Fun Things to Do with Kids on the Allotment This Autumn Half Term

The October half-term is the perfect opportunity to get children outdoors and exploring the allotment. With crisp air, colourful leaves, and autumn harvests, allotments turn into vibrant outdoor classrooms full of curiosity, hands-on learning, and seasonal fun. Here are some simple activities to keep kids entertained and inspired this autumn.

1. Pick Your Own Veg

Autumn is harvest season! Let children experience the joy of digging up potatoes, picking carrots, or gathering late-season pumpkins. Harvesting their own food is a wonderful way to teach them where it comes from — and they’re much more likely to try new vegetables when they’ve picked them themselves.

Top veg to harvest with kids:

Carrots
Potatoes
Parsnips
Pumpkins
Winter squash
Late-season peas

Give them a small basket and let them become mini harvesters for the day!

2. Mud Pie Fun

Take a small bowl on your allotment adventure and look around for fallen flowers, twigs, leaves, and other tiny treasures. Add a splash of water and soil, stir with a special stick, and let your children create their own mud pies.

They could even throw a tea party for elves and fairies using their mud pie and natural objects — imaginative play that gets them connecting with the natural world.

3. Create a Nature Journal

Encourage children to observe the changing colours and wildlife around the allotment by keeping an autumn nature journal. They can draw pictures, press leaves and flowers, or note the animals they spot.

Ideas to include:
Leaves turning colour
Birds, bugs, and squirrels
Seed heads and late vegetables
Weather observations
Pressed flowers and leaves to make cards or bookmarks

4. Make a Scarecrow

A classic allotment activity with a creative twist! Building a scarecrow helps children use old clothes, imagination, and teamwork.

What you’ll need:

Old clothes and a hat
Straw, shredded paper, or leaves for stuffing
A wooden frame or bamboo sticks
String or twine

Encourage kids to give their scarecrow a name or even write a short story in their journals.

5. Bug Hunting and Mini Beasts Safari

Autumn is a great time for exploring mini beasts. Give children magnifying glasses and let them gently search under leaves, compost heaps, and around flowers.

Creatures to look out for:

Ladybirds
Worms
Spiders
Beetles
Woodlice

Remind them to be gentle and respect all the creatures they find.

6. Make a Bird Feeder, Hedgehog House, or Other Wildlife Projects

Autumn is the perfect time to help local wildlife prepare for winter. Children can get creative while supporting birds, hedgehogs, and insects.

Ideas:

Bird feeder:
Use a pine cone smeared with peanut butter and rolled in birdseed, or make a hanging feeder from recycled milk cartons.

Hedgehog house:
Stack wooden pallets or use a small wooden box with straw to give hedgehogs a cosy winter shelter.

Insect hotel:
Fill a wooden frame with bamboo, twigs, leaves, and pinecones to provide a habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects.

These projects teach children about wildlife, habitat creation, and responsibility.

7. Build a Bee and Butterfly Bath

Pollinators are still busy in autumn, collecting nectar before winter. You can help by creating a simple water source using a shallow dish filled with clean water and pebbles or stones so bees, butterflies, and other insects can safely land and drink.

Place the bath near flowers and in a sunny, sheltered spot. Children can help set it up, arrange the stones, and watch which visitors arrive — a fun way to learn about wildlife and the vital role pollinators play in growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Refresh the water regularly to keep it clean and safe.

$Radish Seeds$

8. Plant Quick-Growing Autumn Seeds

There’s still time to sow some fast-growing seeds before winter. Give children their own small patch to care for and watch the progress from seed to harvest.

Fast growers for autumn:

Radishes
Spinach
Salad leaves
Spring onions
Winter lettuces

9. Create Allotment Art

Autumn is full of colours and textures perfect for creative projects. Children can make art inspired by the plot.

Ideas to try:

Leaf rubbings
Potato stamping
Painting pebbles for row markers
Making signs for vegetables
Pressing colourful leaves and flowers to make cards or bookmarks

10. Make Herb Bundles and Scent Bags

Some herbs are still available in early autumn. Children can harvest fragrant herbs and make little bundles or scent bags to take home.

Best herbs:

Rosemary
Thyme
Mint
Sage

Tie the herbs with a string or place them in small muslin bags for a lovely natural air freshener.

11. Autumn Picnic and Garden Cooking

After a busy day, enjoy a simple outdoor picnic using produce you’ve harvested together. Children can help wash, chop, and assemble easy dishes.

Easy autumn picnic ideas:

Roasted veg skewers
Potato salad with fresh herbs
Apple and berry compote
Cheese and vegetable wraps

12. Create a Sensory Path or Autumn Garden

Design a small corner of the plot as a sensory space for children to enjoy.

Ideas include:

Soft moss or lamb’s ear to touch
Fragrant herbs to smell
Wind chimes for a gentle sound
Bright flowers like nasturtiums or calendula
Smooth pebbles or woodchips underfoot

Children can help plant, decorate, and maintain the area throughout the season.

Make the Most of Autumn Half Term at the Allotment

Spending time at the allotment during the half term is a hands-on, screen-free way for children to connect with nature, food, and each other. From mud pies and bug hunts to harvesting, wildlife projects, and creative art, these activities help kids develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world — and create lasting memories.

So wrap up warm, pack some snacks, and head to your plot for an autumn adventure!

Join The National Allotment Society

Become a National Allotment Society member and help to preserve and protect allotments for future generations.

You'll also gain a range of benefits, including free liability insurance, initial legal support, expert advice, and much more.

Join Now

Non Member Newsletter Signup

National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners Ltd
Registered in 1930 under the Industrial & Provident Societies Acts no. 11144R
VAT No. 1212930 14
Patron His Majesty King Charles III