Oh gosh! I love autumn so much 😊 I love the colours of the leaves on the trees and I love crunching through leaves on the ground. I love collecting acorns and conkers - I came home with three shiny conkers in my pocket today and not a child in sight. I love long evenings in front of an open fire. I love the sudden urge to start knitting. I love the sense of a new season and knowing that we're in the run up to Christmas. (I really love Christmas, but that's another story 😊)

Collecting acorns and conkers is such a joyful autumn tradition. What child (or adult, in my case) doesn't love filling their pockets with these smooth, shiny nuts? Collect them for conker fights, add them to nature displays, use them as maths manipulatives or as a subject for observational drawing. You can even use them to make liquid soap. I haven't tried that yet though, have you?

Conkers and acorns bring back so many happy home ed memories. One year, The Girl was taking part in a Cabinets of Curiosity project at a local museum. Boykin was only 3 or 4 at the time - he was too young to take part in the workshop. We wandered round the park, collecting acorns and conkers while we waited for her. He was so proud of his collection that he showed them to the museum staff before we left. They added his collection to the project - complete with typed out label, just like everyone else's. He was so chuffed that his acorns and conkers went on public display alongside the more considered collections of the other children 😊

If you want a lit-based unit study that touches on autumn, try Picture Book Explorers ~ Dogs Don't Do Ballet. There are activities focusing on autumn leaves to add a seasonal touch to your learning journey. If you want to find out how to make your own Cabinet of Curiosities, you'll find fully illustrated instructions in Picture Book Explorers ~ Stone Girl, Bone Girl 😊 How are you making memories this autumn?

Happy Exploring 🧭