Parent and Child Bonding: Autumn Fun

Brisk, crisp autumn air hits my face as I walk out my front door.  Fall is here!   It’s the perfect time to get outside and explore the changes in the trees, animals and life around us. If you live in the north east, the leaves are turning from green to burnished red, bright orange, gold and brown.   The fallen leaves crunch beneath our feet as we walk.   Everywhere, the days are growing shorter and cooler.  Taking time to share these fall time changes with your children is another way for you to connect as a family.

One of my family’s favorite fall time activities is a visit to a local farm or pumpkin patch.  Even though I have three teenagers, we still make time to get our pumpkins, pick fresh apples and snack on our favorite sugar spiced donuts.   You’re never too young or too old to walk through a corn maze, sip apple cider or enjoy a hayride.

You can extend your adventures and continue your fun when you come home with the “Five Little Pumpkins” rhythm chant.   Feel free to substitute five little pumpkins with other things you see outside.  In our Kids’ MusicRound classes we’ve gotten great ideas from our families such as five little scarecrows, owls, even raindrops.  Toddlers, pre-school children will enjoy being composers.  Plus they’ll be learning through the repetition of reciting these words.  Babies will benefit too.

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, “Oh my it’s getting late.”
The second one said, “There’s a chill in the air.”
The third one said, “But we don’t care!”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.”
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun!”
OOOoo went the wind
And out went the lights

And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.