50 Outdoor Activities for Kids this Autumn

Looking for creative activities to explore outdoors with children this season?
Here are 50 nature-themed ideas to inspire lots of outdoor adventures, whatever the weather. 


1. Make Toadstools for your garden


2. Paint & create patterns in your backyard with water & brushes.


3. Create an outdoor structure with weaving ribbons


4. Go on a bear hunt around your backyard, neighbourhood, or local woodland.

5 Make a magic nature wand

6. Go on a hunt for spider webs first thing in the morning. What do they look like when the sun shines on them, or when decorated with dew?


7. Capture the pattern of a leaf or a flower in some clay

8. Explore hibernation & build yourself a den outdoors. Use branches & leaves, or chairs & a sheet. What would you take with you into your den if you were going to hibernate over winter?


9. Make a mini outdoor shelter for some pebble pals


10. Wrap up warm & go on a beach walk on a windy day.


11. Create an outdoor nature hanging


12. DANCE, JUMP & PLAY in a pile of leaves!

13. Go on a leaf hunt & see how many different colours & textures you can find.


14. Make your own compost by raking up the leaves from your garden & adding them to a bin bag. Punch a few holes in the side & base of the bag & add a little water. Tie the bag & leave over the winter, & next Autumn you should have some homemade leaf mulch to use around the base of your plants.

15. Get digging & plant some bulbs ready for Spring!


16. Go blackberry picking in the countryside


17. Go apple picking & taste apples straight from the tree!

18. Make prints with muddy wellie boots! Great for exploring patterns, shapes & textures.


19. Wrap up warm one evening & go star gazing. Which constellations can you see?

20. Make your own Hedgehog from clay & sticks like these ones.


21. Collect some sticks & build a hedgehog house.


22. Become a detective & look for animal or bird prints on the ground.


23. Create an upcycled outdoor music station with some old spoons!


24. Play outside on a windy day with a pot of bubbles & watch them fly!

25. Enjoy some messy play outdoors with paint & pine cones


26. Go on a tree hunt with paper & wax crayons! Make bark rubbings of each tree you find, & check out the different patterns.

27. Make a 3D Autumn Canvas with conkers, leaves, sticks & more!


28. Grow your own tree! Plant an acorn or a conker in a plant pot & watch what happens next Spring!

29. Make an Outdoor Kitchen with a few old pots & pans, & use nature findings as the ingredients.


30. Go on a crunchy leaf walk with friends. Take a bag & see how many nature goodies you can collect. Why not make your own nature scavenger hunt.


31. Make & plant your own stick tree 



32. Add a bucket & spade to mud & explore. How many mud pies can you make?


33. Pick your own Pumpkin and decorate it with your family.


34. Turn sycamore seeds into helicopters. How high can you throw them & how fast will they spin?


35. Be inspired by the colours of Autumn & create your own Autumn Leaf Owls

36. Help the birds make a nest with mud & sticks


37. Paint with leaves instead of paintbrushes.


38. Make a drum kit with sunflowers!

39. Go on an Autumn Gruffalo hunt!


40. Play outdoors in the rain! Here are 20 ideas for outdoor play on a wet day.


41. Make a CafĂ© for the birds in your garden


42. Play hide & seek. If you only have a small outdoor space, why not hide small toys outdoors for the kids to find.

43. Climb a tree.

44. Explore a haystack at harvest with your family


45. Create a game of Autumn Tic-Tac-Toe with conkers, acorns & sticks!


46. Read, Play & Build with a book outdoors


47. Visit a local park on a chilly day. While you're running around can see your breath? Why do you think that is?

48. Explore play dough, seeds, leaves & twigs outdoors.


49. Harvest seeds from plants in your garden ready to use next year.

50. Create your own Land Art




You might also be interested in our "50 Outdoor Activities for Spring"
or our "50 Outdoor Activities for Summer"