Language
  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish
  • Swedish
Back to Firefly Blog

Sensory Play Ideas for Autumn

Sensory Play Ideas for Autumn

There is so much out there to experience this time of the year.  Every experience is an opportunity to learn.  We have five senses (touch, smell, taste, sight, and sound) and kinesthetics awareness. T.  The fall is a perfect time to enterprise on all of these senses to create learning experiences.  The most obvious and in abundance are the leaves.

Leaves - Whether your child is lying, sitting, stomping, throwing, raking, collecting, crushing…..Small movements yield great sensory benefits.  The colours, textures, and sounds of leaves rustling around provide immediate visual, auditory and tactile awareness like no other. 

Roll around in the leaves-this creates a great environment to explore movement in a safe environment.

Jump on the leaves- a great big pile of leaves is an inviting area to try to attempt a jump even when the execution is scary.

Stomp through the leaves- the soft textures create an uneven surface for all types of little feet to practice balance reactions. Walk, march, crush...whatever fun game you want to create.

Gather the leaves-there are so many fun ways to scoop, gather, mound, rake, and collect all the leaves falling from the trees. 

Touch them- regardless of your child’s position, they can sort, count, paint or glue the leaves onto different surfaces.  A leaf pool or sensory bag, a pine cone, or a big giant pumpkin are all easy examples of sensory sensations. This is a great way to work on fine motor, midline orientation, hand-eye coordination, and in-hand manipulation.

Walk- Whether your child is ambulatory or requires assistance to move about the community, while you walk, talk about the trees, the leaves, and the weather.  What do you think your child will enjoy seeing? Are there any questions that you can ask your child about what you’re seeing or experiencing?

Introduce your child to a mound of fallen leaves and see what they do? How will they explore those leaves? What will they do? This sensory experience will stir up their sensory experience but also complement their motor, coordination, and communication development. As a parent/caretaker or therapist, we’re always looking for a child’s response to their environment because that means they’re taking it in, thinking about it, and the end result is their response. That’s how they learn.  They collect all these experiences, memories, and thoughts, and build on them. Nature can be calming or exciting, but regardless it surrounds all of us. There’s no right or wrong way to engage in sensory play. It’s self-directed, it’s inclusive and it’s hands-on.  These are learning principles that should be applied to all play. 

Dr Sharon Galitzer, PT, DScPT, MS, CIMI

Pediatric Physical Therapist

Firefly Blog

Real life stories, issues and experiences of day to day life by special needs parents and
healthcare professionals.

Sharon Galitzer (Physical Therapist)

Meet Our Blogger

I'm a pediatric physical therapist and also the sibling of an adult with special needs.

View Sharon’s Profile

Become a Firefly Blogger

Would you like to write for Firefly? Join our blogger network of parents, therapists and professionals.

Get In Touch

Become a subscriber today

Join over 40,000 subscribers to our weekly newsletter with insightful articles just when you need them.

Join Mailing List

By using our site you agree to our use of cookies. Click here for more info.

Accept & Close

No Interest if paid in full in 4 months on

Purchases on £99+

UK Customers only. Subject to credit approval. See terms below

Paypal Credit

Pay now or pay over time with PayPal Credit. Just use PayPal Credit in PayPal checkout.

Subject to credit approval.

Purchases of £99+:

No Interest if paid in full in 4 months on purchases of £99 or more.

  • A minimum monthly payment is required and may or may not pay off the promotional purchase by the end of the 4-month period.
  • No interest will be charged on the purchase if you pay it off in full within 4 months. If you do not, interest will be charged on the purchase from the purchase date at the Purchase APR applicable to your account.
  • Any remaining balance due after the 4-month promotional period or any transactions under £99 will be charged interest at 19.9% p.a. (variable).

Purchases of £98.99 or less:

Buy now and pay over time with PayPal Credit when you spend £98.99 or less.

  • If you pay your balance in full each month by the payment due date that is on your statement, you can avoid paying interest.
  • Or, make minimum monthly payments, or any additional amount of your choosing, until you've paid off your balance according to your standard account terms. Please note, interest charges may apply.
  • We'll send you email reminders when your payments are due. You can also keep track of your account and view your statements online at any time.

About PayPal Credit

  • PayPal Credit is a reusable credit line available on purchases at thousands of stores that accept PayPal. It's also available for purchases on eBay and exclusively at thousands of other online stores. Plus, it comes with the same security and flexibility you trust from PayPal.
  • In order to maintain the 0% offer, you need to keep up monthly repayments and stay within your credit limit. Credit subject to status. Terms and conditions apply. UK residents only.

Please wait...