autumn activities for 2 year olds eyfs

Autumn Activities for 2-Year-Olds in EYFS

By Michael ClarkJanuary 13, 2026

Autumn, with its crisp air and vibrant colors, is an ideal season to engage 2-year-olds in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) activities. This period offers a wealth of opportunities to stimulate young minds through sensory exploration, creative play, and learning experiences. Let's delve into some captivating autumn activities that align with the EYFS curriculum.

Autumn activities for 2-year-olds should focus on seven key areas of learning and development as outlined in the EYFS: communication and language, physical development, personal, social, and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design. By incorporating these areas into autumn-themed activities, you can foster a well-rounded development in young children.

Nature Exploration

Autumn is a treasure trove of natural wonders that can captivate young children. Engaging 2-year-olds in nature exploration helps them understand and appreciate the world around them, fostering a love for the environment.

children are playing with pumpkins in an orange bowl

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One exciting activity is creating a nature scavenger hunt. Hide autumn-themed items like leaves, acorns, and pinecones around the garden or a local park. Encourage children to find these items, promoting physical development and problem-solving skills. Once they've collected their findings, they can create a collage or a nature crown, integrating expressive arts and design into the activity.

Leaf Art

Leaves are abundant in autumn and offer a rich sensory experience for 2-year-olds. Collect a variety of leaves and provide children with non-toxic paint, glue, and paper. Encourage them to explore the textures, colors, and shapes of the leaves, promoting sensory development and creativity.

an advertisement for kids'autumn conker art, with pictures of food in the background

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three handprints with leaves painted on them, one is orange and the other is yellow

For a more structured activity, you can create leaf rubbings. Place a leaf under a piece of paper and have children gently rub the side of a crayon over the paper. This activity helps develop fine motor skills and introduces children to the concept of patterns and textures.

Pumpkin Play

Pumpkins are synonymous with autumn and provide ample opportunities for learning and play. Provide children with small pumpkins or pumpkin-shaped toys and encourage them to explore their size, shape, and texture. This activity supports physical development and understanding of the world.

Pumpkin play can also extend to imaginative play. Set up a small-world pumpkin patch using a sensory bin filled with rice or sand, and add small pumpkins, rakes, and other autumn-themed toys. Encourage children to create their own pumpkin patch story, promoting language development and creativity.

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a person painting leaves on a white surface with red and green ink, while another hand is pointing at the leaf

Autumn-Themed Stories

Storytelling is a powerful tool in the EYFS curriculum, fostering language development, imagination, and emotional understanding. Autumn provides a wealth of storybook opportunities, from 'The Little Red Hen' to 'We're Going on a Leaf Hunt'.

After reading a story, engage children in related activities to reinforce learning. For example, after reading 'The Little Red Hen', children can create their own bread using playdough, promoting fine motor skills and understanding of the world. For 'We're Going on a Leaf Hunt', children can go on a real leaf hunt, promoting physical development and understanding of the world.

Autumn Sensory Play

Sensory play is crucial for young children's development, helping them explore and make sense of the world around them. Autumn offers a plethora of sensory experiences that can be incorporated into play.

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a child's hand is painting a tree on paper with autumn leaves around it

an orange leaf painted on top of a wooden table with the word vav written in it

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Create an autumn sensory bin using materials like dried leaves, acorns, and small pumpkins. Add scoops, cups, and spoons to encourage children to explore the textures and sounds of the materials. This activity promotes sensory development, fine motor skills, and understanding of the world.

Autumn Counting and Sorting

Autumn provides numerous opportunities for children to practice counting and sorting skills, which are essential in the EYFS mathematics curriculum. Collect autumn-themed items like leaves, acorns, and seeds, and provide children with trays or muffin tins for sorting.

For a more structured activity, create a counting game using autumn-themed objects. Hide a certain number of objects (e.g., five acorns) and encourage children to find them. Once they've found the objects, they can count them, promoting mathematical development.

Autumn is a magical time for 2-year-olds, filled with wonder and discovery. By incorporating these activities into EYFS learning, you can create a rich, engaging, and developmentally appropriate experience for young children. So, grab your wellies and let's embrace the autumn adventure!