MAKE APPLE
PUDDING
Place 1 cup
cooked rice in a bowl. Have residents stir in 1 cup applesauce, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt, then spoon
the pudding into dishes.
CLAY LEAF PRINTS
Flatten a lump of clay on foil with a rolling pin. Place a leaf on the clay and roll over it. Remove the leaf and let
the clay dry. Paint it with tempera if desired.
GLYCERIN LEAVES
On several layers of newspaper, hammer the end of a small branch of leaves until slightly crushed. In a jar, mix one
part glycerin (from drug store) with two parts water. Place the pounded end of the branch as you would a bouquet into the
glycerin mixture for two weeks to preserve the leaves
SEED MOSAICS
Set up plastic dishes of various seeds and beans. Draw a design on cardboard, then fill sections with glue. Sprinkle
or place seeds on the glued areas.
Take a scenic drive in the woods and look at the fall colors.
Pick your own apples at a local orchard.
Make Halloween Costumes
Enjoy homemade apple cider
Make a scarecrow out of leaves or straw and old clothes.
NATURE COLLAGE
Go on a fall nature walk and pick up items that have fallen
off trees (leaves, twigs, nuts, pinecones, pine needles, etc.). Arrange your findings in a shoebox or create a collage by
gluing them to a poster board.
LEAF COOKIES
Obtain a leaf shaped cookie cutter and have the residents make leaf cookies. Decorate them with red, orange, yellow
and brown frosting.
LEAF MOBILE
Can't find any fall leaves? Make your own! Glue different colorful
fabrics to both sides of several pieces of heavy paper. Cut leaf shapes from this. Put a string on each leaf. Tie the leaves
to a small branch. Hang it where the leaves will flutter in a breeze.
Host an Octoberfest or harvest party
Thank you to Peggy Simpson for submitting the following idea!
I run a day
program for the developmentally challenged and we love doing this activity. We have actually adapted it to use on other holidays
but my favorite is the fall version.
Fold a piece of construction paper ( a dark color works best) in half and cut
a leaf shape out of the center through both pieces.
Fold a piece of waxed paper in half and have the residents sprinkle
several fall colors of grated crayons on the wax paper. Quickly and lightly iron the crayon just to melt it.
If you iron
too long, it all blends together and makes brown. Put the wax paper inside the construction paper "frame" and trim it to fit.
Glue it shut on all sides and hang in the window. When the sun shines through these, they are beautiful.