Autumn games with children

Which autumn games are suitable for children?

Herbstspiele mit Kindern | Kinder mit Blättern in der Hand

Which autumn games are best suited for your children depends on their age and on the personal preferences of the child. The number of players also plays a decisive role, as does whether the game should take place indoors or outdoors.

Group games are best played outdoors, where the little ones have enough space to move around and romp. Perhaps your children have also already encountered some fun autumn games in the kindergarten become familiar with?

In the following section, HABA presents three popular autumn games that your children can play both with you and with friends.

Our 3 favorite autumn games:

Autumn makes the world around us more colorful. And with the things you can find in nature, you can create imaginative autumn games. HABA presents three lovely game ideas to play great games with natural materials that you can collect together with your children on your next walk.

1. Chestnut target toss

Required materials:

Chestnuts (10 per player)
Containers of different sizes
Paper and pen to record points

In this game your throwing technique and accuracy are needed. Chestnuts act as the game balls, which you can find in parks and on the street in autumn. So collect diligently, because you need ten chestnuts per player.

The containers should be of different sizes and set up at various distances from a throwing line. Tuck a slip of paper with points under each container. Containers that are large or close to the line get fewer points. Smaller containers and those set further away give more points. Now take turns trying to hit one of the containers with a chestnut. Ask your parents to help you count. The child with the most points after ten throws is the new chestnut king/queen.

2. Twig Mikado

Required materials:

dry sticks
if necessary, a knife to cut the sticks to length

For this game you need to be observant on your next walk in the woods, because you'll find all the necessary materials there to play an exciting game of stick Mikado. You only need dry sticks that trees lose in autumn. Ask your parents to help you bring the sticks to a uniform length. Then the game can begin.

Played like in the classic Mikado game. Throw all the sticks into a pile and now try to remove a stick without another moving. If nothing moves, the player was lucky and may keep the stick. If something does move, the Mikado stick must be left and the next player is up. Who will manage to collect more sticks in the end?

3. Autumn leaf transport

Required materials:

autumn leaves
straw or macaroni noodle
bucket or box

For this autumn game you need a straw (nice if you have metal or sustainable ones) or alternatively a macaroni noodle, autumn leaves and a box or bucket that represents the goal. The autumn leaves are placed in a pile in the middle. All players receive a straw as well as a bucket.

You play several rounds of five minutes each. During this time all the children try to suck an autumn leaf with the straw and, without using their hands, nudge it into their own bucket. The bucket can be held in the hand or it can be placed at a line about one meter from the pile of leaves. The child who at the end the most leaves in their bucket has, is the winner of the round. Play as many rounds as you have breath for.

Get fresh air: fun outdoor games for children

Herbstspiele mit Kindern | Mutter und Kind verdecken Augen mit Blättern

In autumn the weather is usually still wonderfully pleasant. Use the time and go outside with your children. While you enjoy the autumn weather together, the little ones can romp and play to their heart's content. Outdoor games are especially fun at this time of year and also strengthen the little adventurers' immune systems. Here you will find fun ideas for games in the fresh air.

TO THE OUTDOOR GAMES

Pure fun: active games for autumn

Herbstspiele mit Kindern | Kind steht in Pfütze

Children benefit from active games because they are fun and the physical development have a positive impact. Most children love to move and let off steam. Others need a little push, but with the right play incentives that's not hard. Here you will receive game ideas that get the whole body moving and are a lot of fun.

TO THE MOVEMENT GAMES

Indoor games: more fun on rainy days

Herbstspiele mit Kindern | Junge sitzt zwischen eingeklappter Matte

If the weather isn't really cooperating, you should still wrap up warmly and go outside. With the right outdoor clothing that's no problem. And afterwards, play and have fun together at home. Still missing useful game ideas? Then read on: you will find suitable games for the children's room here.

TO THE INDOOR GAMES

Games in the forest: tracking animals and plants

Herbstspiele mit Kindern | Junge schaut sich Käfer an

Forests have something magical about them. On a forest walk our children can discover all sorts of things and cautiously get close to animals and plants. With the right game ideas the trip to the forest becomes even more interesting and educational. On this page we show you which games await you on your next visit to the forest.

TO THE GAMES IN THE FOREST

Creative autumn games: crafting with autumn leaves, chestnuts and pine cones

Herbstspiele mit Kindern | Junge schnitzt etwas aus einem Ast

Acorns, leaves, pine cones and chestnuts – children love to collect finds from nature. Especially in autumn there's plenty to discover ... and to fill their pockets. Use these for a creative crafting afternoon. With a few simple steps you can make beautiful things out of the autumn finds.

For autumn crafts you only need a few materials to let creativity run free. These include, for example, glue, scissors, a hand drill, a knife, threads, matches and nails.

The crafting with chestnuts is one of the most popular autumn games. If you have collected enough craft materials, the afternoon can be used to create funny chestnut figurines to do. The little friends are quick and easy to make and look great on any windowsill.

Also from pine cones you can create beautiful unique pieces. With a little paint the cones shine in new splendor. Equipped with a cord you can hang them on doors and windows and create a radiant autumn decoration in your favorite colors.

In autumn the best conditions prevail to fly a kite to fly. Especially lovely is a homemade kite. With a little skill and your help, your children create a great kite that you can fly on your next outing.

It gets nicely spooky at Halloween crafting. With this creative autumn game you can already prepare for the spooky time and hollow out a pumpkin Carve cheeky faces with a knife and illuminate them from the inside. What to consider when carving a pumpkin with children, you can find out on this page.

Fun autumn games for children's birthday parties

Herbstspiele mit Kindern | Kinder feiern eine Party mit Konfetti

If your child has a birthday in autumn, autumn games provide a good basis for an exciting birthday party at home. Autumnal children's games can be played excellently in small groups.

Here are some game ideas for fun group games in autumn:

Children's birthdays in September: In September it's not only chestnut season, the harvest festival is also approaching. How about a fun touch game in a harvest basket? Collect various autumn items on your next walk such as nuts, pine cones, acorns, chestnuts, apples or plums and put them hidden in a basket.

The first child in this feel game puts their hand into the hidden basket and chooses an object. They now describe it to the other children by precisely saying what they feel. For a pine cone that would be, for example, the rough and scaly surface or the pointed shape. The other children then guess which object it is. Whoever knows the correct answer is next and may feel and describe an object.

Children's birthdays in October: On October 31 it's Halloween. Wouldn't it be a great idea if you made your child's birthday into a spooky party ? Bring out the carnival face paint and paint a funny spooky face on all the little party guests.

Children who do not want to be painted can be turned into little ghosts with bed sheets. Once all the children are dressed up, the spook begins: the witches, pirates, ghosts and vampires can dance at their own little Halloween ball and scare the parents – Boo!

Children's birthdays in November: In November the first Advent is also soon approaching. Use the shared day to get into the pre-Christmas mood and make beautiful Christmas decorations to craft.

Decorative lanterns for the windowsill are quick to make and brighten the room in the evening in vivid colors. For this you need empty jars with screw lids, tealights, a little paint, cardboard and ribbon, lots of ideas and a good portion of fun. Cut figures or wintry motifs like snowflakes or a winter landscape out of the cardboard and glue them onto the jars. This creates beautiful shadows later. The imagination of the little artists knows no bounds here.

Frequently asked questions about autumn games for children

What clothing is suitable for playing in autumn?

When playing outdoors in the fall, your children should be dressed so they are neither too warm nor have their freedom of movement too restricted.Durable and comfortable outdoor clothingis ideal here for being able to play exciting autumn games in nature even in colder weather.

Where can children play autumn games?

Autumn gamescan be played anywhereplay – in the garden, in the woods or on the playground. For most games you'll find the necessary equipment in nature and the fun can begin. But entertaining autumn games are also possible at home. Let your creativity run free whileAutumn crafts run free or cook delicious autumn recipes together: you decide how you'd like to spend your afternoon of games this autumn.

How do I find the right autumn game for my child?

It's best to think together with your child about which games they enjoy most. If you have a little craft-lover at home, collect colorful leaves and other autumn materials together and organize a fun crafting afternoon. Children with a strong urge to be active also prefer to play outdoors in autumn.Outdoor gamesOutdoor games are also plentiful in autumn. As you can see, there's a suitable autumn game for every child.