Guide
Fall sensory fun
Leaf piles, pumpkin scooping, sound walks and more: easy fall activities for heavy work, listening, busy hands, touch, movement and looking. Free printable guide in English and Spanish.
Free from Oaklin Lane’s therapists. Nothing here is a diagnosis, and if something feels off, that’s enough to ask.
Your child learns about the world through sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, movement and body awareness. Fall is full of chances to use them all. Pick a few ideas, head outside, and have fun together.
Make a leaf pile
Rake leaves into a big pile together, then jump in, roll around and listen to the crunch. Raking, jumping and rolling give your child's muscles, ears and balance a great workout.
Heavy work (muscles and joints)
- Hike up hills on a nature walk
- Rake leaves into piles
- Carry small pumpkins from one spot to another
- Climb on hay bales with a grown-up close by
- Stomp on crunchy leaves
- Walk like a turkey or a bear
Listening
- Crunch leaves and listen
- Take a sound walk: stop and name what you hear
- Make a rain stick from a tube or bottle filled with dry rice, then seal it tight
- Read a fall story together
Busy hands
- Scoop seeds out of a pumpkin a grown-up has opened
- Pick up pumpkin seeds one at a time with a pinch
- Roll out dough for a pie or cookies
- Shape play dough into little pumpkins
- Make leaf rubbings with paper and crayons
Touch and taste
- Lie back in a pile of leaves
- Dig for small toys in a bin of dried corn or beans
- Touch slimy pumpkin insides and smooth seeds
- Finger-paint a pumpkin
- Fish apples out of a tub of water
- Taste fall foods, like apples, pears and pumpkin bread
Pumpkin scooping
Slimy, stringy and cool! A grown-up does all the cutting. Your child scoops with a big spoon or bare hands, then sorts the seeds into a bowl.
Movement and balance
- Jump on a trampoline
- Roll down a leaf pile or a grassy hill
- Play at the park
- Walk along a fallen log while holding your hand
- Reach high to "pick" apples, then bend low to drop them in a basket
Looking
- Hunt for red, orange, yellow and brown leaves
- Play "I Spy" on a walk
- Watch the sunset together
- Toss rings onto small pumpkins
- Find your way through a corn maze
Safety
- Seeds, dried corn, beans and small apples can be choking hazards. Stay close, and skip them if your child still puts things in the mouth.
- Grown-ups do all the pumpkin carving and use of sharp tools.
- Check leaf piles for sticks, rocks and bugs before anyone jumps in.
- Always stay right next to your child during water play.
Questions families ask
Do I need to buy anything?
Not much. Most ideas use leaves, pumpkins, a rake, paper and crayons, or things you already have at home.
Are these safe for toddlers?
Many are, with a grown-up close by. Seeds, dried corn, beans and small apples can be choking hazards, so skip them if your child still puts things in the mouth, and grown-ups do all the pumpkin carving.
