leaf study

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Preview · The paths inside a leaf

6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Worksheets

Which falls first?

6–8 · 8–12 years

Predict which sheet will fall first and record three results.

Preview · Which falls first?

6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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For parents

Ten minutes on a walk

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Each choose a leaf on a walk. At home, ask your child to point out a difference they noticed.

Preview · My leaf study

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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For childcare professionals

Investigate together

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Work in pairs. One child sorts, the other guesses the rule. Swap roles and listen for a feature each child can point to or name.

Preview · Leaf detectives

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Preview · My leaf study

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

An idea for your own Instagram Reel, TikTok or Pinterest Pin. Film your hands making a leaf rubbing. Pause before revealing it and let children predict where the veins will appear.

Nature & experiments

Which falls first?

6–8 · 8–12 years

Drop a paper ball and a flat sheet at the same time. Repeat three times and record what happens.

Preview · Which falls first?

6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Make your leaf the main character. In three sentences, tell where it sets off, who it meets and where it lands.

4–6 · 6–8 years

Alternate large and small leaves. Ask someone to finish the sequence and invent a new pattern.

Art & making

A rubbing full of veins

4–6 · 6–8 · 8–12 years

Put a leaf under paper with its veins facing up. Rub with the side of a wax crayon and trace the branches.

Preview · Colour the differences

4–6 · 6–8 years · A4 · Nederlands

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Preview · The paths inside a leaf

6–8 · 8–12 years · A4 · Nederlands

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