Play in the Leaves

Take time to enjoy the leaves this autumn. Crunch them underfoot, make a pile of leaves to jump in, throw leaves into the air, and collect your favourites for a craft! Whatever you do, have fun!

We recommend bringing a rake to your nearby open greenspace that has trees losing their leaves. It might sound weird to take your rake for a walk in the park - but this is Alberta, many of us cherish childhood memories of playing in the leaves. Your neighbours might just come join you in the fun!

Rake up a pile of leaves and let the kids run, dig, and jump in them. After the initial excitement, have your kids sit in the pile of leaves, even cover their legs with crunchy leaves. Stay still and look at the leaves for 2 minutes, and if you are lucky, you will see many ladybugs crawling around on the leaves! Pick up a leaf a ladybug is crawling on and it will climb on your kids' hands and arms for a special moment, connecting with nature.

Be sure to kick the leaves around again after your fun. The ladybugs will go back to sheltering under the protection of the leaf litter.