Fun and free family things to do in autumn

Autumn is a fantastic time to get out and about with your child, but with the days getting shorter, colder and wetter it can be a struggle to know what fun things you can do. Don’t let the weather stop you, check out some free, fun activities you can enjoy together.

The woods or local parks are great places to explore, especially in the autumn. There are so many different things to see and find. Check out our autumn activity sheet and tick things off as you spot them in a fun exploration game on your outdoor adventure. You could even give a bag or basket to your little one for collecting items. Be inspired and take your pick of five creative nature crafting ideas to try DIY with your little one.

Finding a horse chestnut tree can be part of the fun but when you do find one why don't you challenge the children to find different conkers. Smallest, biggest or shiniest. You could also see how many conkers they can fit in their pockets. Your little one could set up shop and buy, sell and swap their conkers for a fun imaginative play activity. If there aren't any horse chestnut trees near you, then you can gather fallen sticks and have an impromptu game of "pick up sticks". 

You could also try the CBBC conkers bonkers quiz to see how much you actually know about them.

Just a note: Many primary schools now don’t allow conker games due to health and safety, so best to just keep them at home. 

Pine cones and leaves make for fantastic craft materials. You could create a lovely autumn mobile, pine cone bird feeder and leaf prints with crayons or paint.

If you do use pine cones, it's a good idea to make sure they are nice and clean and fully dried out before you make your creative masterpiece, find out how to clean pine cone here.

Whether you're out in the woods, or at home on a rainy day, den building is such a fun activity to do together. See what items you can find to build your biggest – or smallest den.

If you are in the woods you can find long branches and fallen pieces of wood and safely lean them against each other. If you are making your den at home then you can use blankets and bed sheets, hanging them over chairs or even your bed.

The nights are drawing in, so why not check out what time the sun is due to set and head out to the perfect spot to watch it. It will set quicker than you think, so make sure you arrive in plenty of time. Then what better way to all snuggle up in blankets looking at the beautiful night sky. See how many constellations you can spot and you might see a special shooting star. Before you go, check out the top tips for stargazing.

📖 Grab your favourite book and cuddle together as you step into imaginary worlds and enjoy the closeness of reading a book together.

✨ Watch CBeebies Bedtime Stories on BBC iPlayer for an excellent tale read by your favourite celebrity.

🎵 If you want an audio experience you can listen to CBeebies Bedtime stories on BBC Sounds or a selection of nighttime tales on CBeebies Radio.

Enjoy CBeebies Storytime app together. CBeebies Storytime introduces children to a world of stories through beautiful, interactive story books and you can download the new Storytime app via the Apple, Google Play, and Amazon app stores.

If you're looking for a new series to watch together as a family, check out these cosy boxsets from CBBC and CBeebies.

For a collection of snuggly harvest clips to watch, fun autumn activities to try, autumn poetry, autumn animals and nature to spot, quizzes and games with your favourite CBeebies friends head to our CBeebies Autumn collection.

If you're getting geared up for some Halloween fun, you can find softly spooky content for the youngest ones with spooky quizzes, Halloween party playlists and games, Halloween songs, crafts and more in the CBeebies Halloween collection.

If you're looking for family friendly fun this autumn half-term holiday check out this collection of half-term games, print-outs and activity inspiration.