Getting up and about in the autumn will be great fun once you know what to look for. The best thing about autumn is that the weather is still mild with a chance of the odd few rays, meaning you get moving outdoors for a little longer. It’s a great time to spend weekends and a half terms exploring your local area on foot or on bikes.

You can find new places or visit old ones. The best thing is that you can spend time taking notice of how the season changes your environment. Noticing these types of changes for children can help them feel connected to their environment and ignite their imagination. A few star jumps in the leaves outside will also prepare them for a good nights rest.

How to prepare

We haven’t seen the back of Covid-19 yet so it’s a good idea to continue to keep some distance between you and other members of the public. Try to keep your family and friend circles safe as possible and make sure adults are wearing masks if possible. If you will be using public transport, wearing a mask and carrying bottled water are advisable before venturing out.

For typical journeys to and from school or even around your local shops, it’s best to prepare yourselves for lower light levels and unpredictable weather. In the past few weeks, we’ve had some strong wind and rain, so keep wellies and an umbrella on hand for those creeping grey clouds.

For those scooters and cyclists, the name of the game is road safety. Remember to check that you have working lights, high-vis vests, and safety gear for children out on roads or pavements. Accompanied children should always know to stop at the curb before crossing a road on a scooter or bike. In either case, make sure they are checking both ways before crossing. It’s all good practice for those eventual independent journeys.

Visibility is very important at this time of year. As the days got shorter and cloudier, we can expect much lower visibility. Whilst in the summer, having a high-vis vest and lights was precautionary, you should now be practicing using them even if it’s light enough outside. Weather can change in an instant so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

What to do

Autumnal weather can be a great time to engage in some of the activities known for this season. As the leaves fall there are lots of opportunities for arts and crafts, climbing trees and even becoming a nature scavenger for different leaf types and minibeasts. You can use leaves to create stamps for art projects and with this check their understanding of the flora and faunae in their area!

If you’re without a garden, local parks and hiking trails are the best bet for getting a feel for those crunchy leaves beneath your feet. You can check out Hull’s Fish Trail, for a nostalgic walk through Hull and many of its most significant landmarks and historic monuments. When it comes to the great indoors, don’t just be enticed by the cinema when you can do anything from Gravity Trampoline parks to Williams’ Den this autumn. Check their websites for more information on their opening times.

Remember to enjoy some games in the leaves this season too! Spending some general time making piles of leaves, using them as ‘islands’ to jump to and from can help the whole family enjoy time together this autumn.