Autumn is the perfect season for activities with your baby . It’s still pleasant outside and not too cold for collecting little treasures and making crafts. As the days get shorter, you can also cozy up indoors for all kinds of activities. Nature puts on its signature colors, and autumn brings plenty to discover: chestnuts, mushrooms, leaves, acorns, and more. Between 0 and 36 months, you can offer season-appropriate activities for your child; here are 7 autumn-themed ideas to enjoy together.

Singing nursery rhymes and songs about autumn

From a very young age, your little one is sensitive to music and nursery rhymes . They especially enjoy action songs and lively tunes—an activity you can share together. Favorite autumn themes include snails, frogs, chestnuts, mushrooms, rain, and leaves falling from the trees.

Here is a small selection of our favorites:

• The frog's party

• Let's walk in the woods

• Crabapple

• Two little guys

• Little snail in sign language , a gesture song that works every time.

Gather autumn treasures and collect them

In autumn, walks are still very doable: the weather is often lovely, and you can find thousands of treasures of nature : chestnuts, fallen leaves, sticks, pebbles, pine cones, and more. All these little wonders will help you create truly extraordinary autumn crafts with your little adventurer.

With your collected treasures, you can make a fall leaf herbarium. Your little one can learn to recognize different tree leaves, touch them, and name the colors. You can also create a sensory bin: this Montessori activity involves placing the various items you’ve collected into a bin. It helps your little adventurer develop their senses and motor skills and build their autonomy .

Draw, paint, stick leaves

Now that you’ve gathered natural materials, you can suggest crafts and other DIY activities for your child. You only need a few extra supplies, and you’re ready to go!

The buffer sheets

A simple, fun activity that even little ones can do. Gather a few leaves in different shapes and cover their surface with paint in the color of your choice. Then use these leaves like stamps on paper. Guaranteed success.

You can also try the reverse. Place a leaf on paper and paint over it. Once the leaf is covered with paint, remove it to reveal its imprint—magical!

The embossed sheet

It couldn’t be simpler. Take a leaf your little adventurer has chosen and place it under a white sheet of paper. Let your baby draw with markers or crayons in autumn colors ; the shape of the leaf will appear. You can collect the different prints and start your little one’s very own art museum.

Cook seasonal recipes

Starting from about one year old, you can start cooking with your little one. Of course, the idea isn’t to hand them a knife, but simply to let them handle, touch, and taste . It’s also in the vein of the GDM : your little adventurer discovers foods independently and learns to recognize what’s on their plate.

Here are two of our favorite recipe ideas for cooking with your child. Our little tip: if you have time, prepare the ingredients in small bowls. It helps create a calmer, more relaxed atmosphere.

The sweet autumn recipe: Apple cinnamon muffins

This recipe can be eaten by a child from 10 months old.

The ingredients:

• 175 g of flour

• 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar

• 1 egg or 50 g of apple purée

• 10 cl of milk (animal or plant-based)

• 50 g of butter or 50 g of almond puree

• ½ packet of yeast

• 2 or 3 apples

• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon

The recipe:

1. Beat the egg with the sugar.

2. Then add the butter (or almond paste), followed by the flour and baking powder.

3. Slowly incorporate the milk.

4. Wash and dice the apples, then add them to the batter with the cinnamon.

5. Bake for 15 minutes at 220 °C.

Children love pouring, stirring, and tasting . They develop their senses, and you’ll enjoy sharing this baking moment together.

The savory fall recipe: pumpkin and chestnut soup

This recipe can be eaten by a baby once you start introducing solid foods. From around 6 months, you can offer a few small pieces, so it’s up to you to decide how smooth or chunky you want to blend your autumn soup.

The ingredients:

• 1 squash of your choice

• 1 onion (optional)

• Some chestnuts. (Canned or frozen)

If you use a well-washed organic squash, you can keep the skin. You’ll just need to cook it a little longer. If you prefer to remove the skin, cook the whole squash in water for 15-20 minutes; it will then be easier to peel.

Cut the squash into large cubes and set aside. Chop the onion and sauté it in 1 tablespoon of oil (your choice, suitable for cooking), then add the squash. Cover with water and cook until the squash is very tender. You can add herbs or spices, but no salt: thyme, rosemary, or nutmeg, for example. Once the squash is cooked, blend everything together. At the end, add the crumbled chestnuts. You can blend them in or leave small pieces.

A delicious soup to enjoy as a family. Your little one will love putting the squash pieces into the pot—and just like that, you’ve created an improvised pouring activity .

Trier: the quintessential Montessori activity

Sorting is one of babies’ favorite activities. It helps develop motor skills and observation. You can offer this activity inspired by Montessori pedagogy to your little one. It’s perfect for rainy days . Suggest sorting leaves by color, or grouping pine cones and acorns. This can keep your child busy for a good while, and they’ll love discovering these new sensations.

Playing outside: leaves, puddles, etc.

Autumn walks are a wonderful opportunity to support your child’s motor skills : rolling in leaves, jumping in puddles, observing a tree, and enjoying the gentle warmth of the season. You can try fun outdoor activities that will delight your little adventurer. With a bit of luck, you might even spot a squirrel gathering supplies for winter. It’s also a great moment to develop language by teaching new colors, shapes, and textures.

DIY Idea: decorate a birdhouse

If you enjoy DIY projects, you can make a small wooden birdhouse or buy one ready-made at a garden center or craft store. Let your little adventurer paint it. You can also glue on the treasures you collected in nature. Our little tip: apply a clear varnish to protect it from the weather.

Once your DIY project is ready and dry, install it with your baby and watch from the window as birds come to rest there .

Autumn is the perfect time to offer lots of activities for your child. They help develop the senses, motor skills, and curiosity . You’ll also share these moments as a family, creating beautiful memories. You can also reuse your boxes from LILLYDOO beds with these clever DIY projects to spark your little one’s imagination.