Five tree and leaf activities for fall fun and play

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This year, I’m working with Let’s Play to encourage families to find creative ways to stay active and play together. Let’s Play is an initiative by Dr Pepper Snapple Group that provides kids and families with the tools, places and inspiration to make active play a daily priority by building and improving playgrounds and donating sports equipment to groups in need. All opinions are my own.

Here in San Antonio, one of the best parts of fall is getting back outdoors and experiencing more time in nature as our sweltering summer temperatures finally start to cool. And, as the sun shines across the sky, it creates longer, more fascinating shadows as the days become shorter. When we think of fall and October and playing outside, our family automatically thinks about the fun we can have with trees! Here are five ways to include trees and leaves in your family’s fall playtime:

1. Take advantage of the cooler, less humid temperatures and visit trees in nearby parks this October.
Have your kids take photos of their favorite trees and when you get home, search the web to try to identify the trees you saw and learn more about them. Some parks even offer QR Codes you can snap with your mobile phone to find out more info about the trees and plants that are right in front of you. This is a fun way to bring nature and technology together in a playful way.

2. Collect leaves, nuts, seeds, pinecones, and pods.
As you play with your kids in your backyard and neighborhood, have everyone collect the things you find from the various trees and place your collected items in a pretty bowl to decorate your entryway or living area for fall. Your kids will love seeing the hand they had in creating this unique centerpiece.

3. Take a tree or leaf photo walk.
This activity is perfect for fall! Take a walk with your kids and bring a camera to let your kids photograph their favorite aspects and angles of trees. Print out your favorites and create a Fall Trees of 2016 photo album to remember the fun you had.

4. Search for and designate a Storybook Tree.
Challenge your kids to find which tree in your backyard, neighborhood or park would make the best Storybook Tree. What about their selected tree makes it the best place to read under? Why? Then, take your favorite books to your new Storybook Tree and immerse yourself and your kids in a wonderful tale.

5. Include leaves in fall family art projects.
Pick up leaves you find when you’re out and about with your kids. Leaf rubbings are an easy way for kids of any age to use leaves to create art. Simply place a leaf underneath a piece of paper and, using a crayon or pastel, rub back and forth over the leaf, leaving a colorful imprint behind on the paper. You can also make a collage of the fall leaves you find in different colors (green, yellow, red, gold, orange). And, try a leaf-tracing project. I’ve shared my favorite one on the Let’s Play site this month with step-by-step instructions for fall foliage fun.