Can you believe it's fall already? Man oh man is 2020 just whipping by… which is fine with us, seeing as how this change of decades has officially been a strange one. But we're glad it's fall for another reason too… simply put, we love this season! The scarves, the boots, the pumpkin decorations, the changing colors of the leaves (yes, even in Southern California, the leaves change colors).

Fall is also a great time to do family activities; it's a season ripe with sensory changes and opportunities for exploration. We've compiled a short list of our favorite things to do with baby during fall, to share with you all…

Touch Exploration

With all the textures of fall, it's the perfect opportunity to introduce baby to different tactile experiences and to help develop their fine motor skills. Head out to the lawn or to the park to crawl around in the grass looking for crunchy leaves. Talk to baby about the leaves and the textures. If you have pumpkins, scoop out the gooey innards and let baby squish their hands around, feeling the difference between the sliminess of the pumpkin guts and the hardness of the pumpkin seeds. You can also buy gourds at the grocery store and have your baby feel all the warts on the outer skin. Slender gourds are perfect for little hands to grasp, helping baby develop their fine motor skills.

If your baby is at the age where they're putting everything in their mouth, you can still do many of these activities by safely putting the materials such as leaves and pumpkin innards in a plastic baggy.

Scent exploration

Mmm the scents of fall! Spices and rain and apple cider! We love it all. And you can introduce these scents to your baby too by making scented rattles. Buy empty bottles with pop-up lids (like travel-size shampoo bottles) and fill each bottle with a different fall-themed aromatic items like cinnamon sticks, dried leaves, aniz, whole cloves, or whole allspice. Let your baby rattle the bottles and sniff inside for fun, fall-themed sensory play!

Visit a pumpkin patch

This is always a good time no matter how old you are! But this is an especially fun activity to do with small children as there are always kid-friendly activities like a hayride or a petting zoo or a children's play area. Plus, it's the perfect place to take adorable family photos! Similar activities are visiting a corn maze or an apple orchard.

Make a fall mobile

Clip different colored dried leaves to a mobile above your baby's crib or nap area for a fun, DIY sensory experience for your little one.

Paint a pumpkin

One of the funnest activities for fall is making a jack-o-lantern. But how can you involve your baby in a jack-o-lantern-making activity? Simple! Just have them paint them pumpkin! If your little one likes putting everything in their mouth, make sure you buy edible paints for this activity. 

We'd love to hear all of your favorite fall activities you do with your babies! Comment in the comments section below!