Feel that Autumn Wind Blow
by Kathy Grzendzielewski If someone asked you to describe autumn, what experiences pop into your mind? How about brightly colored trees, fresh caramel apples, jumping and twirling in piles of leaves, crisp air, warm cider, acorns crunching under your feet, the aroma of burning leaves, a flock of ducks quacking overhead, pumpkin goo on your fingers... Many of these visions stem from childhood memories, and all are sensory related. Yes, we learn so much about our world from our senses. Our children will not have fully experienced the out-of-doors in their orphanage life. I'm reminded of a toddler, recently home with her new family. The ball rolled from the driveway onto the grass. She went after it, then stopped. Something was different. Even with shoes it felt different walking on grass. Cautiously, she lifted her feet high as if afraid the grass would stick to her feet. Carefully she made her way back to the security of the concrete. She'd be OK now, and just to be sure, she made sure the ball stayed away from the grass. It is now our role as parents to pass on the sensory learning experiences the fall season has to offer. Don't despair, it's fun and a good excuse to be a kid again. Try some of these experiences with leaves and pumpkins, or make up your own. Please remember a child should never be forced into a sensory experience he/she is not ready for. Crunch the leaves in the child's hand to let him/her feel the texture. Rake the leaves, do the traditional jump into the pile and bury one another. Then take the experience a step farther. Remove shoes and socks, roll up pant legs. Now wade through the leaves. Bring out an old blanket to play "hot dog on a bun". The child is the hot dog, blanket is the bun, a layer of leaves on the blanket is the pickle relish. Role it up tightly with your child in the middle cocoon-style, allowing the child to feel the tightness on his/her joints. Pumpkins are also full of experiences. Let the child feel the difference in textures. There are smooth shells, bumpy shells, prickly stems. Finger paint the pumpkin. Allow mixing of colors. It will end up black. Add some paper ears, eyes and whiskers to turn it into a black cat, or hose off the paint and proceed to carving. The slimy inside of the pumpkin on little fingers, hands and arms can be pretty threatening to some children. Remove some from the pumpkin and gently let the child touch it. If this year is too soon to stick a hand in the shell, wait until next year, but include more touch experiences at playtime. Toast some seeds allowing the child to help mix the seasonings. Enjoy the aroma of the baking seeds. The remaining seeds can be washed, dried off and glued on paper to make designs. So now you have your homework. Spend some time together exploring fall with your child. Do it quickly, as soon the leaves will be down, the north winds will blow, and winter will be here. | 
