It’s finally fall! But alas, Covid is still limiting what we can do, especially around other people. If you’re avoiding crowded activities like pumpkin or apple picking, here are some alternatives to keep your family safe and happy!
Have a Scavenger Hunt!
Scavenger hunts are super easy to implement for kids; they can be anything you want them to be! You can stay in your own yard, or head to the park, and create a game based on your child’s age and abilities. Here are some examples of ways to play and teach!
Find different colors!
- Red – flowers, signs
- Yellow – leaves, dandelions
- Blue – sky, water
Find different textures!
- Soft – flowers, dog
- Hard – rock, bench
- Rough – bark, sidewalk
Find the alphabet!
- A – apple, airplane
- B – bird, bark
- C – cat, courtyard
It doesn’t have to be fancy to be fun. You can turn everyday objects into a game with a little creativity!
Decorate Pumpkins!
Not every child, regardless of ability, has the patience and dedication to carve a pumpkin with the family. Well, who says you have to carve a pumpkin to make it fun! Head to any grocery store to grab a few kid sized pumpkins, and then play to your child’s strengths. Maybe stickers are the way to go! Dot markers are a great way for kids to decorate without getting their hands dirty. If your child doesn’t mind getting colorful, dive into fingerpaints!
If they need a little guidance, you can draw a simple picture in pencil on the outside of the pumpkin for them to fill in with paint. Here are some simple designs you can save and print if you need a little inspiration yourself. Just tape them on to your pumpkin and punch holes along the design, then carve. You can also cut out the design and trace it on your pumpkin in pencil. It doesn’t have to be perfect; enjoy the journey and forget about the destination!
Candy Apples!
Everyone knows candy apples are a delicious mess. But there’s an easy way to make this treat more kid friendly.
Make a candy apple station! Slice up some apples, and set out bowls of honey, peanut butter, nutella, chocolate chips, granola, etc. Let your kids dip in the sticky stuff, then decorate with the crunchies. Now they’re having fun and you get to control how healthy you want the snack to be. You can add teaching to this by asking your child to identify each ingredient they add. You can also ask them about the ingredient! For example, is honey smooth or crunchy? Are chocolate chips hard or soft? Anything you can do to encourage language and conversation is a win.
Face Painting
Missing out on the costume part of Halloween? If you’re really feeling brave, grab a face painting kit from your
local party shop or favorite online retailer. To make things extra fun, have your kids paint your face! This is a silly and fun activity that flips the script and puts your kids in control. You can encourage them to ask for help if they need it, or go wild and be creative. Ask them to identify the colors they’re using, and tell you what parts of your face they are painting. You can even building directions into it, such as “paint green on my eyes” or “paint pink on my cheeks.” Once you’re done, be sure to take plenty of selfies and share them with GBS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…whichever you use!
The important thing is to stay safe. With a little love and creativity, your kids won’t remember this as the year they missed out, but rather as the wacky year when they learned you can have fun right at home!
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