7 Cozy Activities to Do With Kids at Home

Fall has a way of making home feel a little cozier. As the days become cooler and evenings arrive earlier, families may find themselves spending more time indoors together.

You don’t need an elaborate activity or a long list of supplies to make those afternoons feel special. A cardboard box, a few fallen leaves, some favorite books can become the starting point for an enjoyable fall activity. Whether you’re looking for something creative to do on a rainy afternoon or simply want to slow down and enjoy the season together, here are seven cozy Fall activities to try with children at home.

1. Make Leaf Rubbings

Bring a few fallen leaves indoors and turn them into simple fall artwork. Place a leaf underneath a sheet of paper with the textured side facing up. Remove the paper wrapper from a crayon, then gently rub the side of the crayon across the paper. Slowly, the shape and veins of the leaf will begin to appear.

Try leaves of different shapes and sizes or experiment with several crayons on the same page. Children can also arrange several leaves underneath one large piece of paper to create a colorful fall collage.

2. Make Homemade Play Dough in Fall Colors

A batch of play dough can provide plenty of open-ended entertainment on a cool afternoon. If your family has a favorite homemade play dough recipe, make a batch together and add colors inspired by fall, such as orange, yellow, brown, or red. Once it’s ready, children can use the dough to create:

• Pumpkins
• Leaves
• Apples
• Acorns
• Pretend pies
• Trees
• Woodland animals

You can also provide child-safe cookie cutters, rolling pins, or other familiar play dough tools and let children decide what they would like to make.

3. Have a Fall-Themed Movie Afternoon

Some afternoons call for something especially simple. Choose a family-friendly movie, put on comfortable clothes, gather a few blankets, and make the living room extra cozy. You might add a favorite snack or warm drink appropriate for your child’s age.

Children can help choose the movie and prepare the space before you begin. You don’t need to turn it into a big event. A movie, a blanket, and some uninterrupted time together may be all you need.

4. Create a Fall Sensory Bin

A sensory bin can bring some of the textures of fall indoors. Depending on your child’s age and what you have available, fill a shallow container with safe items such as:

• Large fallen leaves
• Pinecones
• Fabric leaves
• Large wooden pieces
• Small pumpkins or gourds
• Measuring cups
• Scoops
• Small containers

Children might sort, scoop, arrange, count, or use the materials for pretend play. Choose materials appropriate for your child’s age, supervise closely, and avoid small objects for children who may put items in their mouths.

5. Bake Something Together

A cool fall afternoon is a great time to spend a little extra time in the kitchen. Choose a simple recipe your family enjoys, such as muffins, cookies, bread, or another favorite treat. Children can participate in age-appropriate ways by pouring pre-measured ingredients, stirring, counting scoops, or helping arrange ingredients before you begin.

Baking together doesn’t need to look perfectly organized. There may be flour on the counter and a few unevenly shaped cookies at the end. The experience of making something together is part of the fun.

6. Make a Cardboard Box Fall House

Before recycling your next large cardboard box, see what your child can turn it into. A box could become a tiny cabin, a woodland animal home, a pretend bakery, or even a cozy house for stuffed animals.

Provide simple craft materials such as crayons, washable markers, paper, and tape, then let children decide what their fall house needs. They might add paper leaves to the roof, draw pumpkins beside the door, make tiny cardboard furniture, or create a sign for the front.

7. Go on an Indoor Color Hunt

Fall is full of recognizable colors, and you can turn them into an easy scavenger hunt without leaving home. Choose a few fall-inspired colors, such as red, orange, yellow, brown, and green. Then challenge children to find household objects that match each one.

You might ask:

• Can you find something orange?
• Can you find three brown things?
• Which fall color can you find the most of?
• Can you find something that has two fall colors?

Once everything has been collected, sort the objects by color before returning them to their usual places.