“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”  -Anne of Green Gables

Me, too, Anne with an “e.”  Me, too!

My career as an educator has taken me through 33 Octobers, but no matter where I am or what my current role, October brings out the early childhood educator in me.

Those days of carefree, hands-on learning and inquiry.  Those days when lesson design involved tapping into all five senses.  

October was the best because it so readily hit all five! 

See

The brilliant colors of fall foliage 

Smell

The aroma of pumpkin spice, apple cinnamon, and campfire

Taste

The savory flavors of s’mores, apples, and all things pumpkin

Hear

The rustling sound of leaves, the roar of the 12th Man, the snapping, crackling, and popping of the campfire

Feel

The cool breezes and the cozy textures of fall against our skin

Oh! The wonder and awe of October!

To see the world through a young child’s eyes is the best, and I plan to engage the GRANDS in these things at Heartstead Farms.  

Here’s our list of highly recommended October activities:

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1. Gather round the campfire
   • Jeff calls a campfire “cave man’s TV.” 
   • Get the kids involved in gathering sticks to pile on the stack.
   • Light it early while the sun is still up and have a hotdog cookout.
   • Gather round and watch the sun set.
   • Roast marshmallows and have a s’more fest.
   • Enjoy the company and camaraderie.  
   • Tell stories of the past, and make memories for the future.
   • Savor the precious time together.
2. Pumpkin Science
   • Ideally, you planted pumpkin seeds on July 4th and can harvest your own pumpkins from the garden.  Unfortunately for us, we missed pumpkin planting this year.  But – no worries.  Pumpkins appear to be plentiful at our local grocery stores!
   • We will study pumpkins with all of our senses with the following pumpkinology:
     • Make predictions about weight, circumference, and number of seeds
     • Weigh it and measure it
     • Sink or float?
     • Open it up and take out the seeds
     • Count and graph seeds
     • Roast the seeds
     • Carve a face
3. Leaf Labs
   • We will continue to explore nature through the leaves.
     • Hunt and collect them
     • Sort by color and shape
     • Trace or make rubbings
     • Paint leaves or use leaves as brushes
     • Rake them into piles and jump right in!
4. Football
   • Whether it is NFL, College, High School, PeeWee, or Flag – October is for football!
   • Tailgate, watch, play – engage!
5. Make Chili
   • The cooler weather calls for the season’s first pot of chili!
   • Fritos, cornbread, crackers – what’s your favorite?
     

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Actually – why are these experiences reserved for the young ‘uns? Come to think of it, the older I get, the more I appreciate the season, so here I proclaim – these activities are fun for all – young and old!

Enjoy the season and share your special traditions in the comments below.