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Fall Sensory Nature Scavenger Hunt & Bingo Cards for Kids: Explore Autumn with All Five Senses!
Fall is the perfect season for children to explore nature through their senses. The crispy crunch of fallen leaves underfoot, earthy smells from...
If winter is a season that begs for advice on How to Dress a Baby for Cold Winter Weather, autumn calls for ideas on how to dress kids for fall weather and must-have items for autumn adventures.
Typical of shoulder season, you just never know what to expect in the fall. In this post I’ll go over essential tips for dressing your child for fall weather and cover must-have items to bring along on outdoor autumn adventures. In general, if you have appropriate clothing, food, and a few other accessories stashed in your pack. you’ll be covered for comfortable, safe fall outdoor adventures that are memorable (in a good way).
Please note: This post contains affiliate links for Mountain Equipment Company (MEC), Jan & Jul and Amazon. As an associate of these companies I earn from qualifying purchases made through these links. Thank you for your support.
Going from summer—which is simple to dress for—to fall with its volatile weather and short days always catches me off guard. Besides the variable temperatures, moisture is always possible, most notably the frozen variety as winter grapples for an upper hand over summer. When dressing kids for fall weather, it’s important to pack layers that provide warmth and waterproofness.
Layers are key on any outdoor dressing list whether you’re 3 or 30, and this post goes more into detail about using a layering system for cold adventures. But in the autumn, it doesn’t always make sense to be wearing all the layers from the trailhead. Typically, I like to bring packable layers that are easy to throw on. I buy mid and outer layers a size up for easy donning, doffing and the ability to fit it over even more layers if needed.
For fall weather, it’s ideal to have a warm mid layer that is made from fleece or wool to keep your kiddo warm even if they get wet and waterproof layers go over top of the warm layers as needed. When children explore nature in the fall, dampness thanks to puddles, rain or snow is inevitable. I like to put my kids in a rain or splash suit in the autumn for this reason, plus rain suits work excellently to cut the sharp fall wind.
Typically, my kids’ autumn adventure uniform includes a fleece bunting over base layers of regular clothes, with the option of a rain suit over top if it’s wet or windy.
You can also find suits that do both such as Jan & Jul’s Kids Fleece Lined Rain Suits or the MEC Cozy Newt Suits for Infants and Children.
While it’s important to think about core body temperature, often cold extremities (fingers, toes and ears) are the reason your child will become unhappy outside. Warm wool socks, mittens and a light wool toque are appropriate options to have in the backpack for those breezy fickle fall days, especially if you are gaining elevation – where wind and dropping temperatures can steal any heat built up in sunshine-soaked valleys.
Don’t forget about shoes and boots, keeping toes dry and warm are important too. Rubber boots are an essential item for rainy days.
Layers don’t have to be pricey. My kids traipse the Rockies in Walmart fleece sleepers and mittens, sale rack buntings, discounted Costco rain suits, and gifted handmade wool moccasins and toques. Fabric types and size tags are more important than name brands.
You can also find quality second hand outdoor clothes at thrift and consignment stores for a fraction of the price.
Because a backpack can only fit so much, bring plenty of clohing options in your vehicle and make the call on what to take and wear at the trailhead.
Despite living a mere twenty minutes from most of our favourite trails, the weather can vary dramatically between our home and the trailhead. Sometimes we’ll donne sweaters and toques before starting, but the chill in the air begs a puffy jacket. Having choices to add more layers to our pack has saved us more than once, plus it’s always great to have spare clothes to change into in the care if needed.
The last thing you want to overlook packing when being active in fresh air with little humans is snacks. This is a very open-ended category that depends entirely on your little one’s palate.
I always pack things I know my toddler likes and eats daily, plus things that are special and things he doesn’t get every day. Regular foods for nutrition and fuel, and special treats for motivation and, as my toddler likes to justify it, “for energy.”
Some of our go-tos include dried mango, fresh mandarin segments, an apple the kids can munch on as we walk. Cheese, crackers, cookies, yogurt or fruit pouches, and a snack cup stuffed with raisins, chocolate chips, and other nibbly things work great too.
For autumn adventures I try to pick a few options that are easy to hold with mittened hands and eat on foot.
A thermos of hot water to make hot chocolate, or a way to heat water like a backpacking stove are luxuries that rarely make the cut when out solo, but more often make it into the pack when there is another adult to weigh down.
If you made it this far, you are nearly ready to head out for some leaf stomping, mushroom spotting, forest inhaling fun. Here are some other items to consider stuffing in your backpack for fall excursions. Many of these live in my pack full time so I don’t have to think about packing them each time.
Headlamp: It gets dark fast this time of year and if you’re doing a toddler led adventure there’s no telling how long it’ll take.
A pair (or three) of footwarmers: Foot warmers don’t get as hot as hand warmers and come with a sticky side. When their little digits get chilly, I will stick footwarmers inside my kids’ moccasins, mittens or pockets. These are especially handy for children who are taking a ride in a carrier of some kind. Since children in carriers aren’t moving those extremities they can chill fast, especially since they aren’t used to the cold after months of warm weather.
Water: Just because the weather doesn’t leave you dripping sweat on the uphill, you and your little nature wanderlings still need plenty of fluids.
A tube of petroleum jelly: Not only is it an extremely handy substance for fire starting, but petroleum jelly also works wonders on chapped lips and you can smear it on little cheeks and noses to keep that wicked autumn wind from wearing the skin raw.
Speaking of fire-starters, having a few essentials for making fire is a great idea in this chilly unpredictable season when the risk of wildfire is low. It’s smart to have a lighter or matches, tinder (such as a cotton ball swiped through petroleum jelly), and a knife in your pack always anyways.
Did I miss anything you always pack for autumn in the outdoors? Let me know in the comments below – you might be helping somebody turn their fall adventures into red-cheeked, smiley memories!
Contributing Writer
Fresh air, wild places and the life they contain– from the smallest wonder to the vastest detail– are the heartbeat of Sylvia Dekker’s family and pen.
She is based in a small town in the Albertan Rocky Mountain foothills, where she explores nature with her husband, toddler, and twin babies, keeps bees, and tends a slightly chaotic garden. Find her @syl.dekker and read more of her work at www.sylviadekker.com.
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