Usually the children spend the autumn equinox wrapped up in their coats outside collecting leaves. This year the children were in the garden wearing sun cream and sun hats, not what you would expect for autumn. The children enjoyed collecting the leaves and feeling the textures and looking at the different colours. They were also able to feel the leaves on their feet rather than wearing wellies. The great thing about this year was that the children were able to hear the leaves crunch more when they stepped on them or squished them in their hands as they were dry due to the lack of rainfall. The leaves that were collected were used to paint, or to stick with. The young children enjoyed feeling the textures. The older children used the leaves to try and draw the leaf shape and to colour it. We will be continuing to talk to the children about autumn and the changes that happen to the environment, the weather and the animals.