Here’s an easy fall activity to do with kids indoors or outdoors. Make a fall sand garden sensory tray featuring fall nature items like leaves, mini pumpkins, or acorns.
The inspiration for this sensory tray comes from Japanese zen gardens.
I never really understood zen gardens. How is a bunch of gravel and rocks a garden? When I was in college, a girl on my floor had a mini zen garden. It was pretty much like the picture above, but with rocks instead of pumpkins and leaves.
I tried it out, and it was actually very relaxing. I still don’t really understand the whole point behind zen gardens, but I will admit, it’s a really calming sensory activity, even for adults!
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
How To Make Your Own Fall Sand Garden
For this activity, you’ll need a few things.
- Rimmed tray
- Sand
- Small rake or fork
- Leaves, pumpkins, acorns, or any other fall nature objects
This activity is super simple. Pour the sand into the sensory tray. Use the rake to make designs in the sand. Decorate with the nature objects.
Of course, toddlers are gonna do whatever they want.
Elena used the fork a few times. She liked the paddle the best for smoothing out the sand, and she barely touched the rake.
The easiest tool to use, though, are your hands and fingers!
Elena discovered that she could stamp designs with the pumpkins. That’s what those flower looking prints in the sand are in the photo below.
And she spent a good ten minutes just burying leaves in the sand. Elena has been exploring the enveloping play schema for several months now, and I don’t see it going away anytime soon!
Play schema is not a made up term. It’s simply a behavior that a kid will do over and over again in play. I briefly touch on play schemas in my post on how to pick the right activity! You can read about it here.
Playing with a fall sand garden was a calming sensory play activity. It was so easy to set up, and thanks to the beautiful warm weather we’ve been enjoying this week, it was easy to clean up outside!
What We’re Learning
This activity is all about sensory play. Feeling the sand running through her fingers. The contrast of textures between the pumpkins, sand, and leaves. Visual stimulation from making patterns in the sand and decorating with the pumpkins and leaves.
We got in lots of fine motor practice using tools to manipulate the patterns in the sand.
After a busy day at preschool, playing with a fall sand garden was a good way for Elena to unwind and relax.
We talked a little as she played. I really enjoy using activities as time for us to connect with each other and enjoy being together. It’s tough being the parent of a toddler and having to do everything for them all the time.
I like having some time together where I’m not constantly telling her what to do and where she can take the lead and be more independent.
Your Turn to Make a Fall Sand Garden
Instead of sand, you could use fine table salt. Cornmeal is a taste-safe alternative to sand, but I found it more difficult to make patterns with the fork we used as a rake, so I’d stick with sand unless you’ve got a mouther.
Remember, this activity is for relaxation. Spread an old blanket on the floor to catch spilled sand for easy clean up. Show your child how to use the tools appropriately and remind them that the sand stays in the tray. Then let your child take the lead.
Don’t try to dictate their decorating and line-drawing. Just let them make their own design choices and get lost in play. If the timing is right, you may end up getting a good amount of independent play time out of this calming activity!
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!