What to play in autumn? 5 Awesome autumn-themed STEAM activities

Do you like autumn? In this season when the temperature is getting cooler, let's have an autumn-themed activity with our children!

This time we’ve selected 5 STEAM activities related to autumn, including how to use Oreo cookies to understand the moon phase, make pumpkin volcanoes, use building blocks to make pumpkins, and maple leaf dyeing science experiments!

Every kind of activity is really full of autumn feel. Are you looking forward to it?

Read also: The rising of toy industry during pandemic

What to play in autumn? 5 awesome autumn-themed STEAM activities

1. Mid-Autumn Festival Moon Viewing Science: Oreo Biscuit Moon Experiment

The most important festival in autumn is the Mid-Autumn Festival! I wonder if you have any fixed activities during the Mid-Autumn Festival? I love barbecue and grapefruit! (So not creative).

If you want to play something different with your kids during the Mid-Autumn Festival, you must try using Oreo cookies to learn the moon's ecstasy, just do it!

Read also: Bonding time! Do these 6 STEAM activities with your child

Things need to be prepared

• 8 Oreo cookies

• Learning chart (not necessary)

How to do the Oreo biscuit moon experiment?

1. Explain why the moon is cloudy and clear.

2. Use the cream filling of the biscuit to make moon phase changes.

3. Take the child to observe the moon phase changes.

You can also print out the following study sheet to play the moon cookie experiment to make it easier for children to understand!

Credit: Superstar Worksheets

2. Know the fruits of the season: DIY apple life cycle hat

Autumn is the season of apple. Apple is the healthy and a very good fruit. Take advantage of this season to do a little STEAM activities with your children and let them know the growth of apple!

Read also: Recommended toys to develop child's skills for the future!

Credit: The STEM Laboratory

Things need to be prepared

• Drawing paper

• Pencil, colored pen or watercolor

• Double-sided tape

How to make the apple lifecycle hat?

1. Draw a periodic pattern of "from seed to apple" on the drawing paper.

2. Cut out a long piece of paper, wrap it around and stick it as a hat.

3. Paste the drawn patterns on the edge of the hat, and you are done!

You can also search for "apple life circle" on the Internet, and there will be many apple growth patterns or study sheets.

Credit: The STEM Laboratory

Credit: The STEM Laboratory

Wearing such a cool cycle hat not only learns the plant growth cycle, but is also full of fun in the process. Isn’t it great?

3. Halloween pumpkin volcano

Autumn is also the season for Halloween. In addition to the Halloween costume parade, you might as well have a more weird "Pumpkin Volcano" science experiment with your children!

Things need to be prepared

• Dishwashing liquid

• Baking soda

• White vinegar

• Food coloring (orange, purple, green)

• Small pumpkin

• Others: knife, small spoon, small container

Read also: Baby essentials that is important for your children's development

How to make Halloween pumpkin volcano?

1. Cut the pumpkin head and clean the seeds.

2. Pour a teaspoon of baking soda in each pumpkin.

3. Add a little dishwashing liquid.

4. Add food paint.

5. Finally, pour 1/3 cup of white vinegar to complete.

Credit: Natural Beach Living

Credit: Natural Beach Living

Observe carefully, what will happen to the pumpkin?

Adding acid (such as acetic acid) to baking soda will cause a chemical reaction to produce carbon dioxide. At this time, many bubbles will be generated inside the pumpkin. As the carbon dioxide increases, the bubbles will be squeezed out, which looks like a volcanic eruption!

4. Maple leaf dyeing science experiment

This is a very simple scientific experiment that is very suitable for autumn. But first you have to take your children out to "collect maple leaves". Take the opportunity to take the children out for a walk!

Credit: A Little Pinch of Perfection

Things need to be prepared

• Maple leaves of different colors (red, yellow, green, brown)

• Alcohol

• Transparent test tube

Read also: BabyLux event: Get to know your toys with ToyBrain

Credit: A Little Pinch of Perfection

How to do the scientific experiment of maple leaf dyeing?

1. First, wash the picked up maple leaves and blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes.

2. Take the leaves out and place them on the tabletop to warm them up.

3. Pour alcohol into the transparent test tube container.

4. Put the maple leaf directly into the alcohol and let it stand overnight.

Get up the next day and you will see Maple Leaf stained with alcohol! It turns out that the cooked leaves have no cuticle protection. When they are soaked in alcohol, the chloroplasts of the leaves will be removed and dissolved in alcohol to form dyeing. It is beautiful, right?

Credit: A Little Pinch of Perfection

5. Use building blocks to create pumpkin

Seeing a foreign teacher using Lego bricks to teach children to make pumpkins, I think that Plus-Plus is more suitable! Because you can make an "arc shape" with Plus-Plus, and it can construct a very stunning shape whether it is flat or a 3D design!

See more creation ideas with Plus-Plus.

Welcoming you to be part of BabyLux family, planning to start own business by being baby products distributors but not sure where to start, drop us a message!

5 Easy and Fun Sensory Activities for Toddlers at Home

Editor's Note:

This article was originally written to help families during the global pandemic. We have updated it to be a timeless resource for any parent looking for fun, screen-free ways to keep their children engaged at home, whether it's a rainy day, a school holiday, or just a quiet afternoon.

How do we keep our young children busy, learning, and happy at home, especially when there isn't much space to run around? The answer is sensory play! One fun activity per day can keep the stress away and create wonderful bonding moments.

Did you know that when a child uses two or more senses at the same time, their brain works more optimally to absorb and store new information? That's why experts agree that multi-sensory activities are a more productive and beneficial alternative to screen time.

The best part? All of the following activities can be done with simple materials you likely already have at home.

5 Multi-Sensory Activities for Children Under 3

1. Edible Finger Painting

This is often a child's first art project and a perfect multi-sensory activity. It introduces textures, colors, and even tastes! Because younger children love to put everything in their mouths, it's best to DIY an edible paint that is completely safe.

How to make it: Simply mix cornstarch with water until you have a smooth consistency, then divide it into a few cups and add a different drop of food coloring to each. Voila! You have a safe, vibrant paint ready for little hands to explore.

2. "Dinosaur Dig" Treasure Hunt

This activity is perfect for introducing letters and concepts while playing. Fill a bucket or storage container with clean sand, uncooked rice, or dried pasta. Hide some small dinosaur toys within the sand. For an extra learning step, you can stick letters on them (e.g., the letter 'D') and have your child group them as they find them. This simple game teaches texture, discovery, and early literacy skills.

3. Water Balloon Bath

Make bath time even more fun and educational! Fill several colored balloons with water. In the tub, your child can explore the balloons, introducing a rich vocabulary of descriptive words: slippery, smooth, heavy, light, squishy. This turns a routine activity into a fun sensory lesson.

4. Creative Play with Rice

Rice is a fantastic and inexpensive alternative to sand for sensory bins. To make it even more exciting, you can color it by shaking a cup of rice with a few drops of food coloring and a teaspoon of vinegar (the vinegar smell will disappear as it dries).

You can use your colorful rice for all kinds of activities:

• Bury "treasure" like small toys or blocks for a treasure hunt.

• Pour it into clear plastic bottles to make colorful shakers.

• Simply let your child run their hands through it to enjoy the texture and sound.

5. Jello Dig

This activity turns snack time into a productive and exciting sensory experience. Simply make a batch of gelatin (Jello) as usual, but before it sets, add large pieces of fruit (like mandarin orange segments or berries) or other edible, baby-safe objects. Your child will love digging through the jiggly, cool texture to find the treats inside. It stimulates all their senses and fills their tummy at the same time!

6. Explore with Open-Ended Sensory Toys

Not all sensory play has to be a messy DIY project! Some of the world's best toys are specifically designed to engage a child's senses in an open-ended way.

• For pure sensory exploration, nothing beats the Swiss-designed toys from MOLUK. Their products are made from high-quality, food-grade silicone with unique, tactile shapes. They can be spinning tops, bath toys, or stackable objects, encouraging play that is driven by a child's own curiosity.

• For a different kind of tactile building, the flexible magnetic pieces from Clixo click and bend in satisfying ways, merging the art of origami with construction.

• The simple, single-shape design of Plus-Plus provides a wonderfully tactile experience as children connect the pieces to create 2D mosaics or 3D structures.

It turns out it's not difficult to create multi-sensory activities at home. While they might get a little messy, the developmental benefits and the joyful memories you create are absolutely worth it.

5 Screen-Free Activities for Creative Family Fun at Home

Editor's Note:

This article was originally inspired by families spending more time at home during the global pandemic. We have since updated it to be a timeless guide for any day you're looking for fun, screen-free ways to connect as a family, be it a rainy weekend, a school holiday, or just a quiet afternoon.

In a world full of screens, creating moments for hands-on, imaginative play is more important than ever. It's easy to turn on the TV, but when you need to keep your children engaged and prevent crankiness, nothing beats a creative activity. Taking the time to play together isn't just about passing time; it's an opportunity for family bonding and powerful developmental learning.

Here are 5 of our favorite screen-free activities to spark creativity at home.

Activity 1: The Magic of Building Blocks

Open-ended building toys are a must-have. They can be played with for hours with just a little imagination, becoming houses, towers, bridges, or cars. The benefits are immense:

• Developing imagination and storytelling skills.

• Practicing patience and problem-solving.

• Building self-confidence with every successful creation.

• Learning concepts of shape, size, balance, and color.

Recommended Toys:

• Plus-Plus: This brilliantly simple, single-shape piece is like a physical pixel. It's perfect for creating both 2D mosaics and intricate 3D structures, helping children develop fine motor skills and spatial reasoning. (www.plus-plus.com)

• MOLUK: These are the ultimate open-ended toys. With no defined purpose, a MOLUK toy could be a spinning top, a mountain for a car, or a hat for a doll. They force kids to be creative and think abstractly. (www.moluk.com)

Activity 2: Popsicle Stick Color Matching

This simple DIY game is incredibly valuable and costs next to nothing. All you need are some craft sticks and colored markers or paper.

Create "popsicles" out of colored paper and cut a slit in the top. Color the end of each craft stick to match one of the paper popsicles. Have your toddler choose a stick, identify the color, and then "insert" it into the matching paper popsicle. It's a fun, hands-on way to practice color recognition and fine motor skills. Pretend licking of the finished popsicle is highly encouraged!

Activity 3: Scissor Skills Cutting Practice

This activity provides a safe, controlled environment for your toddler to practice the important skill of cutting.

On a piece of paper, draw simple shapes or lines (straight, zig-zag, wavy). Give your child a pair of child-safe scissors and let them practice cutting along the lines. They may need help holding the paper or opening and closing the scissors at first, but try to let them do as much as they can on their own. It’s a fantastic way to build hand strength and coordination.

Activity 4: Host a Fashion Show

Many children love to express themselves through dress-up. Turn this into an event! Let them experiment with their clothes and accessories to create unique outfits. You can help with face paint or a touch of kid-friendly makeup.

Then, create a "catwalk" in your living room, dim the lights, and play some upbeat music to make it feel like a real show. For an extra layer of creativity, use cardboard and Makedo tools to build a custom runway, cool props, or even wearable accessories!

Activity 5: Build an Epic Fort

The classic blanket fort is a childhood rite of passage for a reason! Drape bed linens over chairs, couches, and tables to create a cozy, temporary playhouse.

To take your fort-building to the next level, introduce a toolset specifically designed for cardboard construction, like Makedo. Using the kid-safe saws and connectors, you and your child can use recycled cardboard boxes to engineer incredible, life-sized structures—from castles and tunnels to spaceships and storefronts. It teaches real construction principles and turns imagination into a tangible creation they can actually play inside. (www.make.do)

It turns out that preparing fun, educational activities for your children doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. We hope these ideas inspire many happy hours of family fun. Good luck