9 Things to Do During Autumn Half Term

It is the middle of Autumn. The nights are drawing in and the winds are picking up. Sops and I love the Autumn Half Term. We enjoy going on long wooded walks and crunching through the Autumn leaves. We like picking up conkers and acorns and making Autumn Arts and crafts with them. The Autumn half-term break gives us the ability to relax from school and work and prepare for the coming Autumnal celebrations including Halloween, Guy Fawkes Night and Thanksgiving, and even, maybe Christmas.

So here are some things you can do during the Autumn Half Term:

Go for a walk

But not just any walk, an exciting fun filled autumnal stroll in the woods. Find a woodland near you that you have not explored before. Let your child run wild kicking up the leaves and collecting all sorts of autumnal treasures like berries, nuts, acorns, coloured leaves, and conkers. Bring all those treasures back to the house to use for arts and crafts projects at home.

Why not try a scavenger hunt as well? You can find a scavenger hunt in our Autumn Activity Book, below.

Try Arts and Crafts

When I was little, I made pictures of the “Mr Men” out of autumn leaves with my sister. We had gathered the leaves together and we poured the pile onto a table. Then we looked at the images of the Mr Men to match the shape of the character to the shape of the leaf. We stuck it down with PVC glue and used sticks for the arms and legs.

This activity happened over 30 years ago, but I still remember it today. It goes to show how important it is to take part in creative activities with your family, as you really are making lasting memories.

Empty your bag of autumnal goodies and use your imagination to make stuff with it. Here are some ideas to try:

Autumn Wreath.
I have seen some stunning autumn wreaths on people’s front doors recently. They make beautiful seasonal decorations to brigthen your home and make it welcoming. Here is a simple wreath you can make with your child:

2. Hedgehog House
Alas, hedgehogs are an endangered species in the UK. This is due to most human activity, as we have cut down so much of their habitats and we keep running them over with our cars! So the least we can do is build them a new home. This guide shows you how to do it with an old wine crate. Once you have completed it you can cover it up with the leaves you have collected. You may even want to tuck some leaves and soft moss into the hedgehog house for his comfort.

3. Autumn Collage
Get some card. Get some PVC glue and make a collage with all your natural materials. Make it 3D by adding berries to give it layers. Perhaps you can create an autumn scene? Or do as my sister and I did and make Mr Men characters with it. Could you make a Pokemon character out of a coloured leaf? Do share your marvellous creations on our Instagram Page.

4. Make Jewellery
Fancy wearing a nut necklace? Just drill some holes into the conkers and nuts you collected and add them to string. Perhaps you can dress up as an Autumn fairy for Halloween.

For more arts and crafts ideas with natural materials check out the Woodland Trust post, 11 Autumn Leaf Crafts for Kids

Carve Pumpkins

It’s that time of year again when Aunty Agnes has spent the whole year growing her prize pumpkins only for you to carve them up and make scary faces out of them.

Pumpkin carving has become quite an art in itself. I have been very impressed with some of the intricate details I have seen on recent pumpkins. They can look really spectacular in the dark with a simple candle inside of them.

I suggest you lightly draw the image on the outside of the pumpkin before you start to carve it or use a template stencil. Party Delights offers 15 Free Pumpkin Stencils to try.

Make Pumpkin Puree

Sops and I love pumpkins. I tend to make pumpkin muffins every year, but there are so many yummy things to make with pumpkin puree, I think we may experiment with something different this year.

But first, you have to know how to make pumpkin puree. The video below gives a step-by-step guide on how to create pumpkin puree.

Prepare for Halloween

How do you celebrate Halloween? Do you think it is is a fun night to tell ghost stories and go trick or treating or do you think it is a terrible evil celebration and you want to have nowt to do with it? Sops and I are divided on Halloween. She loves the celebration and I am not so keen. So if you want to celebrate Halloween differently this year you will want to read our post 5 Different Ways to Celebrate Halloween.

Visit an Historical House

This is a great time of year to visit historical houses in the UK. They tend to put on events for Halloween and they do love to tell you about all their resident ghosts. Sops and I visited Hampton Court Palace during the Autumn Half Term once, and they told us about all the dirty jobs people used to do in Hampton Court Palace.

Did you know the ‘Groom of the Stool’ was the title of the man who would wipe Henry VIII’s bum when he needed the toilet?

For more information on a local historical House near you check out our useful websites at the end of this page.

Write an Autumnal Poem

Nature looks amazing in Autumn. There are vibrant colours, rich woody fragrances, and delicious foods to eat. Autumn can be a festival for the senses. So it is worth writing a poem about it. Perhaps your teacher has asked you to write a poem about autumn at school? We have added a few great autumn poems to our Autumn activity book for your to enjoy. Last year we ran a poetry competition for the best autumn poem. Ophelia won a fidget set. You can see the winner and her poem on our competitions page. Our next competition will be held at Christmas time, so be sure to check our competition page regularly.

Prepare for Autumnal Celebrations

Whether you want to decorate your house for Halloween or make a ‘Guy’ for Guy Fawkes night there are plenty of preparations to make during the Autumn Half Term. Perhaps you need to build a bonfire in your garden? Remember to check for hibernating hedgehogs before you light the fire. Also, if you are having fireworks at home, be sure to follow all the safety instructions. So many people still get injured during fireworks night every year. We would hate it if you or your family were hurt.

Read the Firework Safety Guidelines from the UK Fire Service for advice.

To find out more about the great Autumnal Celebrations read our Autumn Activity Book.

Make a Guy

It is traditional to make an effigy of Guy Fawkes in the UK. Children would push their creations in a wheelbarrow around town asking for a ‘penny for the Guy’. Then they may burn their guy effigy on their bonfire.

One year we made a guy as children and my disturbed brothers decided to put red candles in his head, so as it burned the red candles melted. It was like a scene from a horror movie. My sister and I were very disturbed by it. But my brothers laughed. Aren’t you glad to be an only child and not have ghastly siblings like that?

Here’s a video on how to make a ‘guy’.