49 Fun and Educational Fall Activities for Toddlers

As the leaves change color and the air turns crisp, fall presents a wonderful opportunity for toddlers to explore and learn through various activities.

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or preschool teacher, these 49 fall activities are perfect for engaging young minds and developing essential skills.

From outdoor adventures to indoor crafts, there’s something for every toddler to enjoy this autumn season.

This post may contain affiliate links. Full privacy policy and disclosure here.

autumn Outdoor Activities For Toddler

"Toddler playing outside in autumn leaves."

1. Leaf Scavenger Hunt

"Toddler collecting colorful leaves during a scavenger hunt."

Take a nature walk and collect leaves of different shapes, sizes, and colors.

This activity helps toddlers learn about nature and colors while enhancing their gross motor skills.

2. Pumpkin Patch Visit

"Toddler picking a pumpkin at a pumpkin patch."

Visiting a pumpkin patch is a fun fall tradition. Let your toddler pick their own pumpkin and learn about the different sizes and weights.

3. Nature Collage

"Toddler creating a nature collage with leaves and twigs."

Collect natural items like leaves, twigs, and acorns. Create a collage on a piece of paper to develop sensory and art skills.

4. Leaf Jumping

"Toddler jumping into a pile of autumn leaves."

Pile up leaves in the yard and let your toddler jump and play in them. This activity is great for physical development and outdoor fun.

5. Outdoor Obstacle Course

"Toddler navigating an outdoor obstacle course with pumpkins."

Set up a simple obstacle course using fall items like pumpkins, hay bales, and leaves to promote gross motor skills.

6. Tree Bark Rubbings

"Toddler making tree bark rubbings with paper and crayons."

Use paper and crayons to make rubbings of tree bark. This helps toddlers learn about textures and patterns.

7. Apple Picking

Visit an apple orchard and pick apples together. It’s a great way to learn about where food comes from and enjoy a tasty snack.

8. Fall Color Walk

"Toddler observing fall colors during a nature walk."

Take a walk and observe the changing colors of the leaves. Talk about the different colors and why leaves change in the fall.

9. Pinecone Collecting

"Toddler collecting pinecones in the forest."

Collect pinecones and use them for various crafts and sensory activities.

10. Outdoor Storytime

"Parent reading a fall-themed story to a toddler under a tree."

Read fall-themed books outside under a tree. This combines the love of reading with the beauty of nature.

Indoor Activities

"Toddler doing a fall-themed craft indoors."

11. Leaf Printing

"Toddler making leaf prints with paint and paper."

Use leaves and paint to create leaf prints on paper. This art activity enhances creativity and fine motor skills.

12. Pumpkin Painting

Instead of carving, let your toddler paint their pumpkin. It’s safer and just as much fun.

13. Sensory Bins

"Toddler playing with a fall-themed sensory bin."

Create sensory bins with fall-themed items like dried corn, leaves, and small pumpkins. Sensory play helps with tactile learning.

14. Apple Stamping

"Toddler using cut apples to stamp paint on paper."

Cut apples in half and use them as stamps with paint. This art activity is fun and helps with fine motor skills.

15. Fall Color Sorting

"Toddler sorting leaves or pom-poms by color."

Sort leaves, pom-poms, or other items by color to enhance color recognition and sorting skills.

16. Corn Kernel Sensory Play

"Toddler exploring a bin filled with dried corn kernels."

Fill a bin with dried corn kernels and let your toddler explore with their hands and small scoops.

17. DIY Playdough

"Toddler playing with homemade fall-scented playdough."

Make fall-scented playdough with scents like cinnamon or pumpkin spice. Toddlers can use cookie cutters to create fall shapes.

18. Paper Plate Pumpkins

"Toddler creating a pumpkin with a painted paper plate."

Use paper plates, orange paint, and green pipe cleaners to create pumpkins. This craft is simple and fun.

19. Fall-Themed Puzzles

Use puzzles with autumn themes to enhance problem-solving and cognitive skills.

20. Apple Taste Test

"Toddler tasting different types of apples."

Try different types of apples and talk about their flavors and textures. This activity is great for sensory learning and language development.

Learning Activities

"Toddler engaged in educational fall activity."

21. Counting Pumpkins

Use small pumpkins or pumpkin cutouts to practice counting and number recognition.

22. Fall-Themed Books

Read books about fall, pumpkins, and Halloween to develop language and literacy skills.

23. Montessori Sensory Baskets

"Toddler exploring a Montessori sensory basket filled with fall items."

Create sensory baskets with fall items like pinecones, leaves, and small gourds to explore textures and shapes.

24. Nature Journals

"Toddler drawing or pasting items in a nature journal."

Let your toddler draw or paste nature items in a journal to develop observational skills and creativity.

25. Measuring Leaves

"Toddler measuring leaves with a ruler."

Use a ruler to measure different leaves and compare their sizes to introduce basic math concepts.

26. Pumpkin Seed Counting

Use pumpkin seeds for counting and sorting activities to enhance math skills.

27. Color Mixing

"Toddler mixing paint colors to learn about color theory."

Use paint to mix primary colors and see what new colors you can create, learning about color theory in the process.

28. Alphabet Leaves

"Toddler identifying letters written on leaves."

Write letters on leaves and practice letter recognition and phonics.

29. Fall-Themed Songs

Sing fall-themed songs to develop language and music skills.

30. Shadow Play

"Toddler playing with shadows created by fall items and a flashlight."

Use a flashlight to create shadows with fall items and talk about how shadows are made.

Art and Crafts

31. Handprint Trees

"Toddler making a handprint tree with colorful leaves."

Use your toddler’s handprints to create a tree with colorful leaves. This craft is a lovely keepsake.

32. Pinecone Painting

Paint pinecones to use as decorations. This craft helps with fine motor skills and creativity.

33. Leaf Garland

"Toddler creating a leaf garland with string and leaves."

Create a garland with leaves and string to decorate your home for fall.

34. Pumpkin Sun Catchers

"Toddler making a pumpkin sun catcher with tissue paper."

Use contact paper and tissue paper to make pumpkin-shaped sun catchers for the windows.

35. Acorn Cap Jewels

"Toddler gluing beads into acorn caps to make acorn jewels."

Glue colorful beads or sequins into acorn caps to make little jewels.

36. Felt Board Stories

"Toddler telling a story using fall-themed felt board pieces."

Create felt pieces with fall themes to tell stories on a felt board. This enhances storytelling and language skills.

37. Leaf Crowns

"Toddler wearing a crown made of leaves and paper."

Make crowns using leaves and paper for a fun dress-up activity.

38. Pumpkin Puppets

"Toddler playing with pumpkin puppets made from craft sticks."

Create puppets using craft sticks and pumpkin shapes for imaginative play.

39. Button Trees

"Toddler gluing buttons onto a tree outline."

Glue buttons onto a tree outline to create a colorful fall tree craft.

40. Yarn Pumpkins

"Toddler making yarn pumpkins by wrapping yarn around a balloon."

Wrap yarn around a balloon and dip it in glue to create yarn pumpkins. Once dry, pop the balloon and enjoy your creation.

Gross Motor Activities

"Toddler participating in physical fall activities."

41. Pumpkin Bowling

"Toddler playing pumpkin bowling with small pumpkins and plastic bottles."

Set up a pumpkin bowling game with small pumpkins and plastic bottles.

42. Leaf Maze

"Toddler navigating a leaf maze on the ground."

Create a maze with leaves on the ground and let your toddler navigate through it.

43. Apple Roll

Roll apples down a slope and see how far they go. This activity is great for physical development and fun.

44. Jumping in Hay Bales

If you have access to hay bales, let your toddler jump and climb on them for a fun gross motor activity.

45. Pumpkin Rolling

"Toddler rolling a small pumpkin back and forth."

Roll small pumpkins back and forth with your toddler to enhance coordination and strength.

46. Fall-Themed Dance Party

Play fall-themed music and have a dance party to get moving and grooving.

47. Obstacle Course with Pumpkins

"Toddler completing an obstacle course with pumpkins."

Set up an indoor or outdoor obstacle course using pumpkins and other fall items.

48. Pumpkin Toss

"Toddler tossing small pumpkins or beanbags into buckets."

Use small pumpkins or beanbags to toss into baskets or buckets.

49. Leaf Pile Obstacle

"Toddler playing in a small pile of leaves, jumping over or crawling through."

Create small leaf piles to jump over or crawl through for an engaging gross motor activity.

Bottom Line

These 49 fall activities for toddlers are perfect for incorporating preschool learning themes like art, math, and sensory play into your daily routine.

From outdoor adventures in the crisp autumn air to cozy indoor crafts, there’s something for every toddler to enjoy and learn from this season.

Embrace the beauty of fall and create lasting memories with your little ones.

Download Activities!

Fall-Activities-for-Toddlers Download

Please follow and like us: