Make your own bat swarm. So easy and so beautiful. Pack out the scissors today. Collect large leaves on your walks (maple or sycamore are ideal). And straight outside (then there's not so much to clean up), fold a leaf in half and cut out a bat shape. If you need to, take inspiration from the different shapes in our sketches.

Now, let the games begin! Children can run around with their leaf bats, imagining themselves as bats navigating by sound (through echolocation).

TIP: It is better to work with firmer and fresher leaves. Dry ones tend to crack.

When the children have crafted enough leaf bats and have enjoyed running around, they can search for suitable hiding spots for the bats - perhaps in holes in tree trunks or among large boulders. It's a perfect opportunity to ponder where bats actually sleep and what they do during winter.

If you wish, you can leave the bats in nature for decoration or incorporate them into a bat-themed wreath. The leaf stalks can be easily woven into a wicker wreath (birch with fine twigs is great).

TIP: In addition to the wreath, you can also create a twig "perch" for the bats to "rest" on. You can place the branch by the door, in the garden, or use it as a centrepiece on your table.

Gather your scissors, markers, and tape for today's creative session.

Search for colourful leaves and let your creativity flow. Cut out diverse ghosts and monsters, or draw inspiration from our patterns. Children can have fun painting a range of imaginative faces.

Once the children have cut out their ghostly leaves, the fun begins!

They stick them on thin twigs and dive into imaginative role-play and mini-theatre performances.  What stories will unfold in your leaves?

TIP: Stories take on a wonderfully mysterious quality when played out in the dark by candlelight. You can also experiment with shadow theatre.

Some children are afraid of them, some are fascinated by them. One thing is for sure – spiders never fail to captivate us. These creatures are both delicate and remarkably resilient.

Make a playful autumn spider by collecting appropriate natural materials during your walk – nuts, chestnuts, or other fruits. Attach twigs, strings, or wires as legs and paint the spider's eyes or other distinctive markings. You're all set to play or use them for decoration!

If you make more spiders, you can use them to decorate a wreath for a door, window or table.

Let your creativity take over and try different natural materials and techniques. It's a great training for our critical thinking, imagination and manual dexterity. For younger children, potatoes are a user-friendly option, as they easily accommodate wires or twigs.
 

Consider how much autumn decor we typically purchase and where these fall and Halloween decorations are manufactured.

How far do they travel to reach us? Shouldn't autumn decor serve as a reminder of the yearly cycle, the beauty of autumn nature, and the natural wonders in our environment rather than relying on artificial decorations?

Let's try it differently this year.  Bring home a selection of natural treasures from your walks and craft wreaths, vase arrangements, still life displays, and other decorations.

The natural decor will infuse your home with vibrant colours and fragrant scents, connecting you more closely with the seasonal beauty of the world around us.

Take a piece of white cloth, perhaps an old sheet, stuff the head, tie off the neck, paint a scary or cute face, and add a string for hanging and - hooray! - you've got a white ghost ready to embark on a quest to find the perfect spot to haunt.

These ghosts are ideally placed high up in overgrown corners. In our case, they even became friendly "pets." Feel free to create multiple ghosts for a whimsical white ghost gathering in one location.
 

To make a small spider web, you only need a few twigs, string or wool and a lot of patience 🙂

Then hooray to find a place where the spider web could belong in nature and other games.

To create a spider web, you'll need a longer piece of sturdy rope, like a clothesline. Estimate the web's size based on the rope's length. Begin by cutting one cord into four pieces, then cross them at the centre, securing them together to form the web's hub with eight arms or spokes.

Next, tackle the second long rope. Tie it at the centre and gradually connect it to each spoke, forming a helix that expands from the hub. This process increases the distance from the centre, resulting in a beautiful, intricate spider web.

In the web's centre, you can place fabric clumps, wool, or string to serve as a "nest" where the spider hides. While you can also add homemade or plastic spiders, we find that using just shreds and tufts works perfectly. Children's imagination works better than any model :).

If you desire a simple decoration or backdrop, your spider web is ready. But for a bit of adventure, consider adding a bell, jingle bell, or another sound-producing item to the centre of the web's "nest". This transforms the web into a game where children must navigate through it without touching it to avoid waking the "sleeping" spider.

For added intrigue, you can tie the web's arm ends to trees, bushes, or anywhere suitable, preferably in a natural, overgrown setting. This adds to the mysterious atmosphere.

TIP: The spider web can be placed horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, depending on your preferences and the children's sizes. In the evening, enhance the ambience with candles and lanterns.

Autumn is full of colors.

Let's explore the full spectrum of colors with the children. As nature falls asleep in autumn, we can create in harmony with its subtle hues.

Bring sturdier paper for today's outdoor activity. You can design and cut out shapes with the children that are suitable for autumn rituals and color them with natural colours.

Leaves, flowers, fruits, soil, sand, stones, charcoal, and more – all of these await you. You can also bring along crayons if you need to add finishing touches.

TIP: If it's chilly, gather your natural finds in a basket and head back to the warmth of the indoors. However, the experience is always more adventurous and invigorating outside. Test your body's resilience.

TIP: You can also snack on some flowers and fruits